2017-04-11 Planning & Environment Committee Agenda

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                      11 APRIL 2017


People with a Disability
Noosa Shire currently has a relatively high proportion of people who need assistance with one or
more core activities including self-care, mobility and communication because of a long-term health
condition, disability or old age, and this will only increase over time as the population ages.
Special accommodation in Noosa Shire for people with disabilities was found to be extremely
limited. These people can also be in low income groups. Of all the households on the Social
Housing Register, 80% were households where a member of the family has a disability.
The rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (anticipated 2017 on the Sunshine Coast)
may add to existing demand as people choose to leave current housing arrangements to enter into
private market and community housing options. However, while the NDIS has brought attention to
the needs of people with a disability, housing has not been central to its priorities, and only around
28,000 or 6% of NDIS participants, most likely those with profound rather than moderate disability,
will be eligible for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) funding. Housing stress and
undersupply faced by a much broader group of people with disability who are ineligible for SDA
support remains a challenge.
There has been very little uptake of voluntary universal housing design elements, although the
State continues to contemplate incentives, partnerships and regulations.
Affordable dwellings for people with disabilities are needed, either through special group
accommodation or through increasing the number of dwellings that are adaptable or universally
designed at least to a moderate level (such as having an accessible bathroom and bedroom on
the ground floor).

Low income and vulnerable groups
The Noosa Social Strategy 2015 identified several key issues with potential implications for
housing. These included: emerging vulnerable groups in the community and disengaged people,
a rise in homelessness, a shortage of affordable housing (and housing diversity), a lack of short-
term crisis housing and limited support respite and affordable independent living options for people
with an intellectual or physical disability (and their carers).
The relatively high rents and sale prices of housing within Noosa Shire compared with other areas
can place households with lower income levels under financial strain. This includes single person
households and single parent households as well as young people. The problem is particularly of
concern for people renting.
In the recent past the unemployment rate for Noosa Shire was tracking higher than the State figure
and as an example the 2011 census revealed 682 Noosa Shire families with children less than 15
years of age with no employed parent. Since mid-2015 the local unemployment rate has lessened
(4.5% in December 2016), however local employment is still dominated by sectors such as retail,
accommodation and food services which are often casual and lower paying employment.
‘Key workers’ (or workers in Noosa Shire’s key industries) are crucial to the economy. Some
employees are commuting considerable distances to places outside the shire to secure affordable
accommodation.
A shortage of affordable housing options can lead to homelessness. There were a total of 152
homeless people identified in the Shire in 2013, with nearly two thirds of these located in the
hinterland. Additionally, there are much greater numbers of people within the community at risk of
homelessness. Such households will be struggling to make ends meet and are particularly
vulnerable to rent increases, job losses etc. Others are in need of safe transitional housing
because, for example, they are enduring domestic violence.
While Noosa has a small, dedicated network of service providers who attempt to assist these
people there is a lack of emergency accommodation in the Shire, which is only partially offset by
rural campgrounds, showgrounds etc (all of which are located some distance from urban areas).



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