Goal: Helping build sustainable communities

In addition to the activity that occurs under the previous two goals, which also contribute to this goal, the department helps to build sustainable communities by:

• working with Government and the private sector to develop innovative responses to ensure an adequate supply of affordable housing
• effectively using existing social and cultural resources in communities and building the capacity of residents to participate actively in community life, including community management and development.

Working with project partners in Community Renewal zones to deliver sustainable solutions to local issues and helping create stronger, well-developed communities where people want to live

Community Renewal is a whole-of-Government program coordinated by the Department of Housing, in partnership with other State Government agencies and local authorities, business, community organisations and residents to develop stronger, well-connected communities where people want to live. In July 2008, an independent evaluation determined that the program was performing in a “highly satisfactory” manner. The department also measured the performance of Community Renewal through the results of an annual survey, with recent results of resident satisfaction with their Community Renewal zone as a place to live shown below.

^* Key measure from the department's 2008–2013 Strategic Plan.

Building the capacity of the community to respond to its future needs

The Community Renewal program actively engages residents from targeted communities to identify local issues and develop solutions which meet their specific community needs. By working closely with its Community Renewal partners, the department ensured efforts were coordinated and resources directed towards specific community-identified issues.

Between 1 July 2008 and 31 March 2009, the department:

• engaged with up to 8,050 residents in the development and delivery of projects and activities
• approved over $4.38 million in project funding across nine ^* Community Renewal zones and facilitated partner contributions of 51% of total project funds for 45 new projects targeting key result areas as follows:

The Community Renewal program has the flexibility to provide the solutions communities are most in need of ranging from health and well-being, economic development, community safety, and employment and training initiatives to arts and cultural development, sport and recreation, and neighbourhood amenity improvements. Examples of approved projects included:

• Connecting Indigenous Youth Project in Logan – facilitating the part-time employment of youth workers over a 36-week period to deliver a range of sporting, cultural and personal development opportunities to Indigenous youth, including those at risk of being involved in juvenile crime or volatile substance abuse
• Good Neighbours Varsity Lakes Project on the Gold Coast – funding a part-time development officer, in partnership with the Varsity Lakes Community Resource Centre Inc, to support local resident groups to develop and deliver a range of initiatives that support volunteering and include social housing tenants in volunteering
• Community Nights Sports Project in Caboolture – a crime prevention initiative, in partnership with the KYC Trust (Kids, Youth, Community), to provide opportunities for over 1,000 young people aged 12 to 18 years to participate in sporting activities and develop healthy networks with other young people
• Pathways to Address Industry Demand Project – establishing and consolidating linkages between social housing applicants and tenants and a range of State and Federal employment initiatives
• Support and Strengthening – a crime prevention based sport program in the Townsville and Upper Ross region that offers activities to children and young people aged between nine and 14 who are displaying anti-social behaviour and are disengaged, or at significant risk of disengaging from mainstream schooling
• Upper Ross Employment Enhancement Project – to provide support, training and equipment to assist 20 adults and 50 young people to gain employment
• Financial Literacy Project – enhancing the financial literacy of social housing tenants in Caboolture, Deception Bay, Logan, Beenleigh, Eagleby and Carole Park
• Good Neighbours: Building Strong Leaders Project – providing a range of training for 20 people from Cairns West to develop skills in leadership, events management, community capacity building and problem solving
• Yatala Enterprise Area Skills and Labour Supply Chain Project – linking the labour and skills of residents from the Beenleigh region into employment opportunities in the high-growth industrial area, which has so far assisted more than 1,000 people enter into employment
• Social Housing Tenant Employment projects – enhancing the job readiness of social housing tenants, including Indigenous people relocating to Cairns and Townsville through off-community investment
• Beenleigh Neighbourhood Centre Development Project – designing and constructing a multi-functional community centre in Centenary Park, Beenleigh, in partnership with the Logan City Council.

Improving Government responsiveness and strengthening cross-Government collaboration in Community Renewal areas to streamline the delivery of services

The department continued to strengthen cross-Government collaboration with 33% of projects funded by the program involving multiple service providers working together to achieve an integrated response in communities. Between 1 July 2008 and 31 March 2009, 95% of all Community Renewal projects approved had service integration outcomes.

Partner contributions comprised 51% of total project funds, resulting in combined Community Renewal and partner agencies funding of over $8 million.

Percentage of total funds contributed by partner agencies ^*

^* Key measure from the department's 2008–2013 Strategic Plan.

