"Housing crisis".
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Those are two words being bandied about right across the country, including in Leeton shire.
The issues surrounding housing, or lack-thereof, are not new or specific to one area - it's something every town, city and area in Australia is grappling with.
Leeton Shire Council has compiled its own draft housing strategy, which is on public exhibition until the end of May for the community to view and comment on.
Council said the draft strategy aims to guide the delivery of new homes in the right locations by identifying ways to provide the right amount and types of housing in line with infrastructure, access to services and open space for the next 20 years.
Manager for planning, building and health, Francois Van Der Berg, said the idea behind the draft strategy was to address outdated data and challenges hindering the provision of affordable housing by analysing the latest housing trends.
"Council has identified a shortfall in smaller dwellings required by an ageing community and one with smaller families and increased couples, or single persons," he said.
"The new (draft strategy) will work towards the goal of providing medium density housing, ranging from smaller lots, dual occupancies and granny flats to low rise density or terrace developments."
Ideas included in the strategy include:
- Reviewing and reducing minimum lot size restrictions to encourage compact urban form and residential development.
- Structure and master planning of key investigation sites to inform development control plan mapping, future zoning, lot size and preferred outcomes, infrastructural requirements.
- Perform an audit of the street and infrastructure network within the town circle and walkable distances to the town centre, informing a structure plan for medium and higher density development.
- Work with specialist housing providers, including aged care, disability, Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC), industry and agriculture to develop delivery models and applications for Housing Australia Future Fund.
"Council's vision is to provide affordable housing for a changing community that reflects the households by the types of housing available," deputy mayor Michael Kidd said.
"Variety will be key, with more homes for single persons and smaller families."
The strategy will also guide strategic work to address matters relating to the rezoning of land in appropriate locations, locating growth areas near existing infrastructure and planning of new residential precincts.