Working with and for the community

WORKING with and for the local community comes in many forms.The number of ways we provide for, and interact with, local residents is massive.

The City of Greater Geelong delivers about 130 services, but our role doesn’t stop there.

We have the broader responsibility of representing the interests of our community on far more issues.

Council works to ensure other levels of government understands our local needs, and advocates for them to invest in infrastructure, facilities and services.

We seek input on a wide variety of projects, via methods such as formal face-to-face sessions and online surveys (which attract about 100,000 people annually).

Councillors are also in their local communities, hearing direct from volunteer groups, clubs and organisations about what is important to them.

One such project and group I wanted to highlight is Real Deal Geelong, which is a unique alliance of community organisations, community centres, unions and faith groups.

Real Deal Geelong has a broad base, but it does have a clear regard for the most vulnerable members of our community, in particular those in the northern suburbs, Whittington and St Albans areas.

Corio and Norlane – and the wider Windermere Ward – has been strongly represented, with many public forums held at Cloverdale Community Centre.

The alliance has regularly met at Cloverdale Community Centre so far, with a clear focus on many of the issues experienced by locals.

These include housing affordability, public transport, cost of living, environmental sustainability and employment opportunities.

The great thing about Real Deal Geelong is the work it’s done to develop solutions to the highlighted issues.

They have come together, from different walks of life, to put forward actions that will drive positive change.

The alliance was due to meet in Geelong West last night (Thursday), with the agenda to focus on addressing the housing affordability crisis.

Its policies in this area are generally supported by Council.

We both want to see a marked increase in the number of social and affordable homes built across multiple areas of Geelong.

While Council has an ambitious 20-year social housing plan, it relies heavily on significant investment from both the Commonwealth and State governments.

One of the best ways to increase our stock is to make it mandatory for developers to include a percentage of new homes as

social housing.

Council is strongly advocating for the State Government to include Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning for social housing across all new developments in Victoria.

In the interim, City officers are working with developers to negotiate voluntary agreements and exploring options with Registered Housing Providers.

Council and the alliance are both advocating for 30 per cent of homes to be built on the site of the earmarked Commonwealth Games village, in Waurn Ponds, to provide for social housing.

Premier Jacinta Allan’s announcement that 72 of the 400 new homes for this site would be for social and affordable housing, does fall short of that target.

We’d hope to see that figure increase during the detailed design phase.

Officers are also continuing to identify Council-owned sites where social housing can be delivered.

It’s vital that all levels of government come together to take action.

And with the passion and drive of organisations like Real Deal Geelong, there is a clear call from the community for this to happen now, rather than later.

Cr Anthony Aitken

Deputy Mayor, City of Greater Geelong