BY BELLA MIDDLETON
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| 92 Toronto Road, Booragul Credit: Google Street View |
Lake Macquarie Councillor Jason Pauling has filed a recommendation for an empty plot of land in Booragul to be used for affordable housing.
The land at 92 Toronto Road currently sits empty, with Pauling urging it should be made available for social and/or affordable housing if it is not already required for other purposes.
"This is an attempt to get all three levels of government to actually do something meaningful.
There's a lot of chatter and discussion about social and affordable housing, but we haven't seen a lot of action, and this is an opportunity for all the levels of government to work together to deliver a meaningful outcome that will have a very positive impact on a number of people's lives," said Cr Pauling.
Pauling is also calling for a full construction and development funding commitment from the state or federal governments if the plan is approved.
The Hunter is home to five of the ten local government areas with the highest housing need in New South Wales.
"I don't think there's any doubt from any quarter that housing prices, the increases we've seen, and the supply issues we've seen, have made it really hard for a lot of residents.
This is a small step, it's certainly not the silver bullet solution by any means, but it is a tangible demonstration of what can happen when all three levels of government work together," Cr Pauling said.
