Housing crisis prompts Council's action plan

Supported by the Queensland Government, in partnership with the Local Government Association of Queensland, the Scenic Rim Local Housing Action Plan was endorsed at Wednesday's Ordinary Meeting to help address the region's immediate, emerging and longer-term housing issues. 

Scenic Rim Mayor Tom Sharp said the plan was developed following the Queensland Government's Housing and Homelessness Action Plan 2021-2025, which recognised a role for councils in increasing housing supply and diversity. 

"Scenic Rim is one of 38 local government areas to have developed a Local Housing Action Plan based on their community's current and future housing needs and the required actions to meet these challenges," he said. 

"Our region has a growing population, expected to increase from 44,248 residents in 2023 to more than 70,000 by 2046, and an ageing population, as some 30 per cent of Scenic Rim residents will be 65 years or older by 2041. 

"As well as an undersupply of housing to accommodate an older population, we have a lack of housing diversity to cater for the projected growth of smaller households. 

"A tight rental market, with a vacancy rate of less than one per cent, and rental stress, with 41 per cent of tenants paying more than 30 per cent of their household income in rent, makes it difficult to attract workers to our region. 

"We've also seen rapid increases in home prices, increased mortgage stress from rising interest rates and increasing demand for housing for disadvantaged and at-risk members of our community." 

The Local Housing Action Plan's key focus will be to address the lack of housing supply for smaller households, improved housing choices for an ageing population, opportunities for social and affordable housing and community and government partnerships to provide housing support for people in crisis or First Nations people. 

Council has a clear understanding of the region's housing needs following a Housing Needs Assessment completed as part of the Scenic Rim Growth Management Strategy 2041. 

Planning to meet the region's housing needs is already underway, with Council preparing a major amendment to the Scenic Rim Planning Scheme that will encourage greater housing diversity and zoning for medium density development. 

Council is investigating opportunities to play a key role in delivering well designed social and affordable housing on surplus Council land. 

"The housing crisis is being felt throughout Queensland, especially in the south east, and presents particular challenges for the Scenic Rim, now and into the future," Cr Sharp said. 

"Council is considering a range of planning measures that may help to address this issue but ultimately it requires significant investment by other levels of government and community partnerships to boost housing supply along with the accompanying infrastructure and provide support for vulnerable community members."