While a strategic Federal and State government strategy needs to be developed to provide affordable, social and sustainable housing the addition of 12 extra social housing units in Lismore has been welcomed.
Lismore MP Janelle Saffin said she was delighted that her idea of transferring Laurel Lodge – former Lismore Base Hospital accommodation – to the Department of Communities and Justice, had been taken up by the NSW Government.
‘I saw this opportunity straight away when the 12-unit complex became surplus to NSW Health’s needs and immediately began lobbying the relevant Ministers – Brad Hazzard (Health), Melinda Pavey (Property & Housing) and Gareth Ward (then Families & Communities),’ Ms Saffin said.
‘I was pleased to see Ben Franklin MLC welcoming what I set in train months ago. Now that it has come to fruition, North Coast Community Housing (NCCH) will spend about $500,000 on refurbishing the units and they will be ready by late this year.’
Ms Saffin said she had worked closely with NCCH CEO John McKenna and other housing providers to lobby State and Federal governments to invest more funding in new affordable and social housing developments across the region.
‘The message I have been repeating is that the more people we can house, the better for our society, and the better for our local and regional economies,’ Ms Saffin said.
Ms Saffin also commended NCCH on its recent ground-breaking ceremony for a 30-unit development in McKenzie Street, Lismore, with the organisation contributing $6.5 million and securing $2 million under the NSW Government’s Community Housing Infrastructure Fund (CHIF).
Janelle is tireless.
It is a pity that all our representatives, especially at Federal level, do not share her commitment to the whole community.
It’s great to hear such a positive spin on such a vexed issue, really heartening for an old soul
The development direction for 2000 lots on the North Lismore Plateau with another 208 lot DA on the Invercauld Rd Ridge
are only possible by Lismore City Council borrowing 30 million to build the supporting infrastructure programs on their behalf. These borrowings makes up half of Lismore City Council’s current 60 million dollar debt.
Let us be clear these two proposed housing developments make provision for social housing,
Yes we need the affordable and social housing, then why not seriously consider South and North Lismore where already their is serviced blocks, many belonging to Council, so whats the problem?
It is because the private developers are into making 2 to 3 hundred million dollars profit and the Council apparatchiks who bathe in their glow: enabled and funded by the community,
The North Lismore Plateau development is primed to release more than 15,000 car movements a day onto dunoon road across from the show ground,
The three issues for the local government election in Lismore are debt, roads and housing, and it’s all coming to a head at this development,
awsome again to hear the good news,
No way do we want that 208 lot subdivision near Ivacauld Road! This is prime Koala habitat in that area .If council allows this ,they will prove they have no care for environmental issues what so ever.
Kodos to Jenelle,
Now lets incorporate some social justice into the units…What about securing 2 of those units for Koories in perpetuity?