By Callum Ludwig
The Cerini Centre social housing project in Warburton is gaining traction, with all three levels of government joining community representatives for further discussion recently.
Put forward by the Warburton Affordable Housing Group and driven by Warburton Advancement League (WAL) Vice President David Pratt, the project involves transforming the abandoned Cerini Centre site in Warburton into a collection of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes.
Mr Pratt said they arranged what he called a ‘mini social housing summit’ and discussed their primary issue; funding for the initial planning permissions.
“Right now, there’s the Housing Australia Future Fund, which will fund projects like this and there is the Sustainable Growth Fund, a state government one but neither of them will entertain working with a community group, they will only work with registered housing providers,” he said.
“The registered housing providers as you’d expect are not funded to do the preliminary financial feasibility analysis because every dollar they get has to build houses, our whole system we go around in this loop where no government will assist in building it until you’ve got the planning permit and it is shovel-ready but to get it shovel-ready, no government will give you a grant to make that happen,”
“CatholicCare Victoria Housing is absolutely keen to work with us, but they don’t have a spare $100,000 lying around so we will be seeking alternate means of funding for feasibility planning for future sites.”
The project aims to have between 10 and 15 homes in a Manufactured Home Estate (MHE) on approximately 13,000 square metres of developable land, which under Part 4 of the Residential Tenancies Act allows for one to five-year tenancies. At least two of the homes would be set aside as short-term family crisis accommodation.
Mr Pratt said just for the Cultural Heritage Management Plan alone their cheapest quote is $27,000 and once you add up all the civil drawings, bushfire planning and other assessments and reports you are up to the $100,000.
“Kate Barratt (from the ADRA Redwood Centre) had a harrowing story of a family in absolute crisis where they could see no out and one of them took their life but if this village had been created, there would have been a home and a network that would have supported them, she made it absolutely clear that this is not simply a crisis of shelter but that it actually will save lives,” he said.
“The 12 homes, plus converting the Cerini Centre building by retaining it and converting it to shared accommodation for at-risk over-55 women should be seen simply as a template, 12 homes and the Cerini Centre doesn’t solve the housing crisis,”
“But if you can create a template out of this, that could mean it could be replicated 100,000 times and then you are starting to make up the debt, but even one family saved is a success story.”
Federal MP for Casey Aaron Violi, State Member for Eildon Cindy McLeish MP and Yarra Ranges Council Mayor and O’Shannassy Ward Councillor Jim Child were all in attendance and have all thrown their support behind the concept.
Mr Violi said housing affordability and homelessness are two very significant challenges we face in our community.
“I am proud to be working with David and the Warburton Advancement League on a community-led solution to some of these challenges. While there is no single solution, I am committed to working with multiple levels of government to find solutions, including at the local level by supporting the Cerini Housing Project,” he said.
“It was great to meet with David recently to get an update on the project. The Cerini Housing Project is a pivotal step towards ensuring affordable housing for local families. I will continue working with community and all levels of government to get more Australians into homes.”
The Cerini Centre was built by Father Charles Cerini in the 1950s after he arrived in town and was the start of St Joseph’s Primary School. A Yarra Junction campus opened in 1987 and all students were moved there after the Warburton campus closed at the end of 1994.
Ms McLeish said this is an exciting opportunity for the township of Warburton and it’s great to see so many people on board.
“There is a high need for housing, particularly for older women who are doing it tough throughout the Upper Yarra, and this project offers a good solution,” she said.
“I will continue to advocate for the initial funding for planning.”
In 2021, WAL was able to conduct a full feature survey of the site to identify the titles and boundaries of the land surrounding the Cerini Centre. The site is currently part-owned by the Catholic Diocese, the Department of Education and the Yarra Ranges Council.
Cr Child said they continue to support the Warburton Advancement League and all the work that has been done towards the project, particularly by Mr Pratt.
“Yarra Ranges Council has now included the Cerini project in our advocacy piece going forward because it provides affordable housing and also a component of crisis housing as well, which Kate Barratt from the ADRA Redwood Centre is very passionate about because we really need that component of housing in the Upper Yarra,” he said.
