Howard Salkow

Senior Journalist

Douglas Shire Mayor Michael Kerr said today that a national housing strategy needs to be implemented in light of the housing shortage in the state.

This comes in light of 11 of the state’s peak bodies uniting – led by the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) – in a call for urgent action from the Federal Government.

The peak bodies have written to the Federal Minister for Housing, Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar, and the Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Jason Clare, urgently seeking a National Housing Summit to kick-start a collaboration of all tiers of government and industry.

Mayor Kerr

“Yes, I have been part of the push. As Chair of the Far North Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (FNQROC), we have been working hard in advocating for this to occur and support the LGAQ request," said Kerr.

“We also believe that a National Housing strategy needs to be implemented to ensure that the funds being passed to the state from the federal government for housing are going to the right places and that they are accountable for that funding.

“Housing shortages have become a national issue especially in areas like ours. The FNQROC also supports the advocacy for the Federal Assistance Grants that are given to Local Governments to be increased to the previous one percent to allow Local Councils the funding they need to assist in rectifying issues such as this where there is a shortfall from the state", he said.

The letter details the impact of a ‘perfect housing storm’ on Queensland and its resulting social challenges for individuals, families and local communities state-wide. Read the joint letter: https://lgaq.news/HousingLetterGov

Housing concerns escalated

Newsport reported in October last year that the acute housing shortage has been simmering in the background for Douglas Shire residents since the start of the Covid-19pandemic and has again made its way into the headlines after Councillor Abigail Noli brought it up at a Council meeting labelling the situation, ‘critical’.

According to Cr Noli’s Notice of Motion, “housing concerns have escalated exponentially in the Douglas Shire in the past year due to an increased number of new residents arriving from outside of the Shire and buying properties, either as investment properties or as personal residences.”

Statistics

Cr Noli provided the following statistics from Mossman Support Services around housing:

From 1 July until 14 October 2021, 48 people sought assistance from MSS specifically and uniquely for housing issues. This doesn’t include people that counted housing as one of multiple issues. Of those 48 people:

- 23/48 have tenancy ending for one of the above listed reasons;
- 15/48 are facing pre-existing homelessness (including couch surfing and living in overcrowded settings);
- 10/48 are seeking housing due to the inappropriateness of their current location.

Peak bodies

- The Queensland peak groups joining the LGAQ’s call for a National Housing Summit are:
- Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ)
- Queensland Resources Council (QRC)
- Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ)
- Growcom
- Waste Recycling Industry Association Queensland (WRIQ)
- Infrastructure Association of Queensland (IAQ)
- Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF)
- Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ)
- QShelter
- St Vincent de Paul Society
- Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA).