Balanced approach needed for social housing

Published on 05 June 2025

Colac Otway Shire Council is asking a state housing authority to take a more balanced approach to social and affordable housing distribution across Colac and Elliminyt.

Councillors voted to oppose a proposed social housing development by Homes Victoria at Pound Road, Colac, and will instead call for new social housing to be spread across the community.

The Homes Victoria proposal would aim to accommodate 50 homes plus an access road onto a 1.8-hectare site.

Council will write to the Minister for Planning and the Minister for Housing and Building to express opposition to the proposed development and ask for the agency to spread the homes over multiple developments across Colac and Elliminyt.

Council’s position is that research has shown that social housing is far more effective when spread through a community than in a condensed position.

Council also believes that having a high concentration of social housing in one location will fail to provide the best outcomes for people who need social housing, especially in a community with limited services for vulnerable people.

Cr Mick McCrickard moved the motion opposing the development at Council’s May meeting.

“We want Homes Victoria to come to Colac and be part of our community, there’s no doubt about that. We want social housing. We’d like Colac people to be a part of that,” Cr McCrickard said.

But he said putting 50 homes in an area as small as 1.8 hectares was unacceptable to a cohesive community.

“We need to really think about, not just the needs of the Colac people, but also the needs of the people who would be living in such a confined space. I just don’t think it’s reasonable,” Cr McCrickard said.

He said people could be leaving their social structures in other communities to move into Colac’s new social housing, without extra services in Colac to help them.

“Our concern under the current circumstances is that the Victorian Government would be basically setting people up to fail,” Cr McCrickard said.

Council will seek to have a meeting with Homes Victoria to clearly articulate its opposition to the proposed development, and to request the 50 Social and Affordable homes be built within existing developments throughout Colac and Elliminyt. This approach would aim to support a more balanced integration of housing within the community.

Council also requests an increase in financial support to existing local social services to assist community members living in social housing.