Cowra Council’s draft housing strategy “focuses disproportionally on an aging population and smaller density housing” according to Cowra councillor Erin Watt.
Discussing the plan at Council’s general committee meeting Cr Watt said the plan “misses the opportunity to write a plan to grow the Cowra that we want”.
Council voted at its Ordinary meeting on Monday night to place the plan on public exhibition.
“It doesn’t properly read the housing market in Cowra,” Cr Watt said.
“So often I hear in the community that the council wants to make Cowra a retirement village.
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“I have so often defended council on what we are doing to make the town a vibrant community and encourage people from all walks of life and ages to live here.
“This document literally articulates our plan to prepare for an older generation and no one else,” she said.
Cr Watt said statistics in the plan showed demand for housing is not for smaller homes.
In July, 2024, Cr Watt said almost 1000 people were seeking homes in Cowra.
“There were 67 homes available,” Cr Watt said.
“The highest demand compared to availability was for four bedroom houses for purchase and two bedroom homes for rent.
“There were 23 times the amount of people interested than there were available houses for those looking for four bedroom housing.
“We know that social housing as identified (in the plan) is a huge problem but it is not identified as a priority in this project.”
Cr Watt told the meeting activation of “our existing large lot areas with approved subdivisions would make a significant impact on those housing needs and almost completely delivers the anticipated housing need”.
“I think that we should focus here rather than focusing on reducing lot size without providing adequate levels of services.
“When people choose to make the choice to move to Cowra it is for larger lot sizes - a backyard and a sense of space.
“This strategy should acknowledge our current situation of an aging population and put forth a strategy to encourage young professionals and families to move to town and to provide the type of housing those people are looking for.”
The plan, Cr Watt said, “is about the town of the future”.
“If we write a plan that is solely focussed on smaller density housing for our aging population we are not bringing in the new generation who will work in the council, who will work in the shops, work in the industry and keep Cowra going.
“If I were to write this plan I would think about where are we planning the childcare centres, where are we planning the parks, where are we planning the amenities that will encourage the young professionals to move here, that would encourage people to stay with their families, that will stop families having to move away because they don’t have access to the services they need and the care that they need.
“Instead this report is highlighting that we need to build smaller density housing despite that the research shows that shouldn’t be the case.
“I think that this plan should recommend that we prioritise investment in infrastructure in the landlocked areas.”
Cr Watt voted against placing the plan on exhibition adding “I can’t support this, because it isn’t what I seek to do as a councillor”.
“We have a real liability here in that we are preparing for a generation that will not continue to make Cowra vibrant.
“We need to prepare for everyone and we need to use this great opportunity where we got this grant funding to write the policy to build the vibrant Cowra of the future,” Cr Watt said.
Cowra Shire Council received a grant from the NSW State Government to prepare the draft housing strategy.
