Warren Entsch, ‘We need to look to our underutilized homes and land’ to ease the housing crisis
How do we solve the housing crisis? Experts identify existing resources that could provide relief in the short, and long term.
On Old Port Road, near Port Douglas, is an abandoned block of 4048 square metres of land. Concrete slabs that once supported a hardware store have cracked with age.
The land that’s owned by the Douglas Shire has been left to deteriorate and now investors, developers and people caught in the housing crisis are asking: why?
As the General Manager of the Peninsula Hotel, Craig Watson is searching for solutions. He’s frustrated that there is little action to grow the supply of housing, and his business is suffering. Now he’s taking matters into their own hands.
“We know there are empty blocks in Port Douglas that could be quickly developed to provide housing for workers. Take the vacant land on Old Port Road, we believe this site could quickly be repurposed for affordable accommodation. All we need is for Council to come onboard,” Watson said.
Others agree. “This land at Old Port Road is vacant and the Council gets no return. I know developers and business owners who would sit down with Council tomorrow,” said Phil Holloway, Principal/Licensee, Century 21.
In Port Douglas, an estimated 70 people have no option but to live in cars on the street. Michelle’s van has been her home all year. “How could our lives be made easier? Council could let us park somewhere and all we would need is a bathroom”.
The site at Old Port Road already has utilities connected such as sewerage.
Demountable homes could be easily shipped in and within a short period of time Holloway estimates that 100 people would be housed. 100 people who could be employed to keep business doors open, one hundred people who would no longer be in financial stress and facing homelessness.
The community uses their own resources
As the community watches on in despair there are locals using their own resources to provide a home for someone in the region.
On her land just outside Port Douglas, Jasmine* has ordered a tiny home, a container that comes with facilities. “It cost $50,000 for installation and delivery and will give someone a safe home.”
There is underutilisation across the region
Being able to reclaim existing resources could be a game changer in Port Douglas. “This is the same in every town in Queensland we visit. People can point to facilities that could be repurposed to provide a home for low-income earners and the homeless,” Aimee McVeigh, CEO, QCOSS said.
That underutilization may be hidden or in plain sight. “We know there are empty houses in the region. I’ll give you an example, in Cairns, there are 40 units, with a commercial kitchen that have been boarded up for two years,” Warren Entsch, MP Leichhardt said.
Should Airbnb be restricted?
Airbnb or short-term leases are often seen as diverting properties away from affordable long-term accommodation.
The NSW Government has enacted legislation restricting short-term leases. This includes non-residential hosts limited to a maximum of 180 total days of leasing each year in some regions. There is no such legislation in Queensland.
“My personal view is that councils should be allowed to restrict short-term rentals from popping up in residential neighbourhoods, but until the State Government addresses this issue, there is little we can do to stop it without ending up in legal action”, Michael Kerr, Douglas Shire Mayor said.
There are political debates about whether, or not, to restrict Airbnb. “I’ve seen no evidence to say Airbnb’s have an impact on long-term accommodation. The question is, should we be telling people how to use their properties?”
As another weekend approaches more renters are facing being evicted. It’s too devastating for Watson and Holloway who plan to meet in a quiet café in Port Douglas to put together a case for Council to work together to, at least, partially resolve the affordable housing crisis in Port Douglas.