Fees waived for 82 new homes

Published 3:00pm 1 August 2023

Words by Nick Crockford

Pictured: Mayor Peter Flannery with BHC CEO Rebecca Oelkers at the site in Sutton St, Redcliffe.

Moreton Bay City Council has waived more than $1 million of infrastructure charges and development fees to tackle homelessness and housing affordability.

It will enable Brisbane Housing Company (BHC) to build 82 new accessible social and affordable homes for older residents in Redcliffe.

The BHC project, at 99 Sutton St, is part of the Queensland State Government’s Housing Investment Fund.

“By thinking outside the box we can support great outcomes quickly and effectively,” Mayor Peter Flannery said.

Incentives

“We launched our Attraction of Affordable Social Housing Development Policy in March, which BHC jumped on. Four months later, we’ve entered into an infrastructure agreement.

“It means they won’t pay any Council infrastructure fees or charges on this affordable and social housing project, saving them $1.025 million.”

An application by BRIC Housing for an 18-unit development at Portwood St, Redcliffe, has also been fast-tracked saving BRIC $220,000 in remissions.

BRIC Housing and BHC were among 11 organisations contacted by Council about incentives in its Affordable Housing Development Policy.

The Mayor said homelessness is up 92 per cent over the last decade in the City of Moreton Bay with reports of people sleeping in public spaces rising significantly.

Better outcomes

He said the policy “further incentivises” community housing providers and developers by waiving up to 100 per cent of Council fees and charges in 15 priority suburbs and giving significant discounts in a further eight suburbs.

BHC Chief Executive Officer Rebecca Oelkers said such measures “are already resulting in better social and affordable housing outcomes for the city’s residents”.

“We hope other councils will follow the City of Moreton Bay’s impressive lead in reducing the barriers to bringing these developments to life,” she said.

Mayor Flannery said Council has completed a new Community Wellbeing Strategy committing to the development of a Housing and Homelessness Action Plan.

“This is just the beginning of what can be achieved when all three levels of government work together with the community and the private sector to create real social change,” he said.