'Already caused mental distress': Concerns aired over housing project

More than 50 residents turned out to a public meeting at Lighthouse Theatre on Monday, May 20, 2024 where Warrnambool City Council outlined further details of the project.

In a bid to address the city's housing crisis, the council is proposing to create relocatable houses for key workers on a parcel of land at the rear of the closed saleyards on Harrington Road.

During robust discussions, residents raised fears about the impact on property prices, already congested roads and the type of tenants the project would bring to the area.

Dennington Community Association president John Harris said the group fought for the people in its community.

He said property owners had been told by a real estate agent the project would devalue neighbouring homes by up to $100,000.

Mr Harris asked if there would be compensation.

"It's implementation will and has already caused mental distress and has a high chance of causing financial hardship on a number of residents," he said.

One resident said she was concerned about it bringing trouble to Dennington - break-ins and burglaries.

Another feared "discounted" or affordable housing was just a fancy name for public housing.

But there were attempts at the meeting to reassure residents the project actually excluded social and public housing.

Half of the homes would be set aside as key worker housing for organisations struggling to house staff such as the hospital, Tafe, Deakin University and the council.

The other half would be "affordable" housing which meant tenants who qualified would pay 75 per cent of the market rate.

Mayor Ben Blain said the council had a unique opportunity to deliver much-needed housing in a very short timeframe.

"But we need to get it right," he said. "We have an opportunity to do something special. Something new."

Cr Blain said the council wanted to make sure what it was proposing strengthened the community not take away from it.

He said he hoped what was outlined at the meeting would allay some community concerns.

More focus groups would be held with residents in June before councillors were asked to vote on whether to give it the go-ahead.

If the idea wins the backing of councillors, the next step would be to secure state or federal government funding to get it off the ground.

The council would also have to seek an exemption from the Victorian planning minister to fast-track the project.

The project - which was originally set to run for 15 years - has now been extended out to 25 years.

Of the 50 dwellings proposed, 10 would have three bedrooms, 20 would be two bedrooms and the rest one bedroom.

Form Flow managing director Matt Dingle - who would supply the homes - said the project had the potential to help gets its Portland factory operational. "It's large enough to get it up and running," he said.

Dr Dingle said his company's focus was to build high-quality housing fast which would be delivered already constructed to site.

He said the homes shown at the meeting were early designs and "not set in stone".

Dr Dingle said the aim was to ensure the project was in keeping with the character of the rest of the community, to which a number of residents said they should be brick veneer.

Cr Blain said there were no plans to extend the project beyond the 50 homes, and the hope was to see the current project come to fruition within two years.

Haven Homes Safe head of housing partnerships Mario Roccisano told the meeting his organisation was the third-largest of its kind with 2000 properties - 38 of those already in Warrnambool.

"The reason we exist is where the market fails for people, that's our job to step in and provide housing solutions," he said.

The meeting was told there was a shortage of 1500 homes in Warrnambool to meet current demand and that would increase to 2800 by 2036.