Bland Shire Council Advances Vacant Homes Project
Published on 27 May 2025
Bland Shire Council, in partnership with Temora Shire Council, is making strong progress on the Vacant Homes Project — a targeted initiative designed to help address housing shortages in the region by identifying and unlocking long-term unoccupied properties. The project is led by Cathy Swan, who has been jointly appointed by both councils as the Vacant Homes Project Officer, allowing for a collaborative, regional approach to a shared challenge.
Initial analysis has identified 169 potentially vacant properties across Bland Shire using a combination of Council rates data and low water usage patterns provided by Goldenfields Water. These homes are now being further investigated to understand why they remain unoccupied and whether there are barriers preventing them from being brought back into use.
The project is already engaging with local real estate agents, solicitors, and community service providers to explore the underlying reasons for housing vacancies. In parallel, Council is holding discussions with local employers across a range of sectors — including healthcare, education, local government, and the mining industry — to assess the impact of the housing shortage on staff recruitment and retention.
Mayor of Bland Shire, Brian Monaghan, said the project could not come at a more critical time.
“We know housing is a real pressure point across the region, and the Vacant Homes Project is about identifying practical opportunities to make better use of what’s already here,” Mayor Monaghan said. “There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but even a modest increase in available homes could ease the burden for families and workers across our Shire.”
The shortage of housing is being felt most acutely by essential and industry workers, including doctors, nurses, teachers, industry professionals and mining personnel — all of whom require stable and suitable accommodation to live and work in the area.
“Our local industries — including mining and health — rely on being able to attract skilled people. That’s only possible if they can find a place to live,” Mayor Monaghan added. “This project is an important step in helping unlock that potential and supporting the growth of our region.”
In the next stage of the project, each identified vacant property will be photographed and catalogued into a central database. Owners will be contacted via letter and invited to complete a short survey to share their reasons for leaving properties vacant and to identify what assistance or incentives might encourage them to make the home available for rent.
Insights gathered from the surveys will guide the development of targeted strategies and support programs aimed at returning more of these homes to the local rental market. Council will also be engaging with the broader community through meetings and presentations to raise awareness about the project and build public support.
The success of the Vacant Homes Project will be tracked by monitoring increases in local housing availability and the number of formerly vacant homes brought back into use.
Council remains committed to finding practical, locally driven solutions to housing stress and to ensuring Bland Shire remains a welcoming and liveable community for all.