BUILD IT UP: Geelong awaits details of social housing rollout

GEELONG leaders are ramping up pressure on the Andrews Government to ensure the region receives a large share of a promised social housing build resulting from the cancelled Commonwealth Games.

A funding package announced in the wake of last week’s shock cancellation included $1 billion to build 1,300 social housing properties across regional Victoria.

Geelong was among the event hosts that had been promised its athlete’s village would be repurposed into social housing following the 2026 event.

The government had earmarked a 17-hectare Mount Duneed site immediately south of Waurn Ponds Railway Station for Geelong’s Games village, which would have accommodated around 2,900 athletes and staff.

The state is yet to indicate how it will distribute the 1,300 homes across the proposed hub sites.

To March this year, the Victorian Housing Register lists 3,799 households waiting for a social housing property in the Barwon region – which covers Geelong, the Bellarine and Colac Otway.

Speaking on the Bellarine Peninsula on Friday last week, Mr Andrews claimed that the government could deliver more than the 1,300 homes promised, and they would be available sooner due to the cancellation.

“I think we’re going to do more than 1,300 homes, I think there’s every opportunity we can deliver more than that.

“We can deliver some of those legacy benefits, perhaps not all, but certainly some of those will be delivered much sooner, because we don’t have to wait until after the Games.”

He also defended his decision to cancel Victoria 2026 due to the importance of issues such as housing, which he said the reported $6 billion cost would be better directed to.

“I think housing is perhaps the number one issue across our state, whether in regional Victoria or metropolitan, people can’t find a place to live.

“For me this is a relatively easy decision. $6 billion is way too much to pay for a 12-day sporting event, particularly when you can deliver the legacy benefits and more, and we can make a faster start on that.”

The commitment to spend on social housing was mostly welcomed by Geelong leaders, but they are calling for more clarity on how the fund will be delivered.

Polwarth Liberal MP Richard Riordan raised issue with the proposed cost of the new housing, which had a price tag of almost $770,000 per property.

“The devil in the detail is that despite a $1 billion spend the Andrews Government will build a house at more than twice the price it costs an average Geelong region family,” he said.

“The need for accessible and affordable accommodation is now pushed back even further and is set to be of poor value and quality.”

G21 chief executive officer Guilia Baggio also called for the region to receive a lion’s share of the available housing fund.

“The G21-Geelong region urgently needs a large proportion of the promised $1 billion social and affordable housing fund.

“The lack of housing has caused a chronic shortage of workers, and this is holding back our economic development at a time when Geelong should be booming.”

City of Greater Geelong mayor Trent Sullivan said the council looked forward to working with the state for delivery of the funded projects.

“We welcome the Government’s announcement that this vital infrastructure will still be prioritised, and we’re eagerly awaiting the details of exactly what they will fund and deliver.

“While disappointed, we will continue to work with the Government and local MPs to ensure that the best possible outcomes are achieved for our community.”