By Dominique Tassell
A spotlight has been shone on the housing crisis in the Southern Downs, with the topic brought up at various local events.
The community’s concern regarding this issue was evident at the recent Town Planning meetings in Stanthorpe and Killarney, with many locals highlighting the lack of housing available in the region.
At the Stanthorpe meeting, it was said that locals already in the town need to be looked after and their housing prioritised over anyone wanting to move to the region.
They stated that they think Council should limit the conversion of existing homes to things such as bed and breakfast facilities to ensure the availability of existing facilities to permanent residents.
Locals also highlighted that they would like to see new uses of existing buildings instead of losing what one local referred to as our “unique cultural history”.
At the Killarney meeting, locals highlighted the lack of different types of housing in the area.
Southern Downs Regional Council (SDRC) also highlighted the housing crisis in the region at the Ordinary Council Meeting on 29 October.
SDRC received a letter from Leanne Enoch MP, Minister for Communities and Housing, regarding the Queensland Housing and Homelessness Action Plan 2021-2025.
The letter was seeking support from SDRC.
Councillor Cynthia McDonald stated she had “some real concerns for our community in regards to this document that’s been placed in front of us”.
She stated that like the rest of Southern Queensland, she believes the Southern Downs is in the middle of a housing crisis.
“In the last quarter alone 195 people have contacted our specialist homeless centre with the St Vincent de Paul in Warwick.”
“Real estate agents in Warwick are receiving 40 to 60 applications per rental property.
“Currently, the Queensland public housing list is sitting at approximately 50,000 people on the waiting list.
“Migration in the last twelve months from our southern states and other states has brought us to about 45,000 additional people.
“In Queensland alone, approximately 22,000 people are homeless.
“What are we doing to address our crisis?”
Councillor McDonald slammed the action plan for not addressing the crisis in regional areas, stating the word regional is used “about three times”.
She called on SDRC to lobby both Member for Southern Downs James Lister and State Minister for Housing, the Honourable Leanne Enoch MP, to donate the unused Leslie Dam recreation camp to SDRC to “provide much-needed temporary accommodation for homeless families in our region”.
She stated she believed the action plan gave precedent to other areas over the Southern Downs, and she would like to see a request put forward to act in our region.
“We need to help some of these families that are screaming out.”
Councillor McDonald stated that while it was the state’s responsibility to act, local government is “at the coalface”.
“We need to start looking at this housing crisis seriously,” she said.
Mayor Vic Pennisi handed over to CEO Dave Burges, stating that this issue was “seriously debated” at a recent local government conference.
He stated that he would support SDRC making a submission.
CEO Dave Burges stated that, as one person had described, the housing crisis in Queensland is the “single biggest crisis facing local government”.
Mayor Pennisi stated that all councillors should send through their views to the CEO so he could add that to Council’s submission.
