Swanky suburbs earmarked for public housing State waste slammed

Jessica Benton
STATE Government is wasting taxpayers’ money using prime real estate for public housing in Geelong, according to a resident set to neighbour one of the controversial developments.
Maud Street’s Peter Dowling slammed the “social housing” development on a nearby disused Gordon TAFE site.
State Government development arm VicUrban plans 90 dwellings as well as ground-level retail shops on the site at the corner of Moorabool and Kilgour streets.
VicUrban said the project included 30 social housing units at a cost of $26 million. The total cost of the development was $50 million.
Mr Dowling said his complaint was not about social housing but “using taxpayers’ money wisely”.
“If you look at the figures, $26 million is going to be spent on 30 units earmarked for social housing,” he said.
“That’s about $800,000 per unit.”
Mr Dowling said the Government should instead spend the money on houses for private sale.
“The medium house price in Geelong is between $340,000 and $380,000. The Government could buy almost two and a half times the amount of property privately, with a pretty good choice of homes available.
“Spending $26 million on one project is absurd.”
Federal Government’s Nation Building website lists 27 social housing plans for the Geelong area.
The website lists projects in Newtown, Geelong, Norlane, Grovedale, Belmont, Breakwater, Leopold, Hamlyn Heights, Waurn Ponds, Highton, Manifold Heights and Whittington.
Newtown would have five social housing projects, the most of any Geelong suburb.
Projects range from one to 34 dwellings.
The website says the plan will “boost” public housing and accommodation for the “not-for-profit community”.
The plan is designed to help “low-income Australians, who are homeless or struggling in the private rental market”.
The Independent reported last week that new government planning rules allowed Planning Minister Justin Madden to fast-track the projects without consulting council or residents.