The Bundaberg Local Housing Action Plan (BLHAP) was created to respond to a range of immediate, emerging, and longer-term housing challenges in the Bundaberg Local Government Area.
Its development was a joint initiative involving the Queensland Government, Council and the Local Government Association of Queensland.
BLHAP aims to:
- develop agreed priority actions to respond to housing need in the Local Government area
- establish strong foundations for longer-term housing responses to assist housing and homelessness outcomes in the Local Government Area into the future
- incorporate existing information and plans that assist with developing responses to housing need and acknowledge work already completed by Council, state agencies, private and not-for-profit organisations
- facilitate targeted interaction between all parties through agreed actions to ensure a focus on deliverables and projects that can improve housing responses in the short and longer-term.
Download the full plan here.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Housing Action Plan?
The Housing Action Plan is a locally specific report that identifies contributing factors to housing shortage issues and makes recommendations to increase and diversify the supply of housing.
The plan is intended to:
- look at factors impacting housing in a local government area and the current and future housing needs in each community
- identify priority actions to address immediate, emerging and longer-term housing challenges in the area
- help to coordinate responses to these challenges
Does this mean Council will be building houses?
No. Housing isn’t a Local Government responsibility. However the Housing Action Plan will facilitate a coordinated approach to addressing the region’s needs by all levels of government, industry and community.
Why hasn’t Council done something about the housing shortage?
Bundaberg Regional Council has pursued a range of initiatives to facilitate housing supply but the housing action plan will provide a blueprint for the way forward. Further reforms and initiatives – particularly in areas of planning and infrastructure – have the potential to accelerate the supply of social, affordable, and private market housing in the Bundaberg Region.
Some of the things we’ve already actioned include:
- Working with the Queensland Government to identify Council owned land that could be developed for social housing, to fulfil the State’s ambitious ‘Big Build’ agenda;
- Investigating and supporting local short-term accommodation opportunities
- Supporting community lead responses to homelessness, including through the Bundaberg Housing and Homelessness Forum
- Maintaining a supply of over 2,900 residential lots approved and ready for construction
- Investing in key infrastructure that unlocks opportunities for development and further housing supply
- Other advocacy efforts
Housing isn’t a Local Government responsibility however we believe the best outcomes for our community will come from a coordinated approach that will see all levels of government, industry and community working together.
How much money will Council spend on implementing the Housing Action Plan?
A significant portion of delivering the Housing Action Plan is advocacy. Council’s budget includes appropriate allocation of resources to adopt and implement the BLHAP. Any recommendations that may require the expenditure of additional funds will seek approval through the normal budget allocation process.
Now that we have a plan what happens now?
The Council’s Development Group, with assistance from other key stakeholders as needed, will be responsible for implementation of the plan, including progressing actions and reporting regularly to the Executive Leadership Team and the Planning and Development Committee of the Council. The Planning and Development Committee will be responsible for monitoring progress and providing guidance to officers in development of options and further steps.