Social housing Gold Coast: Suburbs where most is located

Analysis of state government figures have revealed where the bulk of social housing on the Gold Coast is located, with some suburbs containing almost none. SEE HOW YOUR AREA FARES

ANALYSIS of state government figures by the LNP have revealed the bulk of social housing on the Gold Coast is located in the Southport area, with other suburbs containing almost none.

The constituencies of Southport and next door Bonney contain 3480 of the city’s 8351 social housing bedrooms – more than 40 per cent of the total.

In contrast, there are just five social housing bedrooms in Surfers Paradise and 234 in the constituency of Mermaid Beach, which also includes Miami and Robina.

Social housing numbers are also low in the Broadwater constituency – which includes the up-market suburbs of Hope Island and Paradise Point – at just 290 bedrooms.

There are 1198 social housing bedrooms in Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon’s constituency of Gaven, which is centred on Pacific Pines. That number is a 2.76 per cent drop on the 1232 bedrooms that were available there in 2018.

Ms Scanlon recently launched a petition criticising the Federal Government for “walking away” from the National Rental Affordability Scheme, saying the Palaszczuk Government was “doing the heavy lifting while the Morrison Government has turned its back on Queenslanders experiencing rental and housing stress.”

However Shadow Housing Minister Tim Mander said the state government’s housing strategy was “a hoax” and Ms Scanlon needed to “look at her own backyard” rather than blaming the Federal Government.

“What Meaghan Scanlon needs to explain is why in her electorate, over five years, is there 34 less social housing bedrooms in the portfolio,” Mr Mander said.

“Meaghan Scanlon needs to look at her own backyard. She needs to nudge her own minister and demand results for the whole of the Gold Coast, but in particular her own electorate.”

Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon. Picture: Nigel Hallett.

Opposition spokesman for Housing Tim Mander. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Figures also revealed that the number of people on the social housing waiting list had shot up 40 per cent from 2940 to 4971 between 2017 and 2021.

In that time, the number of social housing bedrooms on the Gold Coast has risen 2.12% from 8178 to 8351.

Ms Scanlon, who attended new social housing sites in Southport and Nerang on Thursday with Housing Minister Leanne Enoch, accused Mr Mander of “cherry picking” figures to take “pot shots” at her.

“Tim Mander’s cherry picking of data fails to acknowledge that there has been a year on year net increase of social housing in Queensland since the Palaszczuk Government was elected,” Ms Scanlon said.

“That is in stark contrast to when Tim Mander was the Housing Minister under the Newman Government where between 2012 to 2014 social housing across Queensland actually reduced by over 400 dwellings.”

Ms Scanlon said the Palaszczuk Government was investing $2.9 billion into social and affordable housing and repeated her criticism of the Federal Government.

“Instead of taking pot shots at me when our Government is delivering record investment in social housing Tim Mander might want to talk to his Morrison Government mates who are cutting funding to affordable housing to over 10,000 households in Queensland,” she said.

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