Candidates’ forum to tackle rising rents, energy bills

CORANGAMITE’S election hopefuls and their commitments to ease cost-of-living pressures for local residents will be put under the microscope at a community forum next week.

The Moolap event has been billed as an opportunity for the community to engage directly with the electorate’s candidates in the lead up to the May 3 poll about their experiences with housing stress and rising energy costs.

It will be hosted by the Real Deal Geelong Alliance, a coalition of 12 local organisations.

Incumbent Labor MP Libby Coker, Greens candidate Mitch Pope, Voices for Corangamite candidate Kate Lockhart and Libertarian Party candidate Paul Barker are each set to attend. At the time of writing, Liberal candidate Darcy Dunstan was yet to confirm his attendance.

Cloverdale Community Centre chief executive and Real Deal Geelong member Liz Bonner said the forum aimed to put “real stories front and centre” and hold the electorate’s “future representatives accountable to deliver real solutions”.

She pointed to the latest Priced Out affordable rental index, released by campaign group Everybody’s Home last month, which painted a picture of growing housing stress on the Bellarine Peninsula, with residents now needing an income of $100,000 to afford the average weekly rent for a unit.

Meanwhile, those earning an annual income of $40,000 are experiencing severe financial stress, with many spending 65 per cent of that income on rent, placing their rent burden well above the accepted affordability benchmark of 30 per cent.

“These aren’t abstract statistics – they’re the lived reality of our neighbours, colleagues and friends,” Ms Bonner said.

Real Deal Geelong community organiser Sally Fisher said too many people in the region were being left behind.

“This forum gives everyday residents a chance to speak up and provide evidence-based solutions to our future leaders to create a fairer, more affordable Australia for all.”

The forum will be held at Club Italia, Moolap on Thursday, April 10 between 6.30pm and 8.30pm.

For more information, or to register, head to events.humanitix.com/cost-of-living-community-forum-with-corangamite-candidates-tbc