A group representing the Noosa business community has launched a campaign calling for more affordable housing in the region.
The Noosa 450 campaign is a call to all levels of government to facilitate pathways for investment in affordable housing that costs $450 or less a week to rent.
It comes in response to the state government’s call for consultation on the draft South East Queensland Regional Plan, which flags a further 4900 homes being built in the Noosa Shire by 2046, to accommodate an extra 19,100 people.
Noosa Chamber of Commerce president Ralph Rogers said weekly household earnings in the shire were $208, or 14 per cent, below the state median, but the cost of living was above the state average.
“The statistics speak for themselves,” he said.
“While 33.1 per cent of properties in the whole of Queensland are available to rent, only 20.9 per cent of occupied dwellings are available to rent in Noosa.”
The Noosa 450 campaign has been put forward by local property management group Aspire Property Management, whose CEO David Langdon said that property managers were at the coalface when it comes to helping to provide rental homes.
“While there are often plenty of available rentals over $750 per week, we are continually frustrated by not being able to help those at the lower end of the market,” he said.
“A lack of affordable rentals is the singular factor driving the current staff shortage in Noosa. We have seen within our team, and other local businesses, that people have left the shire to work elsewhere, and it is happening all over town.
“It is important to note that we are not talking about government-funded social housing in this campaign. We appreciate that the government has a plan for more social housing.
“What this campaign is trying to achieve is a for more private investment in affordable housing for our workers and other members of the Noosa community.
“We want that principle to be recognised as a specific goal within the new regional plan. Then state and council town planners that have the expertise can put forward appropriate solutions.”
Noosaville Business Association president Tim Rook said his organisation represented a range of industry groups, each of which was experiencing pain from a lack of human resources.
“Our members find it immensely challenging to fill vacancies and often candidates from outside the area pull out of the recruitment process once they realise that relocation isn’t possible due to the lack of affordable accommodation,” he said.
The Hastings Street Association also voiced its support for the Noosa 450 campaign.
“The Hastings Street economy is predominately based on service-based industries, such as tourism,” president Emma Hull said.
“Housing affordability and its impact on availability of local staff directly impacts the capacity to which service-based industries can operate and the level of service they can provide.
“A lack of affordable housing undermines the integrity of the tourism product offering and adds extra economic pressure on the small business sector.”
Noosa Junction Association vice-president and secretary Chris Brinkley also said many businesses continued to struggle due to the inability to hire and retain quality staff.
“In most instances, businesses report that this is due to potential staff being unable to find affordable housing within a reasonable distance from the workplace,” he said.
Mr Langdon said he did not want to see the goal of affordable housing get lost in a debate about population targets or high-rise.
“We are not the town planning experts when it comes to what the possible solutions are,” he said.
“In a tourism-driven economy, we certainly don’t want any measures that might compromise the amenity and attractiveness of Noosa’s unique character.
“We need a balance around protecting important coastal and tourism areas and flexibility to create higher density residential solutions in other areas that may be appropriate.”
The petition can be viewed here.
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