Council & Business
27 January, 2026
Residents push back against proposed housing development with petition
Opposition to a proposed community housing development has increased with nearby residents launching a petition to have their voice more widely heard.
Residents nearby a proposed community housing development in Maryborough have begun a petition opposing the controversial application.
Pitched as community housing for those with low to moderate incomes, the development is being met with increasing opposition from members of the Ghost Gums neighbourhood.
Last week residents created a petition to increase local awareness and voice their concerns of the development.
Among those concerned is resident Jordan Cornwill who said the neighbourhood’s community have had to take a stand to be heard.
“Not enough people are listening,” he said.
The planning application for Sebastopol Road proposes a 34 dwelling development which, when complete, will be run by a registered community housing provider targeting those with low to moderate incomes.
The site was previously approved for a 21-lot subdivision last year, which received no lasting objections, but has been put on hold given the ongoing application.
It’s this proposal that has been described as an “overdevelopment” by objectors and attracted 33 submissions whose concerns include the proposal’s density, bushfire risk, changes to the neighbourhood’s character, congestion, and drainage.
“I could tick 100 boxes [of concerns],” Mr Cornwill said.
The owner and developer Justin Crameri, director of JCP Property Pty Ltd, said the proposal is intended to provide attainable housing for those who are already a part of the local community.
“I think it’s going to be a really ripping project for Maryborough,” he said.
The specifics of how this will work, however, remain unclear because Mr Crameri said he’s not authorised to comment on any potential purchase or the parties involved.
“When there’s something to announce, I’m confident it will be communicated properly,” he said.
It means residents have been left in the dark, beyond Mr Crameri’s word, on the community housing’s specifics.
“It’d be nice to know what’s actually happening,” Mr Cornwill said.
According to Mr Crameri, many areas people objected to have been assessed by subject matter experts and “can be appropriately managed” but locals like Kodie Robertson aren’t convinced.
“It’s just his word against ours,” he said.
“The proposed plans have not suited the community.”
It’s a sentiment shared by those who have sent their objections to council.
“We have every right to continue to enjoy this residential area of Maryborough, free from an over-development of a small piece of land subdivided to accommodate 34 very small dwellings,” one submission read.
While Mr Crameri said the site’s coverage is compliant with the Central Goldfields Shire Council’s planning scheme it doesn’t meet the standard in other areas.
Among them is some of the dwellings layouts, which are too small, as well as concerns surrounding street setback and access.
“Cramming 34 tightly packed single-story dwellings onto this site is at extreme odds with the current leafy, suburban character of the neighbourhood,” a submission read.
The immediate area is currently fairly undeveloped, limited to a small amount of local traffic, with significant bushland nearby.
It’s an atmosphere Lauren Woodward has enjoyed over four decades alongside her family.
“There’s this wonderful little community vibe here where all the neighbours know each other and look after each other,” she said.
Similarly, Mr Robertson and his partner hope to raise their kids there.
“It’s just a good family sort of street,” he said.
But Mr Robertson said it will be a different story if the “crammed” development is approved under-mining the neighbourhood’s character.
“I just think it’s a disaster waiting to happen,” he said.
So does local business owner Paul Leech who believes the impact of flooding caused by the development isn’t a question but a certainty.
“That water is going to come straight through our business without a shadow of a doubt,” he said.
While Mr Crameri has a stormwater management plan which claims to resolve the issue, Mr Leech’s concern remains having previously flooded four times due to an inadequate stormwater drain.
Local residents were also concerned with congestion and how that would impact an evacuation during a fire.
Ms Woodward said knowing local traffic, and the few exits from the neighbourhood, she’s concerned about the local residents’ safety.
“It’d just be a quagmire,” she said.
Her concern is one shared by Mr Cornwill who said it’d be “catastrophic” if a bushfire burned through.
“The more people they’re going to cram in there the more unsafe it’s going to be,” he said.
Bushfire risk, too, is something Mr Crameri has had an assessment of including steps to mitigate the risk.
Both state and local government have previously recognised the need for more housing in the shire — something Mr Crameri said his development hopes to address.
“We have a housing crisis and people need houses to live in,” he said.
“We’re doing the right thing here.”
Mr Robertson, too, recognised the need for housing but questioned how appropriate the development was considering the existing neighbour-hood.
“It might be the right thing but just the wrong area,” he said.
The petitions are now available at some local businesses including The Bull and Mouth Hotel, Julie and Bree Hair and Beauty, and Parkview Bakery.
Central Goldfields Shire Council are expected to decide on the planning application in early 2026.