Boost for SA regional housing projects
Locations for 12 regional priority housing projects have been revealed, while work on a different project to house key regional workers gets underway.
Announced in March, the $10 million Regional Housing Initiatives Program was open to submissions until May, with 30 applications received from regional stakeholders submitting new housing projects for grant consideration.
The government has now announced the regional locations of the 12 priority housing projects under the program, subject to final agreements, but would not reveal the towns or cities.
The Eyre Peninsula will see five projects, while the Limestone Coast, Far North, Mid North and Yorke Peninsula will each see two projects, with one project announced for the Riverland.
Housing Minister Nick Champion said the projects had the potential to “deliver more than 400 housing outcomes in areas of our state it is needed most”.
He said the program would “kickstart important housing developments across South Australia and help get these projects off the ground”.
The projects involve creating development-ready land, houses or short-stay accommodation aimed at key workers.
Speaking to InDaily last week, Northern Areas Council mayor Sue Scarman said a lack of housing availability in the Mid North council meant “doctors, nurses, teachers” could not be offered accommodation.
“Even council staff; we’ve got one at the moment who’s living in the caravan park during the week and then goes home to Adelaide,” she said.
“There just isn’t that temporary housing, the immediate housing, there’s just nothing out there.”
Should all 12 projects be finalised, the program would be target 229 new residential allotments, 87 new houses, and 90 short-stay rooms, the government said.
The announcement comes as work begins on 30 new regional dwellings as part of a separate project from the Office for Regional Housing.
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Port Augusta, Mount Gambier, Renmark, Kadina, Moonta Bay, and Ceduna will all see new houses to accommodate health, education and police workers.
Port Augusta will see four houses to be filled by police and health workers, with another four set to be completed in Mount Gambier this month.
“Port Augusta and Mount Gambier are leading the way in terms of new home completion, but building is booming too on the Yorke Peninsula,” Office for Regional Housing director Matt Hunt said.
“The state government needs to be able to deliver quality services throughout the state including places like Port Augusta where so many critical services are delivered for the town and surrounding area and into the north of the state.”
