Scott Mackey proposes high-density living to solve Bundaberg housing crisis

A Bundaberg real estate principal says a growing population and rising rents means it’s time for the region to embrace high-density housing.

Bundaberg is in the grips of a housing crisis.

Re/Max Precision principal Scott Mackey says his office did not have much stock.

“It’s the least amount of stock on the market ever,” he said.

Calls were coming in constantly at his real estate office as desperate people tried to lelp themselves, their friends, family members and colleagues in an unprecedented crisis.

“It’s hard because you’d love to be able to help out,” Mr Mackey said.

“It’s terrible to see some of the people, the hopelessness,” he said.

Mr Mackey also runs a motel in Bundaberg and manages 35 AirBnBs, and says the housing shortage and compounding factors leading to higher rents had never been seen before.

Numerous factors had come into play, including the fact more younger people were staying in Bundaberg instead of moving away in the midst of the pandemic, he said.

Looking at the positives, the bright minds were sticking around, something the region had needed for a long time, but on the downside, it was adding to an already burdened housing market, he said.

There was also the southern migration, holiday accommodation and a changing jobs market which had allowed many people to work from anywhere they wanted.

The NewsMail is campaigning to help our homeless.

Increasing land valuations and insurance costs, as well as inflation, would see rents rise and not go down again, Mr Mackey said.

It was a melting pot no one was quite sure how to cope with.

As tent cities start to pop up along the Burnett River, and no end to the housing crisis in sight, Mr Mackey said it was time for the government to look at high-density housing, at an affordable rate, so that people could have a home.

He said he knew people had long had a choice of living in units or a home, and many people would not want to live in such establishments, but saw few other options.

Rents would need to stick around $300 a week in order to be affordable.

Bundaberg community worker Jodi Morris agreed if high density housing were to be established, affordability would be the pivotal factor.

“It will only work if it’s affordable, it needs to be affordable, it can’t be $400, $500,” she said.

“It really has to take the dollar value into account.”

Ms Morris said the issue of homelessness and stigma was a big one in the region, with feelings of shame and stigma affecting those with nowhere to call home.

In a NewsMail Facebook post asking locals what they thought should go on a spare block of land in the city’s CBD, the majority of comments said they wanted emergency housing for locals in need.

Mr Mackey wants stakeholders to think ahead to address the crisis, because he doesn’t see it resolving on its own.

“It’s certainly the biggest political issue,” he said.

Originally published as Scott Mackey proposes high-density living to solve Bundaberg housing crisis