Member for Geraldton Kirrilee Warr MLA is calling for the activation of the Batavia Coast Marina stage two precinct to be opened as soon as possible, to assist Geraldton with its housing crisis.
The project, which received funding earlier this year, has been flagged for commercial and residential lots, including up to 40 new homes.
Ms Warr called for the project to come together to ensure more housing could become available sooner.
“Geraldton is in the midst of a housing crisis, with families struggling to compete in a tough market,” she said.
“One of, if not the biggest issue that locals are telling me about is the difficulty when it comes to finding a house to buy or rent.
“Supply is simply not coping, so any projects like this that will help in this space must be treated as a priority to ensure more people have access to housing.”
Ms Warr said housing was a key pillar of a successful society.
“Housing underpins everything in our society: without it, our people can not deliver essential services to the community,” she said.
“With the project progressing, lots zoned for housing need to be made available as soon as possible to ensure local people can access housing sooner.”
Ms Warr has taken to Parliament on several occasions since being elected, most recently discussing Government Regional Officer Housing in Geraldton.
She said having more supply was the key to boosting other sectors.
“People are being forced to turn down crucial jobs in our community as a result of being unable to secure housing,” Ms Warr said.
“Our doctors, our police, and our teachers all play an important role in society, but they need somewhere to live in order to provide for the community.”
Ms Warr said more needed to be done to support regional building companies.
“We have local businesses wanting to train local people, but they keep hitting roadblocks” she said.
“If we want to focus on correcting housing, we need to look at the big picture.”
