We want to hear from you.

Council is reviewing its Affordable Housing Policy and developing a long-term Strategy to help address growing housing affordability challenges across the Shire.

We're asking the community to share their experiences, ideas and views to help shape the new policy. You can have your say by completing a short survey. it takes around 5 to 10 minutes and is anonymous unless you choose to leave your contact details.

Affordable housing is a broad term that refers to housing that’s suitable for very low, low, or moderate-income households, where housing costs (whether rent or mortgage) take up no more than 30% of household income. This can include public housing, community housing, shared housing models and lower-cost rentals or homes to buy.

Affordable housing is different from market housing, which is bought or rented at full market rates. It’s designed to make sure people on lower incomes can still live and work in our communities – including key workers like early childhood educators, health workers, hospitality and retail staff, and people in casual, part-time, or lower-paid jobs.

A wide range of people in our community may need access to affordable housing, including:

  • Single people and couples
  • Families with children
  • Young people and early-career workers
  • Older adults, especially those on fixed incomes
  • People with disabilities or long-term health conditions
  • People experiencing homelessness or family violence
  • People from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
  • Essential workers who provide vital services to our community

Like most councils, we don’t necessarily build or manage affordable housing, but we do have an important role to play. Councils can:

  • Advocate for funding and policy reform with other levels of government
  • Plan for housing through the local planning scheme, including policies that support affordable housing contributions in developments (note: this is a voluntary process)
  • Facilitate and partner with housing providers and developers, including making Council land available for social housing in some cases

We’re reviewing our Affordable Housing Policy to guide our work over the coming years. This process will help us:

  • Understand local housing needs and priorities
  • Explore ways Council can better support affordable housing
  • Identify opportunities for partnerships, advocacy, planning tools and use of Council land

Your feedback will help us get it right.

Have your say

You can share your feedback on the draft strategy from Wednesday 8 October to Wednesday 5 November 2025.

There are a number of ways you can have your say: complete the survey below; or if you have more to say and would like to make a written submission, you can do so via the submission form.

For organisations and service providers

If your organisation works in or around the Macedon Ranges and has insights into local housing challenges, we’d welcome a written submission. We’re particularly interested in your views on housing needs in the shire, the role Council can play, and any actions you think we should be taking or advocating for.

Survey

Upload a submission

Tips for uploading your submission:

  • Submissions can be up to 3 pages if uploading a file, or 10,000 characters if you choose to type your submission directly into the form below.
  • You can submit a letter, report, or other written format.
  • Please include a summary of key points on the first page.
  • Number your pages.
  • Submit digitally in Word or PDF format if possible.
  • Make it clear who the submission is from and your role in the organisation.
  • Include your organisation name and contact details.

Please note: Submissions will not be published by Council. However, Council officers may follow up directly with submitters to understand their input in more detail.

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is committed to protecting your privacy and is collecting personal information through this process to help review the Affordable Housing Policy.

This information will only be used internally and kept confidential.

Through this consultation, you are invited to provide your full name, email address and demographic information - this information is being collected to obtain demographic-based trends on feedback themes. Any personal details will not be directly attributed next to your individual response in any public summary of feedback. If the personal information is not collected, we will not be able to contact you in relation to your feedback.

Where required, the personal information being collected will be provided to Macedon Ranges Shire Council staff or contractors involved in the drafting of the strategy, to allow them to consider and summarise feedback based on key themes, and to address the feedback through direct communications with submitters, through internal briefings or through changes to the draft document.

Your personal information will not be disclosed to any external party without your consent, unless required or authorised by law.

If you wish to gain access to, or alter any personal information you have supplied through this consultation, please contact Macedon Ranges Shire Council via phone (03) 5422 0333 or email mrsc@mrsc.vic.gov.au. Information provided will be stored in accordance with Council’s Record Management Policy and destroyed in accordance with the Public Records Act 1973.

You can access our Privacy Policy on Council's website, and it is available for inspection at Council’s customer service centres.