Fraser Coast council faces bureaucratic snag in plan to ease housing crisis

Councillor Jayde Wellings’ proposal to use caravans as emergency accommodation across the region is easier said than done, the council has been told. Read the latest:

A plan to use caravans for emergency accommodation across the Fraser Coast will not be as easy to implement as first thought.

The plan was one of seven high profile motions put before Fraser Coast Regional councillors at their July 27 meeting at the Toogoom Community Hall.

Councillor Jade Wellings moved an amended motion that council be provided with a draft local law that would let residents provide temporary, free caravan accommodation to people who genuinely required relief accommodation, for a period of up to six months.

The concept of residents accommodating housing crisis victims in caravans on their properties was originally proposed by Ms Wellings at a council meeting in April 2022.

Since then, a report has been provided to councillors exploring the advantages and disadvantages of adopting an interim local law that would allow this to happen legally.

It also recommended that council develop a “hardship policy” for the establishment or occupation of temporary homes within the Fraser Coast Region.

The report identified four advantages and 13 disadvantages in adopting an interim local law.

Ms Wellings disagreed with the officer’s assessment that the disadvantages outweighed the advantages, and said it was “not just a numbers game”.

While she said she appreciated the report recommending people apply under a hardship policy, it was “just not enough to even scratch the surface”.

“Our community are asking us to do something here,” Ms Wellings said.

The current local law allows a person to stay in a temporary home, like a caravan, for less than two weeks if it is established on a vacant allotment.

Meeting certain requirements, people can stay in a caravan for less than four weeks if the accommodation is in the backyard of an existing house.

CEO Ken Diehm highlighted the council would need to either amend or appeal the existing law, rather than put in place an interim law.

Councillor Zane O’Keefe supported Ms Wellings’ motion as he was interested to hear the recommendations in the new report, particularly how council could “minimise the neighbourhood fatigue” that may occur with caravans “popping up” in people’s backyards.

Councillor David Lee also spoke in favour, and said while housing and homelessness was a “complex matter”, there needed to be “intergovernmental co-operation” in addressing the issue.

Deputy Mayor Paul Truscott said it was great what Ms Wellings was trying to achieve.

“Hopefully... we can try and have this turned around in a fairly prompt manner, so we’re able to address the people in need as soon as possible... so that the people providing that accommodation feel like they’re acting with the law to do so,” he said.

Councillors voted unanimously in favour of the amended motion.