A home in Hepburn Shire

Project overview

Hepburn Shire Council knows that it is getting harder for people to find a home in the local area that they can afford and meets their needs. It is affecting people on lower incomes but also people in key jobs that we need to support our services and local business like hospitality, tourism, farm workers, nurses and other carers.

Most factors that drive housing affordability are outside the direct control or responsibility of local government and/or the community. However, there are some actions that we can take to encourage and create the right conditions to make more affordable housing available in the Shire.

In April 2021, Council adopted an Affordable Housing Policy recognising that access to safe and affordable housing was an emerging and critical local issue. We are now developing a strategy and action plan to do what we can to make a difference.

Council adopted its Affordable Housing Strategy and Action Plan - A Home in Hepburn Shire on 19 September 2023.

Thank you to the many community members who have been involved in this project. We appreciate your feedback and input.

Background

This project has been informed by considerable community feedback since 2022.

Stage 1 community engagement and a Background report were completed in December 2022. A summary of the findings and feedback is available in the Summary of Findings document. More detail is in the Background Report.

In February 2023 we hosted an Affordable Housing Forum (Stage 2 community engagement), which brought more than 40 people from around the Shire together to discuss perspectives, ideas and priorities around improving access to affordable housing and Council's role.

Council developed a draft Affordable Housing Strategy and Action Plan, which includes 26 actions across four themes, including Community and partnerships, Advocacy, Land use planning and regulation, and Incentives and investment.

Feedback on the draft led to the final strategy and action plan, A Home in Hepburn Shire.

Share your experience

Lived experience stories are an important way to understand the types of support that is needed locally. They are also a powerful way to help explain the issue to others in the community that may not be personally affected. Whether you have had challenges with housing yourself, or are a local business or service impacted by a lack of housing – we’d love to hear your story. You are welcome to share anonymously.

14 contributions so far
Open

Can't build the home we need.

Posted by Confused |

We have recently moved to the Hepburn Shire and bought land to build our family home. But the attitude of some locals to anything new seems to be quite worrying. Even if we were able to build a new house in order to live here, change appears to be more worrying than whether that change is positive or negative. I understand that more people moving out of cities changes how a small town looks and feels. But why do newer people not deserve to build the houses this town needs at the same time as…

3 Likes 0 Comments

Council to purchase accommodation and sub let to people in housing distress

Posted by UsedtobeFrequentFlye |

In any year, there are multiple properties for sale in the area offering a number of apartment style/villas with one/two or 3 bedrooms in the one property. Recently 16 Leggatt St Daylesford sold which had 7 apartments. Another offering multiple apartments and villas for up to 6 apartments/villas is for sale at 16 Forest Ave, HS. Council could consider buying these properties and offer to rent to local people in housing stress/those unable to buy in the area. Restaurants are screaming labour…

3 Likes 1 Comments

Tiny houses a realistic option within the Council's power

Posted by Stan |

I have had several requests from friends and strangers to put their tiny houses or caravans (usually on wheels) on my property to live in. I've declined these requests based on the potential consequences of breaking council's laws, and hence I have not contributed to solving the housing crisis. A change in these laws regarding living in tiny houses would have see immediate and significant improvements in the lives of many would-be residents, not to mention inject much needed youth and energy…

17 Likes 6 Comments

Short Stay Accommodation - Implementation of Local Laws

Posted by Dave McLachlan |

Planning guidelines, Regulations, Controls, Standards of Management and Codes of Conduct for Short Stay Accommodation - need to be implemented in the Hepburn Shire. Councils and Shires in every Australian State, regardless of individual State Government legislation have implemented Regulations/controls and Codes of Conduct to preserve their economies, communities, and unique environments. These local laws are necessary as the State Legislation is either inadequate or non-existent. Short…

1 Likes 1 Comments

Council to change laws on Tiny Homes ASAP

Posted by tmpkiwi71 |

I have land here in the Shire and would love to get a Tiny Home (not on wheels) put on it - so I can move out of the rental I am in and live and maintain my land. I can't afford to build a 3-4 bedroom home. BUT love the idea of a tiny/small home. I don't want a modular home - I like the designs of Tiny Homes. However due to the sizing of a Tiny Home (even not on wheels), it is deemed a caravan and current law allows me to live in it 28 days of the year. With the housing shortage, doesn't it…

16 Likes 1 Comments

Holiday rental property owner

Posted by Alan |

We own a 4br house in Daylesford that we purchased 2 years ago with a view to earn our retirement income from rental, either short stay or long term. We own the house in our superannuation fund, and we are self funded retirees. We depend on this income for our daily support such that we then do not have to rely on the pension system. We are not speculators seeking to make and grow wealth. In my view the natural supply and demand pressures that set costs dictate fundamental financial necessity.…

5 Likes 0 Comments

Council Charges and Services

Posted by Luke |

Many of the elements in Australia's housing affordability are money only; driven by the market place. The principle drivers are: i) tax law; ii) finance costs; iii) the reliability of competing investment types; iv) supply restriction of new units; v) rising construction costs due to regulation; vi) and investment capital flight form larger economies; vii) material shortages; viii) labour shortages and costs. Note that on the supply side the cost and time for the production of additional…

3 Likes 0 Comments

why ?? homelessness/why ??housing stress

Posted by Angelo |

The first thing required when seeking to solve the above is to recognise that the problem of homelessness is complex. It is very unlikely any one solution will be effective enough to alleviate the situation. I would have thought the best place to start for any community-based strategy is to dig deeper into the '300 or more households' , identifying what is the primary cause of the homelessness. It could be purely financial (temporary or permanent), could be relationship breakdown, ill…

2 Likes 1 Comments

Unbearable Council Planning Approval Process

Posted by Frustrated |

We have bought a block of land and waited for over one year for Council Planning Approval. The whole process what so distressing that it is hard to write about it. Communication with responsible employees (apparently public servants) was impossible. Endless calls and email left without answers. Than conditions placed on the design were totally unreasonable. Conditions were placed even on the landscaping design. This has to change if the Council wants more houses built in the are. However, it…

6 Likes 1 Comments

Lucky

Posted by Lucky |

I was extremely lucky to find a house in Daylesford so I could keep my daughter in school and close to her friends. I found the last house in Daylesford at the time and pay rent beyond my financial means. If I did not find this house the only choice would have been to move to the next closest town and travel back into town for school then back out of town for work. Isolating my daughter from friends and removing her from a town that she has lived her whole life. Hopefully in the future I will…

4 Likes 0 Comments