In line with Council’s increased emphasis on leveraging off the expertise that resides within the community, Council’s Manager Strategic Planning, Ed Paterson, is encouraging people to apply to join the Kiama Housing Strategy Steering Group.

The aim of the Kiama Housing Strategy is to help plan for and balance housing supply and demand, including affordable housing opportunities, within the Kiama Municipality over the next 20 years.

“This is the first time we've used the process of creating a steering group in the latest round of strategic planning projects, although we’ve had input from the community in other ways,” says Mr Paterson.

“It is part of trying to get the community involved as early as possible, rather than just through the standard exhibition period.

“What we are particularly interested in with this model is getting people with expertise on the subject matter involved.”

Similar groups have already been utilised by Council in areas as diverse as tree management and finance.

The Housing Strategy Steering Group will build on the work already done, including a community survey with responses from 150 people and workshops that attracted over 50 people in December, to produce a discussion paper and a Draft Housing Strategy.

In addition to the survey and workshops, Council has appointed AEC Group to undertake a Kiama Housing Supply Feasibility Analysis to determine the capacity of existing urban land, given current market trends and planning controls, for additional dwelling supply.

Council's Manager Strategic Planning, Ed Paterson

“We want to get multiple stakeholder groups involved so their voices are heard at the formative stage,” says Mr Paterson.

In particular, people with backgrounds in property development, the provision of social/affordable housing, and economic development/corporate business are being sought for the six member group; along with voices from the Aboriginal community and youth.

Other factors to be taken into consideration when deciding on the make-up of the Group will include gender, geographic spread, community connectedness, and cultural and age diversity.

Mr Paterson says it is important to get the development industry involved with the process to make sure that what is proposed in the Strategy is feasible in the market.

“We can't have policy positions and development controls that no-one can implement, or we won't see the outcomes we want to achieve.”

This includes the goal of providing affordable housing.

“We need to take criticism by the Housing Trust of our affordable housing policy position seriously, and need providers of housing in those discussions.”

The Steering Group will work with the Director of Environmental Services, Jessica Rippon, and the Strategic Planning team. Councillors will not be on the Steering Group, being involved in the process in other ways.

The timing will be tight, with the Draft Strategy scheduled to go to the March or April Council Meeting. This will allow it to be formally exhibited and approved by the end of June.

The first meeting will be held by mid-February to review the relevant information and data. Additional meetings will be held in February to facilitate the preparation of the Discussion Paper, which is expected to be published in late February.

“It will be a busy first quarter of the year,” says Mr Paterson, who is confident the deadline will be met.

All recommendations of the Steering Group will be published, and if they end up not being included in the draft Strategy, staff will provide the reasons they haven’t been taken up.

Mr Paterson encourages people to keep in touch with what is happening with the development of the Housing Strategy by subscribing to its page on Council’s website, which already has a wealth of information and encourages feedback.

“We’ll soon be putting up the results of our survey soon, and you’ll get notified when this or any more information gets uploaded,” he says.

Nominations close Monday 31 January.