Published on Thursday, 3 April 2025 at 4:26:07 PM
With the 2025 Community Scorecard fast approaching, we continue to showcase actions Council and the Shire have taken to address community feedback from the 2023 Scorecard, where you gave instructions on your key priorities and issues.
Comments from the 2023 Scorecard showed dissatisfaction with the Shire of Esperance (Shire) Building Services. However it also brought to light some misunderstandings about the role of local government, the purpose of our Building Services team, and the limits of the Shire's authority over private property.
The time invested by our community to express their thoughts in the 2023 Scorecard is much appreciated, as these give us valuable insights and key messages for us to address. We examine some of these below.
“Open more land for residential development”
“There seems to be a severe shortage of rental properties available in town. May need to make more land available”
- 2023 Community Scorecard Comments
Many comments highlighted deep concern about the shortage of accommodation and land in Esperance, a very real issue across Australia.
The release of land for development is primarily a function of State Government and private business. Local governments located in metro areas are not typically involved in land release; Council, and the Shire of Esperance work in this area purely for the benefit of our regional community.
The Shire’s development and release of residential land in Flinders Estate and the Shark Lake Industrial Park has demonstrated our long-term commitment to community, regional growth, and business.
Council and the Shire have also over many years vigorously advocated on the subject of housing, including for the development of land held by other agencies throughout our region with approaches to Premiers and Ministers of the relevant state government departments. Significant land is held around Esperance by the state government, and Council and the Shire have worked for a long time to influence for the release and development of this land, as the Shire has done with Shire-held land. Advocacy has also been carried out for reduced head work and infrastructure costs for all land releases, and the Shire has acted in liaison with other agencies such as the Goldfields Esperance Development Commission (GEDC) to develop and present effective solutions; the Esperance Key Worker Accommodation Project is an important example of this.
“Accommodation is needed if the town is to grow economically”
“Shire needs to encourage more accommodation to be built in the area, to gain more workers.”
- 2023 Community Scorecard Comments
The Shire of Esperance has been working in the area of accommodation for years, even before making sure a temporary facility for short term workers accommodation was available in 2021, through to the 2023 Esperance Land, Housing and Accommodation Study produced in partnership with the GEDC, and last year’s Key Worker Accommodation Survey requesting information from local businesses to support the Key Worker Accommodation Project.
The Esperance Land, Housing and Accommodation Study established an independently researched baseline of all accommodation in Esperance. It delivered an essential resource for private business and all levels of government to refer to when planning any accommodation related project in the Shire. The study is not just about building 4 x 2 houses, as the data on projected demand for backpacker, tourist and aged accommodation, high end hotels, and lifestyle villages makes clear.
The Key Worker Accommodation Survey, with startling information from local businesses showing an additional 60 jobs could be filled immediately if adequate accommodation was available, provided instantly relevant data to back up the Key Worker Accommodation Project. This Project is slated to deliver an additional 20 residential units to the Esperance market. With planning and design already carried out and a suitable site found, State government support will be necessary for this Project to be realised. The Shire has committed to a contribution of $1.5 million and to provide land valued at $800,000, however the projected total cost of $9.23 million means the Shire cannot complete this Project alone. With the new state government pledging to improve the housing situation across the state, an application for state support has been submitted and it is hoped they will grasp the opportunity to back this shovel-ready Project for the sake of the Esperance community.
Other actions taken by the Shire to help ease the housing issue have been:
- Last year’s adoption by Council of the Farm Stay Accommodation Local Planning Policy after community consultation and changes made from the feedback provided. This Policy aims to increase the variety of accommodation options in the Shire, facilitate an alternative income stream for farming businesses, provide guidance on the requirements for Farm Stay Accommodation applications, and clarify the assessment of these applications for Shire officers.
- As the Shire is one of the larger employers in town, Council minimised staff impact on the rental market with the decision to build accommodation for staff rentals. This adds to housing stock in town instead of taking rental properties out of the market. The units currently under construction will be primarily for Shire staff use but may be available to the wider market in the future. Council has also given the green light to purchase existing properties. The result of these actions is that the Shire can attract and retain quality staff to service the region, with low impact on the local housing market.
- Council carried out the Holiday House Review in 2022, calling for community sentiment regarding regulations around short stay accommodation. The Report from this consultation showed strong support both for and against short stay and holiday house accommodation, largely split along the lines of locals who own these establishments, neighbours and other community members. After consideration of all the feedback and the Report, Council added a Code of Conduct to holiday accommodation Management Plan requirements, and a planned proposal for holiday home approval renewals (one year after initial approval then every four years).
- The Shire of Esperance made history in late 2022 as the first Australian local government to accommodate tiny houses on wheels, with the widely acclaimed Tiny Houses on Wheels Local Planning Policy. Unfortunately, this Policy was made obsolete by state government regulations in 2024. Council and the Shire responded with continued assistance for community needs, developing the Temporary Accommodation Policy and supporting Guidelines to help those applying to camp as temporary accommodation.
Councillors and Shire staff are invested community members, and are very aware that the Esperance housing shortage is not just a minor inconvenience – it is truly a major roadblock preventing local economic development, community growth and delivery of key services in town. The Esperance community may be assured that Council and the Shire are committed to continued advocacy, and work with state government and other stakeholders to help resolve the housing crisis and ensure a prosperous future for our community.
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