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Martin Cameron highlights concerns grow over rooming house clusters in Churchill, prompting calls for urgent state government action

Nationals MP Martin Cameron has raised concerns over rooming house clusters in Churchill, citing community safety, planning loopholes, and a lack of oversight by the Business Licensing Authority.

By news@gippsland - 5th June 2025 - Back to News

The proliferation of rooming houses across the Latrobe Valley has again drawn criticism from The Nationals' Member for Morwell, Martin Cameron. Residents in Churchill have raised concerns over the number of rooming houses in the Emerald Court/McCarthy Street area, with two completed earlier this year and a third now under construction in the space of 60 metres.

Nationals MP Martin Cameron says Churchill residents are alarmed by multiple rooming houses housing up to 36 people on one court

Churchill residents alarmed

Mr Cameron said, "Residents are really worried about the concentration of these rooming houses, and each one can house up to 12 people, meaning there could be an additional 36 people residing on one very narrow court. Aside from the obvious issue of parking and space, rooming houses are often occupied by transient people - many of them recently released from prison - which poses a risk to neighbouring residents."

"The latest data from the Crime Statistics Agency also shows crime in Churchill spiked 38% last year. Rooming houses have a role to play in offering housing to disadvantaged individuals, but having three of them in the space of 60 metres in Churchill has the capacity to destroy the fabric of the town."

"There is a loophole in the planning scheme that means developers don't have to consult or even notify neighbouring residents when a rooming house is being built if it meets certain conditions, and that's simply not fair," Mr Cameron said.

Rooming house backlash

Mr Cameron also said, "Developers are laughing at the Minister for Planning and posting videos on social media about how much money they can make by cramming up to 12 people in one house without any planning permit."

"Residents are rightly outraged by this loophole, and by the apparent lack of oversight from the Business Licensing Authority, which is responsible for providing licenses for rooming houses. The BLA is meant to "balance the interests of business, consumers and the public" when granting licenses for rooming houses, but this is clearly not happening when three of them are built on one narrow court."

"I've written to the Minister for Consumer Affairs and demanded a review of the rooming house situation in Churchill and asked why the BLA is not upholding its mandate to consider the needs of residents when granting operating licenses," Mr Cameron said.

Pictures from Martin Cameron MP website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com