Forum agrees on Real Deal proposals

THE Real Deal for Geelong group has taken another step towards bringing its policies to life.

Formed two years ago, the collective has been meeting with local researchers, community leaders and experts over the past six months to determine the best way for the community of Geelong to move forward in a fairer way.

The Real Deal Geelong Community Solutions Forum at Cloverdale Community Centre drew a sold-out crowd of more than 100 people to the December 7 event, which presented Real Deal’s three policy areas of Secure Housing, Meaningful Work and the Cost of Living, and Care and Connection, each with three individual policies.

 

These nine policies are, in order:

• That the Commonwealth Games village site be developed for maximum social (at least 30 per cent public and community housing) and affordable housing and for the land to remain owned by government, not privatised, using locally manufactured pre-fab to show environmental and inclusive design can be done successfully (and reproduced elsewhere in Geelong and other places)
• Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning for social housing across all new developments: 10 per cent for private estates, 30 per cent minimum for government/council-owned land
• Increase the supply of vacant government and City of Greater Geelong land for the use of social housing and education of the public about the value and need for social housing to residents
• Public transport (bus) from the northern suburbs of Geelong to Avalon industrial sites for workers
• A Worker Co-operative which provides home energy efficiency services
• Extend government funding to allow all households to benefit from energy efficiency and electrification programs, regardless of their housing tenure and create the local supply chain for this. Educate consumers about the need/benefits of electrification and energy efficiency
• Raising community awareness of the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Act in Victoria and its implications for people using mental health services
• Creating climate safe refuges in times of extreme climate eg. heatwaves, and
• A dedicated Women’s Health service in Geelong.

Real Deal Geelong project officer Sally Fisher said all the organisations involved endorsed the policies at the forum, and also made commitments to attend the next Real Deal forum in March.

“It was organisational endorsement that we were seeking, because if we have power, it’s organisations together, so that’s a powerful part of what we’re doing.

“We’ve invited the Housing Minister to attend [in March], because housing is such a huge issue in Geelong.

“The Deputy Mayor [Anthony Aitken] spoke really well and talked about what the council was doing and will be doing in terms of addressing the policy areas that we’re seeking to pursue, so that was encouraging.”

For more information on Real Deal Geelong, head to arealdeal.org/geelong