WHILE attention in Geelong’s this week has circled the ‘approved-by-stealth’ public-private housing redevelopment of the city’s former TAFE site, another high profile property - given the green light last year to become one of the federal government’s 80,000 social and affordable new dwellings – failed to sell at auction.

Grey concrete silos at 46 – 48 Mercer Street, at the corner of Roy Street, and near the town centre – has now been listed for private sale through Colliers International at $1.95 million.

A 40-unit affordable housing development has been approved to be developed within the walls of the high-rise silos, prominent on the drive in to Geelong.

The Rudd government aims to substantially boost the number of social and affordable houses nationally by 2012.

THE Federal Government’s contentious plan to build record amounts of commission flats and social housing around your streets, and without proper community consultation – seems to finally have caught the attention of the wider community.

Despite anger in some States that details about the mass roll-out of commission flats have been deliberately kept from the community – the State ALP governments are pushing ahead with major public housing projects.

State governments need to do so in an attempt to collect part of the massive taxpayer-funded $5.6 billion the Federal ALP government has allocated to the initiative, for projects completed before a 2012 deadline.

AFTER a decade of debate, the Minister for Planning Justin Madden has gone against the local council and approved a major development, at a prominent junction in Melbourne’s south-east suburb of Clayton.

The decision paves the way for a low-rise shopping centre on the north-east corner of Dandenong and Blackburn roads to be demolished, and replaced with towers incorporating about 400 apartments, a hotel, a new shopping centre, and landscaped gardens.

About 10 per cent of units in the project will be set aside for affordable housing. Most of the remaining units will be targeted to students. Sources speculate the project will have an end value of about $270 million.

THE VICTORIAN Government has appointed Australand as the preferred builder for one of the state’s largest public and private housing developments.

Australand plans to transform about 18 hectares in the north-west suburb of Westmeadows, near the Melbourne Airport, into a $160 million mixed-use village of apartments, townhouses, aged care accommodation and parks.

The Valley Park project spreads across a dozen Westmeadows streets, including the major Dimboola Road and Erinbank Crescent.

PUBLIC housing residents in an award-winning estate, in Shepparton, are resorting to sleeping outside, because their homes are too hot.

One resident of the Channel Estate in West Shepparton described the temperature of their homes as being “like a microwave” – often 10C to 15C hotter than outside.

The Dennis Family Corporation  development won an award for excellence in the Urban Development Institute of Australia in the best affordable development category, the Herald Sun reports.

ALMOST 50,000 people are on waiting lists for public housing in New South Wales, making it the worst performing state in Australia.

According to a new report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, NSW also recorded the highest rate of “over-crowding and under utilisation” in the country.

It said some households have had to wait more than two years for a home.

A RECORD number of social housing is being developed in Queensland this year, as part of the Federal Government’s recent stimulus package.

And the ALP State Government has said it won’t let protesters get in the way of construction.

The Courier Mail reports about 3000 units worth $1.1 billion are set to be developed in the State.

AUSTRALIA’s most populated state will make way for the biggest chunk of public housing, promised by the Federal Government as part of the recent stimulus package.

At least 48 projects across New South Wales have been identified, as the first projects in part of a $2.9 billion public housing building boom for the State.

Developments are set to be developed around Sydney, Lake Macquarie, Ulladulla and Far South Coast.

PLANS to redevelop Prahran’s former Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind office into a nine-level apartment building have been rejected by the Stonnington City Council, and will be decided by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
 
The prominent 85 – 97A High Street office will be demolished and replaced with a $25 million, 108-unit complex, under a proposal by the site’s new owner.
 
The project would be the tallest apartment tower in Prahran, outside of public housing complexes at the Bangs and Horace Petty estates, which soar 16 levels.

PART of Footscray's Western Oval football ground will make way for a $90 million, 251-unit affordable and social housing project, under new plans proposed by the Club.

The Western Bulldogs wants to team with social housing developer HomeGround Services, to build potential high-rise project, at the Geelong Road edge of the Whitten Oval stadium, around the busy Gordon Road onramp (to Geelong Road).

Funding will come from the Federal Labor Government's Nation Building Fund.

BRISBANE City Council approved several high density projects this week, including another public housing block.

One of the biggest approved proposals, is Meriton's 77-level apartment tower on Herschel Street, in the city's North Quay precinct.

The council also approved a 15-storey commercial office at 949 Ann Street, in Fortitude Valley, proposed by businessman Kevin Seymour, and a major proposal by Queensland-based Watpac, for more stages of its Waterloo Junction development, being redeveloped on the site of the Waterloo Hotel.

The Federal Government yesterday released this statement, related to the development of more national public and community housing:


The Australian Government today announced that it has approved over $5 billion worth of projects under the Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan Social Housing Initiative.

The $4.546 billion allocated as Stage Two follows $692 million of projects approved under Stage One in April.

These projects are the biggest ever investment in social housing in Australia.

A LANDMARK CBD building – formerly the Department of Defence Drill Hall – will be developed into Melbourne’s next social housing project.
 
The State Government has sold the prominent 74-year old Art Deco building - with its distinguished double storey pillars – to social housing developer Melbourne Affordable Housing which plans to build an 8-level, 59-unit tower on the triangle site.
 
At an estimated cost of about $30 million, the “gateway” development is mooted for the junction where Victoria Street meets Therry Street, opposite the Ibis Hotel, and the Carlton suburb border.
 

Philanthropists, banks – and now institutions are eyeing social housing as a lucrative property investment option, with one of the biggest industry super funds confirming it will investigate a $300 million State Government carrot.