In response to Councillor Tony Mileto's letter 'Let's united to combat city's 'desperately short' affordable housing supply', I note with interest your statement, "It is my point of view that Council needs to work with the applicant and neighbouring residents and find a compromise that is acceptable to all parties."
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Although this is a great theory (and has yet to happen) there is a significant role for both council and Housing Plus (or similar developers) to play by undertaking genuine engagement with the community prior to these developments being proposed.
To date, council has acknowledged there are issues and identified gaps, such as an absence of policy, yet nothing has been delivered.
Housing Plus' so called community engagement is manifestly inadequate and it doesn't take much to see its failures, hence the frequent, ongoing community backlash.
The community of Orange support initiatives such as accomodation for disadvantaged members of the community, and as has been identified in many other areas of Australia, successfully outcomes can be achieved when all parties work together.
I'm calling on Housing Plus to cease all development applications in Orange and engage with Orange Council to hold public consultations where all the issues can be heard, and strategies can be developed that everyone can support and embrace.
Troy Hogarth
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