Whitsunday MP Amanda Camm calls for urgent plan to fix region’s housing crisis

The Whitsunday MP wants immediate investment in social and community housing.

Whitsunday MP Amanda Camm. Picture: News Corp/Attila Csaszar

Whitsunday MP Amanda Camm has called on the State Government to enact a plan to tackle the region’s housing shortage, demanding immediate investment in social and community housing.

It comes after the Daily Mercury reported the city‘s rental vacancy rate had dropped to less than 1 per cent, with local service providers concerned about the lack of social housing in the region.

Ms Camm said the government needed to do more to address the “emerging crisis”.

“Local support services such as the Whitsunday Housing Company have seen increased demand for affordable housing since the start of the year,” she said.

“Other community services including local neighbourhood centres and domestic violence shelters are contacting me regarding the housing shortage.

“I will be writing to the Queensland Minister for Communities and Housing to outline the issues facing the community and calling on the government to urgently implement a plan.”

Rents are on the rise as the rental vacancy rate in Mackay tightens.

A Department of Housing spokeswoman said 60 new social homes would be built in Central Queensland by 2020 through the Housing Construction Jobs Program.

“To date, contracts have been awarded for the commencement of 16 new social housing homes in this region, six of which have already been completed,” the spokeswoman said.

“A further four new social housing homes are forecast to have contracts awarded by June 2021.”

The spokeswoman said the recently launched Works For Tradies initiative would result in the commencement of another 20 homes across the Mackay Whitsundays region by the end of the year.

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Mackay MP Julieanne Gilbert said the Federal Government also needed to chip in.

“(The Federal Government) consistently refuse to invest in affordable housing solutions, and have stepped away from the National Rental Affordability Scheme,” Mrs Gilbert said.

“Queensland‘s vacancies rates require more investment and support from them.”

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Originally published as Whitsunday MP Amanda Camm calls for urgent plan to fix region’s housing crisis