Emu Park community housing project set to begin this year

Anglicare is pushing to “break ground” this year as it races to construct 26 factory-built homes at Emu Park.

The Capricorn Coast’s urgent need for more affordable housing was stressed to Livingstone Shire councillors as they considered a proposal for a 26-dwelling project in Emu Park.

The Capricorn Coast’s urgent need for more affordable housing was stressed to Livingstone Shire councillors as they considered a proposal for a 26-dwelling project in Emu Park.

Councillors at last week’s infrastructure committee meeting ultimately voted in favour of Anglicare’s development for 26 factory-built homes, funded by the Queensland Government, on land in Fountain St gifted by the council.

The project, which involves 20 social and six affordable two-bedroom homes, still needs to be ratified at next week’s full council meeting before it can proceed.

This is the style of factory-built home planned for Anglicare's Emu Park project.

Cr Glenda Mather and Rhodes Watson both expressed concerns at the meeting about stormwater drainage issues in the area.

“I don’t have difficulty making hard decisions,” Cr Mather said as the only councillor to vote against the project.

“I do, however, have a fair bit of experience with water problems over the years.”

Cr Mather’s bid to delay the decision pending a site inspection was not successful.

An example of the Fountain St accommodation units, Emu Park.

Council officers said they were satisfied the Anglicare development would not add to the area’s stormwater runoff problem.

They pointed out the development included a 965 square metre stormwater retention basin at the south-west area of the site.

Council officers advised councillors that Anglicare was working on tight timelines and wanted to “break ground” on the site this year.

“Subsequent to this, if (this is) approved, they still have further development permits they need to undertake and lodge before they can even break ground,” the officer said.

“This is community housing and it is an urgent issue.”

Cr Mather said she appreciated the urgency around the project but she wanted to be sure it would not adversely affect other surrounding properties.

Livingstone Shire Councillor Glenda Mather.

Cr Pat Eastwood urged councillors to support the project.

“I’m sure this is going to be a great development, fantastic for our community,” he said.

The proposal is for 26 dwellings predominantly for single-parent families in Central Queensland.

It includes a communal outdoor recreation area and private internal road.

The dwellings are prefabricated two-bedroom dwellings, with private yard space and a carport.

Vehicle access is from Morris St with a pedestrian path at the south of the site.

A concept map showing the Fountain St accommodation units planned for Emu Park.

The development provides parking to accommodate up to 49 spaces (26 carports, three guest parks and opportunity for tandem parking at 20 driveway/carport areas).

The site is 15,730 square metres in area and located in the low-density residential zone.

It has dual road frontage to Morris St and Fountain St, however only Morris St is a constructed road.

The site is vacant and has a slight slope of 5 per cent to the south-west.

The locality is characterised by residential uses, predominantly single dwelling houses, and is well connected to the Emu Park town centre, childcare centres and sport facilities.