Five councillors held firm on Geelong council’s commitment to act for some of the region’s most vulnerable people at this week’s meeting.
On Tuesday night councillors Anthony Aitken, Melissa Cadwell, Emma Sinclair, Rowan Story and Elise Wilkinson voted against the sale of four council-owned properties deemed suitable for social housing.
While two of the four properties were ultimately approved for sale, two others will be retained by the City.
Council came into the meeting with five properties on the agenda recommended for sale by municipal officers as part of a strategy to reduce the City’s significant outstanding debt.
The first property on the list was 5A Dean Street, Belmont, which has been the target of campaigns by two separate community groups opposing the sale of the land, albeit for different reasons.
One community group of Belmont residents has been advocating vocally to retain the empty block as a public green space, while a broader community movement advocating for social housing has also opposed the sale of the land on the open market.
Both groups were represented in the gallery, with members of each addressing the council during question time.
Councillors Aitken, Cadwell, Sinclair, Story and Wilkinson were joined by Chris Burson and Trent Sullivan in a vote of seven to four against the sale.
An alternate motion introduced by Cr Sinclair to use the property for both social housing and public green space was supported by the same seven councillors as well as Cr Eddy Kontelj.
Cr Sinclair acknowledged the decision on whether to sell the properties to reduce debt or retain them for social housing was “really complex”.
“We have committed to $15 million in property sales to help pay down debt, and we are balancing that against a housing crisis…and at Dean Street, we have a Belmont community that has spoken really loudly for open space,” she said.
“(The alternate motion) recognises our responsibility to deliver more social and community housing and the community’s desire for the amenity of the local area, and it really acknowledges that there are other options for us to help meet our debt reduction targets.”
The recommendation to sell the parcel of land at 21-25 Oakden Road, Drysdale was also defeated by a vote of six to five, with potential future uses such as social housing and open parking to be investigated by City officers.
The sales of 2-14 Rollins Road, Bell Post Hill and 48-58 Barton Street, Bell Park were passed despite efforts by councillors supporting social housing, while the sale of 36 Dudley Parade, St Leonards, was unanimously approved.