The department's commitment to sustainable cross-Government collaboration was also evident in activities such as:

• Mitigating the Impact of Student Mobility Project – developing policies, procedures and strategies within participating schools to address common problems of disengagement as a result of student movement between schools. The department contributed funding to establish the project with the Department of Education, Training and the Arts, an integral partner, supplying resources and a dedicated employee for this project within each participating school
• Community ConneXions – providing a number of innovative community activities and educational resources designed to increase community safety, reduce the incidence of crime, and increase community networks in West Townsville. This project was delivered in partnership with the Queensland Police Service and a range of other government and community-based organisations.

Promoting housing diversity to meet the needs of communities

Supporting improved choice and access in the general housing market to ensure housing meets the needs of the general community

In July 2008, the department commissioned an independent evaluation of the Home Access Information Trial, a joint initiative between the department and the Real Estate Institute of Queensland whereby the department works with real estate agents to promote homes equipped with access features for people with mobility impairment. The evaluation recommended refinements to the program, highlighted the benefits of a targeted marketing and communications campaign, increased industry collaboration, and will contribute to shaping the future of Home Access initiatives. At 31 March 2009, 73 real estate agents were registered as providing support to identify market accessible homes.

The department also continued its Relocatable Housing project which aims to improve access to affordable housing for low-income families in regional and remote communities, primarily in Western Queensland. Between 1 July 2008 and 31 March 2009, the department increased the housing supply in these areas by relocating, or allocating:

• three houses to Flinders Shire
• three houses to Bulloo Shire
• two duplex units to Chinchilla Shire
• one house to Etheridge Shire Council, gifted by Queensland Health
• three houses to Barcoo Shire.

The department continued to maintain contact with councils in Western Queensland and investigate options to relocate additional houses as opportunities arise.

Encouraging housing diversity by providing housing advice on planning schemes, major developments and other major initiatives

The department provides policy advice and housing data and analysis on housing options to State agencies and local governments dealing with housing and residential development, including advice on affordable housing to meet the needs of the community. Between 1 July 2008 and 31 March 2009, the department:

• promoted housing that was responsive to community needs via input into 11 planning schemes, six planning instruments and five regional plans (South West, Central West, Maranoa, Far North Queensland and South–East Queensland), primarily focusing on the promotion of housing diversity
• provided input into 20 environmental impact statements for significant infrastructure projects in Queensland, mitigating the impact on households affected by these projects
• provided technical information, advice and advocacy services to inform:
  • the Far North Queensland Regional Planning project, launched by the Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Planning in February 2009
  • the Mount Peter Master Plan which is aiming to achieve a sustainable, efficient, coordinated development to ensure supportive relationships between employment opportunities, transport infrastructure and population growth in an area south of Cairns
  • the Northern Gold Coast Coordinated Social Infrastructure Strategy, in collaboration with the Department of Infrastructure and Planning, which is a project to plan for the timely provision of social infrastructure in appropriate locations along the northern Gold Coast corridor to meet the needs of the current and future population, and to enhance social infrastructure outcomes of participating agencies by coordinating infrastructure planning and delivery across departments and levels of government.
• participated in the Neighbourhood Planning Workshop for the Richlands Wacol corridor
• continued negotiations with the Brisbane City Council regarding town planning amendments in the Acacia Ridge planning area, including Coopers Plains.

Maximising the supply of a diverse range of affordable housing

Between 1 July 2008 and 31 March 2009, the department contributed to the supply of a diverse range of affordable housing by:

• implementing the Queensland component of the National Rental Affordability Scheme, a Federal Government initiative to stimulate the supply of up to 50,000 new affordable rental dwellings across Australia over the next ten years, with Queensland expected to benefit from around 10,000 of these dwellings by 2012. There have been two calls for submissions by developers/investors, with the first round resulting in seven successful proposals that will provide 663 new dwellings. As at 31 March 2009, this scheme had assisted six new households with rental accommodation in the private market following referral from the department.
• facilitating alignment of the State Affordable Housing policy with the initiatives of the Urban Land Development Authority (ULDA) and by providing input to the ULDA on the interim land use plans and development schemes for three designated Urban Development Areas, namely Bowen Hills, Northshore-Hamilton and Fitzgibbon
• providing housing market analysis to inform the affordable housing component of a master plan for land at Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast, owned by Queensland Transport
• acquiring a 17 hectare site in Gladstone in January 2009 to on–sell in the private market, conditional upon appropriate outcomes for affordable rental supply being able to be achieved. The department also commenced investigations into the purchase of excess Government land at Bremer in Ipswich and Wynnum North for this same purpose.