IN December 2023 Redland City Council endorsed a new policy to support and encourage the delivery of affordable housing developments on Redlands Coast.
Mayor Karen Williams said the Affordable Housing Policy, endorsed during the December meeting aimed to assist residents struggling to secure affordable housing.
“The provision of affordable and social housing is not the responsibility of local government, however there are some measures we can implement to help make a difference.
“The policy adopted today will support community housing providers who want to deliver affordable housing on Redlands Coast.
“This includes offering discounts on development application fees and infrastructure charges, waiving fees for Council’s pre-lodgement service, and fast-tracking the decision-making period for applications.
Key points of Redland City Council’s Affordable Housing Policy:
- A community housing provider will be entitled to a 50 per cent discount on development application fees and infrastructure charges up to a maximum value of $250,000 per development.
- The discounts will be available for five years or until the total funding pool (of $1 million in foregone revenue) is expended.
- Building works must commence within two years of approval.
- The policy will waive the $533 pre-lodgement meeting fee for a community housing provider delivering affordable housing on Redlands Coast.
- The assessment of code assessable affordable housing proposals will be fast-tracked where satisfying certain criteria, with a 20-day maximum decision period instead of 35 days.
The Affordable Housing Policy will take effect immediately.
QLD Government: Housing and Homelessness Action
The Housing and homelessness Action Plan 2021- 2025 was developed in the context of current and anticipated housing market conditions and need. The Action Plan reaffirms the objective to increase social and affordable homes and to transform the way housing services are delivered. The plan suggests:
Supply
Partner with the community housing sector to deliver new affordable housing that reduces the gap between social housing and private housing, funded and delivered through better use of existing program funds and facilitating project financing. Facilitate private and public delivery of residential dwellings in Queensland where possible, using the planning system and redeveloping underutilised government land. This action will include working with local governments to ensure best practice subdivision and design standards.
Source: Housing QLD
