DEAR News Of The Area,

THE Bellingen Shire Council/Councillors have a lot to say about how they support affordable housing for the hundreds of homeless in the area.

Ladies living in cars, many with young children, is a blight on society in a supposedly prosperous area.

Councillors attend affordable housing meetings and express views as to how they are helping alleviate this serious problem.

However, this, from our experience, is only lip service.

There have been several philanthropic people in the area who have attempted to address the issues of the homeless, by making an application to Council to provide affordable, good quality new housing.

Some two to three years ago, following site meetings with the builder, plumbers and other trades, one ratepayer, working closely with a registered building company, submitted plans to Council to build 2 x 2 bedroom cottages on her land, which we were told would be supported.

The application was rejected.

Council officers never attended the proposed site.

The site was adjacent to three other existing homes within 50 meters on the same level.

Council indicated that they believed that it was a flood area and would have to send out boats to rescue the residents?

Strange that the residents of the existing dwellings have never had a problem nor had to be rescued.

The Councillors were sent correspondence asking for their input.

Sadly not one of the current Councillors responded.

Regards,
Graham PROCTOR.