WORKING TOGETHER ON HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS

This week, 35 people came together at the Innisfail RSL for the Cassowary Coast Regional Council’s first-ever Housing and Homelessness Round Table.

The event included councillors, council officers, real estate agents, Department of Housing, health, housing and local community and not for profit providers including Innisfail Youth and Family Care. Key speakers focused on service delivery, the depth of housing and homelessness issues facing our community and how we can work together to address the many and complex challenges.

Mayor Teresa Millwood said the event was an important step forward.

"Tuesday night’s turnout shows how much our community cares about housing issues. By working together, we can create real change.

 “It was great to hear about innovative ideas like modular housing and the Department of Housing’s new 11-unit build on Ernest Street."

The new housing project on Ernest Street will use a modern way of building to speed up construction. Other topics included local support services, tiny homes, and ways to encourage more housing developments in the region.

Doctor Jacqui Murdoch (Director of Tropical Public Health Services) from the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service shared some important facts. She explained that overcrowded and unhealthy homes can lead to more children under 15 going to the Emergency Department for illnesses like Strep A and other infections.

One key outcome of the meeting is that there will be another round table next year. This follow-up will check progress on actions from the Local Housing Action Plan that Council approved earlier this year.

Mayor Millwood added, "the conversations we’ve started will help us find real solutions to housing challenges in our region. We all need to keep working together to make this happen."

The Cassowary Coast Regional Council is committed to being part of the solution to help create safe and affordable housing options for everyone in the community.

For more information on Housing in the Cassowary Coast, read Council’s Local Housing Action Plan.

Image caption: Mayor Teresa Millwood, Josie Mooka - Mamu Health Services, Alyce Haack - CCRC Community Development Officer, Julie Mansfield - CCRC Regulatory Services, Tracey Dickinson- Community Support Centre Innisfail, Joanne Hughes - Corrections.