CRISIS TALKS: Lorne housing woes subject of new community forum

THE Surf Coast Shire’s Lorne Ward councillor Gary Allen has vowed to fix the town’s long-running accommodation crisis as community discussions to find a solution began this week.

Expert presenters also raised a community-owned land co-operative model, social housing projects and government financial concessions as potential solutions in Monday’s forum.

Community organisations and the shire co-hosted the first of three webinars about Lorne’s housing problems, with about 100 attendees participating.

The series, organised by Friends of Lorne, follows the release of the Committee for Lorne’s “Accommodating Lorne’s Future” report earlier this year that outlined potential strategies to address the long-running problem.

Cr Allen underlined the issue’s urgency during the opening address of this week’s forum.

“We don’t want these frameworks to allow the problem to languish. We can’t afford for this problem to last another 16 years,” he said.

“We as a community must continue to put pressure on all levels of government to act.

“We should be open and flexible and should deepen understanding of varying capabilities and restraints of different agencies.

“This is vital work if we wish to have a vibrant Lorne with young families, volunteer organisations and town services.”

Among the presenters was Western Sydney University Associate Professor Louise Crabtree-Hayes, who introduced the concept of community land trusts (CLTs) as a potential remedy.

CLTs are properties that are managed by a board equally represented by three groups; residents, community members and other stakeholders.

The land would remain in perpetual ownership of the trust to insulate properties against market impacts and ensure it is always used for public good.

Ms Crabtree-Hayes said CLTs could form part of Lorne’s solution to house key workers in the town.

“Whether it’s CLTs or something else, there clearly needs to be some sort of intervention that provides affordable housing stock in perpetuity,” she said.

“There’s a need for something that bridges the gap – in between social housing eligibility and ability to afford a Lorne mortgage.”

Cr Libby Stapleton also presented at Monday’s forum, focusing on progress of the shire’s Aireys Inlet Affordable Housing Project, which could be a model the shire explores in Lorne.

“It’s not just about ensuring the long-term viability of the town, but making it a vibrant and welcoming place to live,” she said.

A 10-member community advisory panel has met five times since March, Cr Stapleton said, and selected preferred proponents who are expected to provide design options to councillors later this year.

Cr Stapleton’s presentation also highlighted the extent of the shire’s social housing shortage.

She said the shire had just 97 social housing properties across the municipality; less than 15 per cent of its present need.

The latest Victorian Housing Register data from March indicates that its Anglesea district – which covers Torquay, Anglesea, Forrest and Aireys Inlet – has 663 applications for state housing, while Winchelsea had 68.

Lorne Business and Tourism Association member and local café owner Leon Walker also spoke about the impact of existing programs in Lorne, such as the LBTA’s ‘Adopt a Worker‘ scheme and Lorne Hotel owner Merivale renting rooms in the Grand Pacific Hotel for its workers, which freed up tight rental stock elsewhere.

Improved co-operation between other levels of government was a continued theme of Monday’s forum, with Mr Walker suggesting introduction of subsidies to encourage property owners to return homes to the long-term rental market.

Dates for future webinars are yet to be confirmed.