The Latrobe Valley has been betrayed by the Labor Government as the reality of the decision to scrap the 2026 Commonwealth Games bites hard.
Labor had promised a significant boost to housing in the area as part of the now doomed plan to bring the Games to regional Victoria.
The cornerstone was an athletes’ village, to be built in Morwell, to house as many as 1000 participants before being converted into affordable housing.
A 4.4 ha site in English St now lays dormant amid new flimsy promises from the Government.
There had been a deadline of March, 2026, for athletes’ village, but there is now no deadline on when housing will be built on the site as life continues to get harder under Labor.
Leader of the Nationals and Shadow Minister of Regional development, Peter Walsh, and the Nationals’ Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Melina Bath, visited the site today.
“No deadline and no guarantees. The local community should have serious doubts about this ever happening, ” Mr Walsh said.
“It’s another example of how the Latrobe Valley has been abandoned.”
Ms Bath said Labor must keep its promise.
“Affordable housing is needed in Gippsland now – statistics show there is an alarming increase in homelessness in the region,” Ms Bath said.
“The rising cost of living has made it increasingly challenging for renters to access a safe and secure roof above their heads.”
Sarah Copland, Pastor at Enjoy Gippsland, painted a stark picture of the homelessness issue in the Latrobe Valley.
“We are seeing an increase in the number of people stuck in a cycle of unsuitable transitional housing, homelessness and experiencing food insecurity,” Ms Copland said.