Housing forum set to target red tape, cash

Cutting red tape and tapping into federal funding will be on the table at an affordable housing forum in Geelong, according to an MP.
Member for Corangamite Darren Cheeseman announced Federal Housing Minister Tanya Plibersek would attend the August 4 forum to develop a strategy for creating affordable housing across the region.
State and federal MPs, mayors and municipal chiefs from around the region would also attend, Mr Cheeseman said.
“The only way to make a real difference on this issue is to get all three levels of government working together. That’s what this forum is all about,” he said.
“I’m very pleased with the response I have received and this will be one of the most high-level meetings in the region for some time.”
Mr Cheeseman said the regional strategy would seek to pump more land onto the market for housing, boosting competition for buyers.
“To help achieve this we are considering ways to further cut red tape to streamline the planning process,” he said.
Mr Cheeseman was also targeting a half a billion dollars in federal cash to set up affordable housing precincts with infrastructure.
“Through the Federal Government’s $500 million Affordable Housing fund, we are also developing a strategy to deliver the community facilities and services that will enable these new areas to be sustainable suburbs of the future,” he said.
“The aim is to make this region a major destination of funds from the Government’s Affordable Housing Fund.”
Mr Cheeseman last week lambasted Victorian Education Department bureaucrats based in Geelong for failing to apply for cash from a separate $2.5 billion federal fund to set up trade schools. He said his electorate had missed out on the latest round of funding, which threatened to worsen the region’s skills crisis and consequently impact on house affordability with a shortage of trades labour.
State Member for South Barwon Michael Crutchfield said work was “well-underway” for a cluster of schools in Mr Cheeseman’s electorate to apply in the next round of funding.
“My understanding is the federal member is well-aware of this and any criticism of the department is completely and any criticism of the department is completely unwarranted,” Mr Crutchfield said.