From the Lord Mayor's Office
Property sale a boost for the whole community
Council is continually exploring opportunities to ensure that land in our Local Government Area is put to its best use. As part of this process there are regular reviews of our property portfolio to identify Council land that is surplus to requirements – meaning it’s not being used to deliver a service and not being held for strategic purposes or future service delivery.
The process for identifying and selling surplus land is thorough and comprehensive, and we take time to ensure decisions about the use of public land are correct and transparent.
At our meeting on Monday, Council resolved to sell four properties considered surplus to the community’s needs. The process related to these four parcels of land began in 2016 and allows land to be potentially used for greater benefit including housing. Council is also able to reinvest revenue from the sale of the lands into Council’s assets or enhanced service delivery.
With our community facing challenges around the national housing crisis, along with the need for more aged care accommodation and childcare centres, it is important that Council looks to its own land assets and review them against best use for the benefit of our residents. While it is not Council’s role to deliver aged or childcare services, if we can assist with identifying suitable sites we are then able to work with relevant agencies to navigate an outcome that addresses these national challenges.
We know that our local government area’s unique location between the escarpment and the sea, presents major constraints on land supply, which compounds the existing viability issues that the building and development industry is facing across Australia. The sale of four blocks of surplus Council land will not solve the housing crisis, but it’s a step.
It is vital that we continue to review our holdings and look at how Council land can be used to its greatest potential and for the betterment of the broader community.
