Occasional Newsletter
August 2025
Housing for Lorne workers – progressing two proposals
The Council has held three 1.5-hour planning workshops involving a range of groups across Lorne – Friends of Lorne, the Op Shop, the school, the kindergarten, the Committee for Lorne and others to figure out best ways to address our problem of accommodating essential workers. We heard firsthand how hard it is for some workers given the stipulations of their employment. Ambulance workers, as we advised you last month, must live within 8k of the depot.
It is important, therefore, that we expand housing for essential workers and that we also cater for a diversity of need. We note, for example, that the owner of Great Ocean Road Cottages (at the back of the supermarket) was recently successful in getting a state government grant (Regional Worker Accommodation Grant) to build an extra 8 two-bedroom cottages. But earlier this year those were pre-committed for leasing to the Merivale Company for Lorne Hotel workers.
At the workshops Friends of Lorne reiterated our preference to address housing needs in the most environmentally friendly ways. That means using existing houses and infrastructure as much as we can. Our members at the workshop put up ideas about financial incentives to make existing residential properties more available and converting commercial premises; long term leasing and/or purchasing a number of homes between key agencies (eg, education sector/health sector working with the Council); provision of council-owned land with new purpose-built accommodation, (similar to the Aireys Inlet housing project); clawing back some property at the Mantra when the lease is renegotiated; as well as specification (quantification) of needs/types (size, location). We also raised the issue of encouraging a section 173 condition on properties – a legal agreement that makes them permanently available for workers.
Two proposals selected for further work-up
All ideas were briefly discussed in small groups. We then held a poll on the ones with highest appeal. Finding smalls parcels of council or state government land was the most popular, coupled with a state government grant for building the accommodation. The project could be implemented via a trust structure. That is, we could set up a clear, legally recognised not-for-profit structure which protects long term public and community management of, and control over, the project. It would be focussed on local community needs (as opposed to general purpose social housing).
In terms of likely sites for worker housing development, GORCAPA-managed public land on the foreshore or Queens Park are not eligible for consideration. But there are other possibilities, we were told. A number of small land parcels, rather than one large one, is preferred. This matches Lorne’s topography, enables more choice for workers, and avoids creating the obvious downside of a large housing cluster (remember when the Cumberland was pink?)
The next most popular idea was about financial incentives to convert some short-term rental properties to long-term rental accommodation. A Lorne Land Tax Exemption and Rate Relief trial would attempt to coax 5% of short-term rentals across to the long-term rental market for a minimum of 3 years (by random selection, to be equitable). Such a policy (if proven successful) would only apply to tourist zones in our situation – ie, in towns where worker accommodation needs are high, most homes are not occupied by permanent residents, a large amount of properties are on the short term rental market, and there is no room to expand the town boundaries (for us, it’s the bush fire regulations preventing this).
A policy experiment would start with mathematical modelling to show likely impact on rate loss, land tax loss for local and state government versus the possible gains (the uptake and retention of key workers). Impact on the local spend economy would also be assessed (short term visitor versus resident spending). If the trial policy was offered to (and taken up) by just 5% of short-term property owners, the option would yield 25 houses. When a house left the scheme another property owner would be invited to replace it, so that the housing pool could adjust (or grow) with the need.
Would homeowners take it up though? That is what the trial would assess. And that was when the beauty of having a diverse group of participants in the room was on show. Because one of the real estate agents piped up immediately saying that right now there are indeed a number of property owners thinking of selling, very reluctantly, because of their land tax stress and because there is a glut of short-term rentals.
Overall, the discussion at the workshops was fruitful, although the process felt too rushed and we were not allowed time to consider and weigh up all ideas fully. So, for example, we did not consider the relative advantage of each option, or the possible risks for different options and how risks would be mitigated. In response we were assured that none of the broader ideas would be lost and that further, more considered feasibility assessment and deliberation would take place in future. In consultation with the community, the Council staff will now work up the ideas into a pitch to Council for the go-ahead to develop both proposals for the next phase. That is, more serious investigation and feasibility assessment will now take place.
Thanks to all who took part.
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Fancy a game of Bowls?
Friends of Lorne have been contacted by the Bowling Club to see if we would be willing to put up a team in their upcoming Community Cup. That’s when different groups in town who don’t play bowls ordinarily, come and play.
We were thrilled to be invited to enter a team. Instead of just being that earnest bunch of do-gooders who protest things or save things, someone out there supposes that we might (possibly) be fun!
Have no idea how to bowl? That’s lucky, they have thought of that, they provide a lesson for newcomers on Friday 29 August at 4pm. Shy about putting your hand up? Don’t be.
So, sign up. Let us put the Friends in Friends of Lorne for once. Of course, if you already know how to play, that’s OK too.
It’s a competition that runs across several weeks. If you can’t come to all days we are allowed to put in a substitute. So don’t let that hold you back. There are stipulations about who can take part so that we don’t stack the team with skilled pennant players. To be frank, Friends of Lorne will welcome you if you just have a pulse. It is a 3-person team with one emergency player. The dates are 3rd, 10th and 17th September (Wednesdays). Play commences at 5.30 pm and there “will be two games of six ends each night”. Doubtless we will learn what that means in due course.
Let us know if you are happy to take part by emailing the committee@friendsoflorne.org.au by Tuesday 26 August 2025.
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Annual memberships due
Many thanks to those who have already renewed their membership of Friends of Lorne. It’s a big deal to us that we grow a community organisation that tries to represent Lorne’s voice. You can renew here for 2025/2026. Thank you. Not a member? Join us.
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Pt Grey, swimming pool, foreshore tea tree.
Please keep track of Pt Grey happenings via our website page. You will see updates of what we have requested and what responses we are waiting for. Check out the recent example of a reconstructed and renovated100-year-old church that got moved to make way for a highway. So, disassembly and restoration (resurrections, we dare say) are possible. Our beloved fishing heritage building is not worthy of state-listing (according to Heritage Victoria), but Heritage Victoria does acknowledge its local significance. We have that in writing. Right now, the co-op building is in the pathway of expected tidal surges by 2100, so why not have a smaller building further back that adapts and reuses the 1949 structure? That’s what we are waiting to hear about, based on technical assessments of the building structure (now that they can look inside properly) and the report of a heritage architect. Many have said to GORCAPA, if cost is an issue, then tell us the cost please. Don’t just tell us “too much.”
The swimming pool redevelopment has received a $470k grant for “completion by September 2026”, but we still have not heard back about how the lease conditions will be fulfilled including maintenance and heating of the pool for all round use. The person we were working with at GORCAPA has resigned and we have been asked to wait while the person acting in his position gets up to speed. So, we are chasing this up this (and more).
Is anything getting better? Yes. GORCAPA have heard our concerns about ripping out the foreshore tea tree. Check out our detailed depiction of GORCAPA’s original plans here. There are different objectives for different sections of the beach. GORCAPA now say that they will continue with the plan of removing just 30% of the tea tree on the stretch of beach between the Two Sisters Beach and carpark and Stony Creek. BUT they will preserve the visual screen closest to and along the Great Ocean Road. So that is a win.
We have asked follow-up questions about the replacement plantings and timings of work. They are always pretty fast about getting back to us on the vegetation and wildlife protection side of things. We would love to be doing some habitat diversity monitoring on the foreshore, if we had more capacity. GORCAPA also confirmed that some of the vegetation loss is due to the months of dry weather. But some of what we see on the Bert Alsop track is also due to acts of vandalism by Lorne property owners. It just rots your socks, doesn’t it?
Contact us at committee@friendsoflorne.org.au