HOUSING SOLUTIONS: Lorne thinktank releases long-awaited accommodation report

A LORNE community group has finalised a decade-long study into the town’s accommodation crisis that aims to spur government agencies to implement solutions.

The Committee for Lorne (CfL) released its 48-page report, titled “Accommodating Lorne’s Future” this month, which outlines the challenges and potential solutions for the coastal communities’ housing problem.

Modelling an ideal target population, establishing a Lorne Community Land Trust and further investigation of the impact of short-term rentals are all ideas floated in the dossier to scope housing options for Lorne.

A community land trust is an idea developed alongside University of Western Sydney that would involve non-profit organisations buying land that includes houses that are bought (or leased long term) to households, significantly lower housing costs.

The report also suggests that the plan’s implementation could then become a test case for other grassroots-based housing solutions in other locations as similar problems become increasingly widespread.

Accommodating Lorne’s Future follows the “Achieving Lorne’s Aspirations” document published in 2014, which CfL vice-president Peter Spring said already had housing pressure front of mind as a looming threat to Lorne.

“At the time we were recognising that house prices were going up, and we reached a point where houses were not affordable for young families,” he said.

“Lorne is very dependent on a seasonal workforce over summer, and there’s little in the way of accommodation available for those people.

“The goal we saw for our future was we needed to be able to provide affordable housing for those people.”

During formulation of the report Lorne’s housing woes have worsened, with seasonal, tourism-based businesses often unable to trade at full capacity and essential services such as health and early education impacted by due to staff shortages.

Some community members have also raised fears that volunteer and community-based organisations, such as sporting clubs and fire brigades, could also be in danger if young families continue being priced out of the housing market.

Mr Spring said he hoped the accommodation report would catalyse further government investment and decisions that can help alleviate housing stress.

“Now we’re in a position to start talking to government at all levels and seek their support through planning changes and financial support, and to see if we can actually bring this to fruition.”

Mr Spring said CfL would use the document in its ongoing discussions with Surf Coast Shire Council about the issue, which it formally acknowledged in May 2021 when it declared a short-term key-worker accommodation crisis.

CfL aims to shortly publish the full report on its website: committeforlorne.org.au

In the meantime, hard copies are available at Lorne’s Great Ocean Road Real Estate offices.