What we want to see within ten years
Goal 3: There are housing opportunities for everyone
Goals are how the Shire has interpreted and grouped the things that the community wants everyone to work together to improve over the next ten years
Goal Outcomes:
- Housing Supply🏗️ - The supply of housing meets current and future demand
- Housing Design📐 - Homes are designed for current and future climates, cultures, ages, incomes and circumstances
- Access and housing affordability👩🦼 - The local community has the knowledge and skills to access affordable housing
Background:
Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family.
Kununurra is suffering from housing stress; rents have soared; rental housing availability is almost non-existent; and some critical sectors of the economy (e.g. child care; tourism; etc) are experiencing a shortage of staff and hence a reduction in service delivery. The major part of this is driven by a lack of affordable housing for workers. This is having a detrimental impact on the regional economy.
Under normal circumstances the private sector would be expected to address such housing shortages. However, in a remote economy like the East Kimberley, for example, the cost of construction of a 4-bed/2-bath dwelling is higher than its sale price upon completion of construction. Hence, the market is unlikely to resolve this issue any time soon.
Informing plans:
Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family.
Kununurra is suffering from housing stress; rents have soared; rental housing availability is almost non-existent; and some critical sectors of the economy (e.g. child care; tourism; etc) are experiencing a shortage of staff and hence a reduction in service delivery. The major part of this is driven by a lack of affordable housing for workers. This is having a detrimental impact on the regional economy.
Under normal circumstances the private sector would be expected to address such housing shortages. However, in a remote economy like the East Kimberley, for example, the cost of construction of a 4-bed/2-bath dwelling is higher than its sale price upon completion of construction. Hence, the market is unlikely to resolve this issue any time soon.
Informing plans:
- WA Housing Strategy 2020-2030
- Kimberley Development commission Housing
- Local Housing Strategies
More about 3.1 Housing Supply 🏗️
Analysis:
The Shire recognises housing is not core business for the Shire and this largely remains a responsibility of the State government, under the framework of the WA Housing Strategy 2020 – 2030. However, affordable housing is not expected to be addressed by the private sector in the medium-term. Hence, in remote shires like ours, when there is a market failure (such as in affordable housing), Local Governments may have no option but to intervene in the market.
Suggested actions:
The Shire recognises housing is not core business for the Shire and this largely remains a responsibility of the State government, under the framework of the WA Housing Strategy 2020 – 2030. However, affordable housing is not expected to be addressed by the private sector in the medium-term. Hence, in remote shires like ours, when there is a market failure (such as in affordable housing), Local Governments may have no option but to intervene in the market.
Suggested actions:
- Advocate for / seek funding to undertake a housing needs study
more about 3.2 Housing Design 📐
Analysis:
A large proportion of the public housing stock is physically inappropriate for people with disabilities. The majority of housing in the Shire has poor energy performance making them expensive to cool and providing poor comfort for those who live in them. Advocating for changes to the building building code in warmer northern Australia to require stronger energy performance has the potential to deliver buildings that are not only cheaper to run and more comfortable, but even provide health and safety benefits in a time of rising temperatures.
By making changes appropriate for the local climate, such as larger verandas, screening and allowing natural airflow.
Suggested actions:
A large proportion of the public housing stock is physically inappropriate for people with disabilities. The majority of housing in the Shire has poor energy performance making them expensive to cool and providing poor comfort for those who live in them. Advocating for changes to the building building code in warmer northern Australia to require stronger energy performance has the potential to deliver buildings that are not only cheaper to run and more comfortable, but even provide health and safety benefits in a time of rising temperatures.
By making changes appropriate for the local climate, such as larger verandas, screening and allowing natural airflow.
Suggested actions:
- Advocate for / seek funding to undertake a housing needs study
More about 3.2 Access and housing affordability 👩🦼
Analysis:
Choosing and accessing your first home can be overwhelming, with so many things to think about and get organised. There are many barriers to home ownership that people have to over come such as lower incomes and savings, credit impairment and limited experience with loan repayments.
Many first-time renters fear they won’t be approved because they have no rental history.
Suggested actions:
Choosing and accessing your first home can be overwhelming, with so many things to think about and get organised. There are many barriers to home ownership that people have to over come such as lower incomes and savings, credit impairment and limited experience with loan repayments.
Many first-time renters fear they won’t be approved because they have no rental history.
Suggested actions:
- Utilise the Shire's community engagement and communication tools to support community education and awareness of how to access the rental market and the steps to buying a house
- Advocate for / seek funding to undertake a housing needs study
Have we missed anything?
Use the comment box below to let us know if there is anything that might have been missed
Use the comment box below to let us know if there is anything that might have been missed
What we will do
Shire's Role in achieving the Goal:
Advocate and partner to address inadequacies in respect to the availability, accessibility and suitability of housing.
Advocate and partner to address inadequacies in respect to the availability, accessibility and suitability of housing.
Developing strategies and the Shire's Response
Based on input and feedback from the community, available statistics and analysis by local and national agencies the following response have been identified as the best ways to achieve the community goal.
Based on input and feedback from the community, available statistics and analysis by local and national agencies the following response have been identified as the best ways to achieve the community goal.
Shire strategies in achieving the goal:
- The Shire will Work with key partners to advocate for the construction of housing the meets current and future demand.
- The Shire will advocate for housing that is designed for our climate considers the needs of those living in them.
- Support and promote understanding of the housing market by the community, such how to access the rental market and the steps to buying a house.
Linking the Shire strategies to the goal outcomes:
3.1 Housing Supply 🏗️ |
The supply of housing meets current and future demand The Shire will Work with key partners to advocate for the construction of housing the meets current and future demand. |
3.2 Housing Design 📐 |
Homes are designed for current and future climates, cultures, ages, incomes and circumstances The Shire will advocate for housing that is designed for our climate considers the needs of those living in them. |
3.2 Access and housing affordability 👩🦼 |
The local community has the knowledge and skills to access affordable housing Support and promote understanding of the housing market by the community, such how to access the rental market and the steps to buying a house. |
What do you think the Shire should do?
Use the comment box below to tell us what you think the Shire's role should be in this space in the future
Use the comment box below to tell us what you think the Shire's role should be in this space in the future
Community comment
Our community’s aspirations:
- Enough houses for everyone
- Houses are well designed and cheap to keep cool
- it's easy to get on the housing ladder or get into a rental property
Community comment received:
Community pop-up information sessions:
Community pop-up information sessions:
- Blocks in lakeside are too small
- Better insulated houses
- Help to home ownership
Community Vision Survey:
Community Vision Survey - Wyndham:
Community Vision Survey - Kununurra:
- Sort out the 50 odd agencies that support people
- More housing (7)
- More accommodation for workers (2)
- Affordable housing for workers
- Govt subsidized housing for employees
- Improve housing (2)
- Well-designed houses
- Help to get on the housing ladder
- Cheaper rent and housing prices (13)
- More land available for people looking at building or buying a house, the lakeside estate is a joke.
- Access to affordable housing
- Houses for older people and singles
- Cheaper residential building
- Affordable and available blocks to buy and housing
Community Vision Survey - Wyndham:
- Affordable housing
- Decent large size blocks. People are here for the space not to live on postage size blocks like suburbia.
- Better standard of housing
- Modern newer houses
Community Vision Survey - Kununurra:
- Affordable blocks and housing
- More normal houses less fibros
- Transitional housing
- Affordable housing
- Better behaved neighbours