Call for more housing

By Casey Neill
EVELYN MP Christine Fyffe said more public housing and rental properties are needed in the hills, which was a concern that could be addressed by the Shire of Yarra Ranges proposed housing strategy.
“There are two areas of concern. The lack of rental properties available across the board and the desperate lack of public housing,” she said.
She said the council’s strategy should help to alleviate the shortage of rental properties.
The council held the final community meeting on the controversial Housing Strategy and Action Plan at Yarra Junction Primary School on 12 December, concluding a three-month consultation process.
Shire of Yarra Ranges mayor Tim Heenan said each of the 100-plus submissions made would be written up and returned to the council for consideration before the community would again have its say.
Cr Heenan said the council was concerned about the level of negativity from the community. “The public have an unfounded fear that it’s going to mean subdividing and developers,” he said.
“They’ve misunderstood that what we’re trying to do is make sustainable townships,” he said.
He said the draft strategy proposes several units being built on a single block closer to townships to remove the need to clear bushland.
He said this would also place residents within walking distance of town and reduce the need to use cars.
Cr Heenan said the council wanted to create a policy to formalise the number of houses and densities on blocks around town.
“For many years the Yarra Ranges planning situation has been higgledy piggledy,” he said.
He said the current State Government plan was for 2000 extra homes across the shire’s 47 townships over the next 30 years.
“We’re not geared for growth,” he said.