In the wake of the National Regional Housing Summit at Old Parliament House on February 9 with an audience of 200 attendees and well over 100 online participants representing the sectors of real estate, finance, construction, planning and government at all levels, some funding has been released to allow local councils to get to work on ground-up solutions.

According Real Estate Business, the industry stakeholders and people from the regions had plenty of personal stories to tell. This included the CEO of a Shire, aged in his 30s who found himself living in a retirement village because of the lack of suitable dwellings when he moved for the job.

Liz Ritchie, CEO of the Regional Australia Institute (RAI) indicated her belief that supplying regional housing is a bespoke situation to suit a wide range of community needs.

“When our decision-makers release policies that are a one-size-fits-all approach, it is very underwhelming,” Ms Ritchie said.

RAI called for the federal government to apportion 40 per cent of the funding out of the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) to regional areas, and aim to build 450,000 of the homes to come from the 1.2 million target made through the National Housing Accord in “the right places in regional Australia”.

Unfortunately, Ms Ritchie admitted there were few supporters of this idea in Parliament.

Housing challenges are nothing new in the Western Plains or for the majority of our country's regional areas. Last year Walgett was named as the LGA with the highest rate of homelessness is the state (285 people per 10,000).

Regional areas are getting more and more popular as a cheaper alternative to city living.

One shire being proactive about the situation is Brewarrina LGA who have just received funding to prepare a comprehensive Local Housing Strategy, Action Plan and LEP Scoping Paper.

They received $75000 of funding to prepare the report and address significant housing challenges within the Shire.

Council's General Manager David Kirby said, “We are aiming to provide a solid, informed platform and positive regulatory environment to address the critical housing challenges facing Brewarrina Shire and facilitate investment in new housing."

Key issues to be addressed in the plans include the urgent need for suitable housing for essential workers, the scarcity of appropriately zoned land for urban expansion, the growing number of unfit-for-purpose dwellings, the lack of available properties for purchase and rent, and the pressing need for housing alternatives and relief from overcrowding.

Council said that in response to the increasing number of individuals choosing to reside in the Brewarrina Shire, it has become essential to focus on delivering more housing options, despite the escalating costs and scarcity of available housing.

This funding is just one element of a comprehensive strategy to boost housing supply for the Brewarrina Shire, complementing other initiatives.