Allowing developers to build taller apartment blocks in return for some affordable housing is a step in the wrong direction, according to Greens Wollongong City Council candidate Kit Docker.

Mr Docker opposed the changes, in part because the affordable housing it offered wasn't permanent - there is no obligation to retain it after 15 years.

"It isn't a step in the right direction in terms of giving concessions to developers," Mr Docker said.

"I don't really understand where the benefit is for the community in providing those concessions like allowing for increased density or increased height limits and the pressures that are placed on the city and on infrastructure that [see] the aesthetic of the city change.

"At the end of the day, they can sell those homes off. We need to remember developers, the first chance they will get, they have taken all those concessions from us and they will sell it off for profit."

"Our plan is from 2026, we're going to increase that 3 per cent of floor space to 10 per cent of floor space on large developments to be set aside for affordable housing," Mr Docker said.

"This will increase by 3 per cent year on year until it reaches 30 per cent by 2033. "That's aligning with the current policy but with more ambitious targets. They're still phased in to give developers an opportunity to adapt."

"Wollongong LGA has the second highest demand for homeless services in the entire state," Mr Docker said.

"That is not a title that we should have in a regional city, especially given all of the developments that we are seeing going up, but none are being put aside for the community. "That's why on council under a Greens-led council, we will be pushing for far more ambitious affordable housing targets which will actually match the crisis which we are facing."

Ms Whittaker said there was the chance to have both a vibrant city and one people in the future could afford to live in.

"Part of that is providing affordable housing and making housing accessible to everyone and keeping our communities together," Ms Whittaker said.

"We have a massive opportunity. There's a lot of development that's going to be in the pipeline in the next 10 years in Wollongong.

"If we get this right and we get the targets right, when up-zoning happens, we can do those things and we can keep our communities together."

Story by Glen Humphries in the Illawarra Mercury, 24 July 2024.

Cr Mithra Cox disagreed with [other councillors' beliefs about levies], stating the levy won't have an effect on what people were willing to pay for an apartment. She added that property investment had been a contributing factor in the current housing crisis.

about"Housing has become, instead of being primarily a place for people to live, an investment for people and a way for people to make money off the capital gains," Cr Cox said.

Story by Glen Humphries in the Illawarra Mercury, 6 May 2024.

Councillor Mithra Cox said while Council's ability to intervene in the housing market was limited the scheme had not yet had a significant impact on housing affordability.

"It's an absolute drop in the ocean," she said. "A couple of housing units is really not going to touch the sides, but when you think about how much it costs to buy a house, it's difficult to stretch that money to a lot of people."

Ms Cox said without significant government interventions, which were out of reach of local governments, this would continue to be the case.

"Massively increasing the amount of social housing in the system is one of the key things that would improve housing affordability," she said. "That said, it's outside of council's remit to do that."

Story by Connor Pearce in the Illawarra Mercury, 14 December 2023.

from ABC Illawarra Mornings with Nick Rheinberger, 23 March 2023.

What specific funding (in addition to the promised federal government funding) would you secure to fix the roads?

Amanda Findley (Greens): Ms Findley took aim at the Labor proposal, claiming the figure would "probably only equate to about $4 million each year for places like the Shoalhaven".
She did not offer a specific figure to counter, instead, Ms Findley picked out trouble spots around the region. "Terara Rd needs to be fixed, Culburra Rd needs to be fixed - not only that, we need to invest in the East Nowra sub-arterial... we need investment in the Kalandar St intersection... and the Hillcrest Ave to Yalwal sub-arterial. "We will be in gridlock for the next 15 years if those roads are not addressed."

What's your position on making sure the police station is manned?

Amanda Findley (Greens):
Ms Findley steered her answer toward the Greens' policies of decriminalising cannabis, and establishing mental health teams to address mental health call-outs. She said measures like these could free up police to be at stations like Culburra. "We can re-address the issues where police have to turn up and deal with issues that aren't really police issues... then what we do is get more police back in the stations to look after you."

How will you limit short term rentals or provide more long term accommodation?

Amanda Findley (Greens): Ms Findley maintained the power to solve short term rentals lie with city councils. She proposed a regulation on housing developments such as the West Culburra subdivision, to mandate homes be reserved for permanent residents; she also said planning powers need to go back to city councils. "What we need to do is put a regulation in there [the West Culburra development], that not one of those houses can be short term rental accommodation," she said.

How important do you believe it is to balance the crucial need for housing with environmental and cultural heritage concerns? What would you propose doing?

Amanda Findley (Greens): Ms Findley continued her point of putting planning powers back in the hands of city councils. "Having planning come back to councils is a policy of the Greens at a state level," she said.

Story by Jorja McDonnell in the South Coast Register, 9 March 2023.

Wollongong City Council has just adopted its new Housing Strategy, which specified that residential developments of more than 20 dwellings must have at least 3 per cent of floor space dedicated to affordable rental housing in 2026, increasing by 1 per cent annually to hit 10 per cent by 2033.

Cr Mithra Cox moved an amendment, supported by fellow Greens Cr Cath Blakey, to increase the eventual minimum to 30 per cent. She said a higher target would buffer against significant loss of affordable rentals when these properties moved back to private ownership. But the remaining councillors voted against it and the amendment was not passed.

Cr Blakey later said the target as passed was a "sad joke".

Story by Natalie Croxon at the Illawarra Mercury, 4 March 2023.

On hospitals and health: Greens candidates for Wollongong, Cath Blakey, and Keira, Kit Docker, pledged to implement nurse to patient ratios, including for midwives, as well as a 15 per cent pay rise.

On housing: "Governments at a state and local level could aim higher, citing her push to increase the city's housing targets to see a 30 per cent affordable housing target in new developments."
"Housing should be for people, not for profit."
Cr Cath Blakey, Greens candidate for Wollongong.

Another questioner raised the issue of family law courts and the separation of women and children. All candidates agreed more needed to be done in this area, particularly in including the issue of domestic violence and consent in education – Story by Connor Pearce at the Illawarra Mercury, 2 March 2023.

1 March 2023

Greens Housing spokesperson Jenny Leong MP has called on Shadow Planning Minister and Member for Wollongong Paul Scully MP,  to make a clear commitment to higher affordable housing targets, given Wollongong Council’s ALP councillors joined with Liberal councillors at Monday night to vote down the Greens proposal for strong affordable housing targets instead settling on very weak targets.

With rapidly rising rents and mortgage repayments, housing is becoming unaffordable for many people. Greens candidate for Keira Kit Docker has spoken with several Illawarra housing and homelessness service providers in the last fortnight and believes that the NSW government can do much more to alleviate this problem.

"I've had the privilege of speaking with many of the housing and homeless services in our region, and we're in a pretty dire situation. We have thousands of people in our region using these services, and many more being turned away."

"These organisations are well beyond their capacity, and they're expected to help thousands of people with funding for a few hundred, and it's simply not good enough."

"We're not here to represent developers - we're here to represent people's fundamental right to housing."

Kit Docker, Greens candidate for Keira.

Read more at the Illawarra Mercury, 20 January 2023.