A major developer wants to see the state government use land in Corio to build social and affordable housing

A developer wants the government to overturn their decision to sell prime, vacant land in Corio to build affordable housing.

Hendy St property in Corio currently on the market. Photo: Gross Waddell ICR Pty Ltd

A well-established Geelong developer has challenged the state government to reconsider selling “prime land” in Corio to instead build much needed affordable and social housing.

Nestled between two existing housing blocks, the 7.3ha lot has been left abandoned for more than a decade after a secondary school campus on the site was demolished back in 2014.

The L-shaped block off Hendy St was recently put on the market and a real estate agent from Gross Waddell ICR said they were expecting the property to fetch somewhere between $11m and $12m.

L. Bisinella Developments CEO, Richard Bisinella, said the government was “wrong” to sell the property and forgo the opportunity to build social and affordable housing on the site.

“The decision by the government to sell this land is perplexing and wrong,” Mr Bisinella said.

“The land should not be sold to the open market but rather developed by the government for social and affordable housing.”

It comes after Treasurer Tim Pallas addressed the Committee of Geelong members about affordable housing on June 14.

L. Bisinella Developments CEO Richard Bisinella (right) has called on the government to consider using an abandoned lot in Corio for social and affordable housing. Picture: Mark Wilson.

Following the address, Mr Bisinella said he welcomed comments about the government “unlocking” space in the right areas for housing, but was left baffled to discover they were unwilling to use the land off Hendy St.

Mr Bisinella has owned developments nearby the property since the early 2000s, and the final stage of his second project was completed in November 2022.

He said he had workshopped estimates that indicated the vacant lot could accommodate approximately 120 new homes and house 300 to 400 residents.

“The Hendy Street land is ideally located in an area that is growing and that has significant shortfall of housing,” he said.

“I urge them (the government) to reconsider its decision to sell the land.

“I see no reason why the first residents couldn’t be moving into their new home in 18 months on a well-planned estate by the government.”

Hendy St property in Corio currently on the market. Photo: Gross Waddell ICR Pty Ltd

He added the government should do “everything it can” to capitalise on opportunities like the Hendy St lot.

In response to Mr Bisinella’s comments, a Victorian government spokeswoman said they were “housing as many people as possible, as quickly as possible.”

By the end of April this year, 322 homes had been built in the Greater Geelong area as part of the Big Housing Build, since the initiative was announced in late 2020.

She said the government were continuing to “get on” with the build of more than 1,300 homes in regional Victoria.

In the meantime, offers for the Corio property have been issued.

A 2ha section of the property has already been developed into a gated, 30-bed alcohol and rehabilitation centre called Windara.

Originally published as A major developer wants to see the state government use land in Corio to build social and affordable housing