Corio & Norlane

Housing Profile
Number of residents 18,223
Number of private properties 8,030
Number of public housing 1,611
Percentage of public housing 16.7%

Setting the scene

The Neighbourhood Renewal project in Corio Norlane began in 2002 and will continue until 2010.



Neighbourhood Renewal is improving access to services

Residents manage a tool bank established at the Norlane Neighbourhood House. It gives easy and low-cost access to gardening and home maintenance tools. The Welcome In program helps newcomers make new friends and learn how to access local services.

Residents manage a tool bank established at the Norlane Neighbourhood House. It gives easy and low-cost access to gardening and home maintenance tools. The Welcome In program helps newcomers make new friends and learn how to access local services.

Residents manage a tool bank established at the Norlane Neighbourhood House. It gives easy and low-cost access to gardening and home maintenance tools. The Welcome In program helps newcomers make new friends and learn how to access local services.Volunteers provide breakfast daily at the Rosewall Primary School as a good breakfast enables children to concentrate better for their lessons. Partnerships between the community and local education providers are being strengthened by the Neighbourhood Renewal Employment and Learning Coordinator.The Corio Norlane Safety Committee consults with the community to understand what makes people feel unsafe and to identify solutions to the problem. Students from Flinders Peak Secondary College created this piece of public art for an area that used to be regularly vandalised.Community festivals and cultural events bring people together to celebrate their heritage and look forward to the future. Neighbourhood Renewal and local agencies encourage residents to participate in activities such as community singing groups, gardening festivals, and action planning forums.Community gardening improves health and wellbeing. Residents work with local agencies to establish a community garden and learn how to grow their own fruit and vegetables. People of all ages and abilities can share their love of gardening there.The Rosewall Café linked to the Neighbourhood House offers hospitality training and provides a great place for the community to meet together. Neighbourhood Renewal, the Brotherhood of St Laurence, and the Neighbourhood House are developing a business plan to support the enterprise.Residents in the Neighbourhood Renewal area are working with service agencies to improve public open space and facilities at Glenelg Park. Residents of all ages are contributing their knowledge and energy to create a beautiful park that the whole community can share.Neighbourhood Renewal works with residents, local and government agencies, businesses and industry to create a vibrant community and a healthy local economy in Norlane and Corio. Training and employment opportunities are offered to residents who find it difficult to enter the workforce.Residents take pride in the look of their gardens and streets through new front fencing and other improvements. Public housing tenants have a say about home improvements. Projects like this provide residents with employment opportunities through initiatives such as the Community Jobs Program.With the support of local businesses and service agencies, volunteers at Curtain Connection make and supply curtains to public housing tenants at little or no cost. This successful and innovative program promotes community pride and is being replicated in other neighbourhoods.The villa upgrade program in Norlane and Corio provides for substantial interior and exterior renovations to older houses. The immediate improvements program is changing whole streetscapes and creating employment opportunities for residents through community enterprises such as CREATE@Work.Coming together to meet socially and to work for the neighbourhood improves health and wellbeing. In Norlane, residents enjoy regular lunches at the Senior Citizens Centre. People and events that built the local community are being remembered in the Norlane History Project.

Progress against the six objectives

The six key objectives of Neighbourhood Renewal are:

  • increased pride and participation
  • improved employment, learning and local economic activity
  • enhanced housing and environment
  • reduced crime and greater safety
  • better health and wellbeing
  • increased access to services and improved government responsiveness

Read more about local action plans and activities addressing the six key Neighbourhood Renewal objectives.

Contact Details

For more information regarding Neighbourhood Renewal at Corio-Norlane, please contact:

Kirsten Hemley
Neighbourhood Renewal Place Manager
p. 03 5226-4707
e. Kirsten.Hemley@dhs.vic.gov.au

or visit Corio Norlane Development Advisory Board