Figure 1 . Examples of ‘ Typical ’ Regional Housing
Sources : Google Images and Unsplash
THE RESIDENTIAL PARK MODEL The features of this housing model are :
• Tenure – Residents own their moveable dwelling and rent the site from the park operator who either owns the land or has an agreement to operate the residential park on land leased from the local Council . ( To ensure long-term security of land tenure , the Council would ideally purchase and lease the land for the purpose of operating a residential park . This would mitigate the risk to park residents having to vacate the park if , for example , their site rental agreement is terminated because the park owner decides to redevelop the park or use the land for another purpose ). Dwellings may be purchased from the park operator or externally . Tenure is secured by a ‘ site agreement ’ which can cover matters such as use of the park ’ s shared facilities and common areas . Each park has its own rules and regulations , which cover things such as rent / fees , noise , parking , visitors and pets . State governments issue guidelines on agreements and the legislation that applies . A secondary market may exist .
• Clientele – Can include tree-changers , sea-changers , locals looking to age in place and low-income households .
Some parks are marketed and operated as retirement villages .
• Dwellings – Own moveable dwelling ( mobile home ).
• Utility Services – Often basic with single lane driveways , swale drains , sewer connections , power and water supply . This is a similar standard to caravan parks and communal facilities are often provided .
It is recognised that regional areas vary widely in terms of :
• Their economic base , be it agriculture , mining , tourism , etc .
• Their role as a major service centre or a small town or otherwise .
• Remoteness .
• Whether they are experiencing contraction or expansion .
• Proximity to capital cities .
• Availability of infrastructure and community support services .
However , the housing availability and affordability issues are often similar to those described above and the residential park model , if it is to be applied , will require tailoring to particular circumstances . An illustration of how it might be applied in an hypothetical case study follows .
A CASE STUDY Consider a regional town where housing availability and affordability issues are well appreciated and all options to induce a supply response have been exhausted . The Council , supported by the community , seeks a solution and a landowner adjacent to the town proffers an idea , to develop a residential park along the following lines :
• The landowner with Council support , or ideally , the Council as the landowner , will prepare a concept plan for a residential park accompanied by a community services plan and an infrastructure plan . Note that the concept plan may be based on medium or low density depending on land suitability . The infrastructure will be the basic standard required for health , safety and amenity .
• The landowner will prepare a business plan dealing with implementation including compliance with legislation , regulations and guidelines . The business plan will : o Develop a cost benchmark for each of the proposed 1BR , 2BR , 3BR and 4BR dwellings that covers the cost of dwelling procurement and infrastructure . o Develop a management plan dealing with dwellings
VOL 15 NO 2 2022 30 www . edaustralia . com . au