THE only accommodation currently available for the homeless on the Mornington Peninsula, The Ranch Motel in Mornington, is set to close with no plans for its replacement.
A joint venture between Mornington Community Support Centre and Southern Peninsula Community Support, the accommodation was only made possible as the developer had allowed it to be used as crisis accommodation while he finalised plans for redevelopment of the site.
The Times understands he has given notice that development will take place in the next six to 12 months. “Our understanding is that when the developer is ready to start work on the site, they’ll be clearing everything, including the motel,” said Jeremy Maxwell, CEO of Southern Peninsula Community Support. “We are hoping something happens to stop the loss of the peninsula’s only crisis accommodation, but it is out of our hands.”
The crisis accommodation centre is managed jointly by Southern Peninsula Community Support who manage the clients, and Mornington Community Support Centre who manage the day-to-day operation of the accommodation. “We do a lot of work with rough sleepers, which is huge issue on the peninsula,” said Maxwell. “The problem is that if The Ranch goes, with nothing to take its place, our job becomes four to five times harder. “And when you are already stretched to absolute capacity, how do you work four to five times harder?”
Maxwell said a working group had been formed that is looking into all available options, including if there was another motel available for lease or sale. “We’d love to talk to anyone that thinks they can help. We have a pending crisis, and we must act swiftly.”
Mornington Peninsula Shire data indicates there are approximately 689 people sleeping rough on the peninsula on any given night. The Ranch was originally set up by Mornington Community Support Centre’s former CEO Stuart Davis-Meehan, in partnership with the developer and Southern Peninsula Community Support. More recently Ben Smith, who is running as an independent in the upcoming federal election, has been heavily involved with The Ranch in the role of CEO of MCSC. He took leave from that role when he announced his candidacy.
Smith told The Times “For three years, I’ve been calling on our Federal and State MPs – past and present – to commit to funding a replacement for The Ranch. Yet, not one has stepped up, leaving hundreds of people without a home and in limbo.” “Other regions have publicly funded crisis accommodation, so why don’t we? The answer is simple: a lack of political will. “In the lead up to this federal election, I’ll be calling on all candidates to commit to funding permanent emergency accommodation and support services on the Mornington Peninsula.”
The Labor candidate for Flinders, Sarah Race, said housing and homelessness was an issue she was passionate about. “I will work every day to get better results for our peninsula, including more crisis accommodation which is urgently needed,” said Race. “I recently helped secure funding for a new crisis shelter on the peninsula through the Labor government’s Crisis and Transitional Accommodation Program, which is part of the Housing Australia Future Fund. “This is only the start of what is needed and as part of a Labor government that takes housing seriously, I will fight for more. The current lack of housing on the peninsula is the legacy of 40 years of Liberal representation”.
Current MP for Flinders and Liberal candidate, Zoe McKenzie, told The Times “It will take all levels of government to build a solution which provides adequate crisis accommodation on the Mornington Peninsula”. “The state Labor government under Dan Andrews and Jacinta Allan have comprehensively failed to meet the needs for social and public housing on the Mornington Peninsula.
“The state government recently replied to me, denying that there was an urgent need for action on the peninsula, even though the shire reports that almost one in every three public and social housing dwellings on the peninsula are not occupied. “Demand for crisis accommodation is exacerbated by the lack of confidence within the building and construction industry on the peninsula.”
First published in the Frankston Times – 11 March 2025
