Call to keep Corio land for social housing

THE site of the former Flinders Peak Secondary College is on the market, but one developer says the sale should be called off in favour of building social and affordable housing there.

The Victorian government owns the land at 97 Hendy Street, Corio, which comprises about 73,060sqm.

Bisinella Developments chief executive officer Richard Bisinella said the site formerly occupied by the school, which closed at the end of 2010, neighboured existing residential estates and close to existing infrastructure, making it a prime location for social and affordable housing.

“The decision by the government to sell this land is perplexing and wrong.

“The land should not be sold to the open market but rather developed by the Government for social and affordable housing.

“It is located in a prime location and can provide for approximately 120 new homes, which would house between 300 to 400 residents.”

Mr Bisinella welcomed the Victorian government’s recent comments about “unlocking” space in the right areas to accommodate the state’s growing population – a reference to the release of draft housing capacity targets for each local government area – but said this made the Corio decision all the more perplexing.

“It is clear we need to build more homes right across the state. Indeed, only last Friday the Treasurer spoke to the Committee for Geelong spoke on affordable housing.

“The Hendy Street land is ideally located in an area that is growing and that has significant shortfall of housing.

“The government should do everything it can with opportunities like this to provide affordable and social housing

“I urge them to reconsider its decision to sell the land. I see no reason why the first residents couldn’t be moving into their new home in 18 months on a well-planned estate by the government.”