Fourteen new social and community housing units will be constructed in Cowley Court, Canadian as part of the state government's Big Housing Build.
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The homes, built as part of a public-private partnership (PPP) between the government's new social and public housing department Homes Victoria and Bendigo-based not-for-profit homelessness service Haven; Home, Safe, will cost $5.8 million, with the government contributing $4.5 million.
A mixture of two, three and four bedroom double-storey homes will be constructed, housing 44 people. Haven; Home, Safe will manage the tenancies of the social and community housing (not public housing) when the homes are completed, which is slated for the end of 2022.
Planning and Housing Minister Richard Wynne spoke at the turning of soil on the construction, with local member for Buninyong Michaela Settle and Haven; Home, Safe board chairman, developer Damien Tangey, saying the new homes were another investment in the people of Ballarat.
"We committed $80 million towards the provision of more public and social housing here in Ballarat, and we will be building over the next couple of years close to 240 units, here in Ballarat, because we know just how important it is to invest in the people here in Ballarat, we know that there is demand here," Minister Wynne said.
"But what's really significant about this investment is not just the $80 million. It's the jobs we have here on site, but also the supply chain as well. This is the sort of investment I'm so thrilled our government has been has been able to make: a record investment by this government $5.3 billion. We've invested in the provision of public and social housing, right across Victoria. So $1.25 billion of that is committed to regional Victoria."
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Questioned about the lack of green space, gardens and open areas around the homes, Haven; Home, Safe chair Damien Tangey said the Canadian site was 'well-designed to cater for community needs.'
"So there's transition areas: cycling paths, walking tracks, access to immediate local schools, ovals and other facilities nearby," Mr Tangey said.
"What we're doing is integrating into a good quality sub-divisional design, which allows for a close, 10-minute neighborhood community activity centre."
Pressed on the green space issue, Minister Wynne pointed out the existence of a waterway next to the development. Asked about playing space for children, the minister replied if they wanted to play cricket, they could do that "in the street".
"We always look for sites that are very well-located," Minister Wynne said.
"This is a perfect example of that, as Damian has already already suggested. I mean, we've got the school down here, we've got the bicycle paths. This project is really well integrated into this new suburb and we think this is exactly what the provision of public and social housing needs to be. We want to ensure that that our community are fully integrated and enjoy all of the services the rest of the community here enjoys."
There is a 12-month wait for public housing in Victoria, with 100,000 people seeking shelter in the state. The state government's Big Housing Build, described as the 'single largest investment in Australia's history', is supposed to provide 12,000 new homes across the state, with one-quarter of the investment slated for regional Victoria.
However, many of the homes are yet to be started, and the investment comes after decades of neglect of the public housing sector by both state Labor and Liberal-National governments.
The Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute says there is a social housing shortfall of 433,400 homes across the country, with regional areas under particular strain, as country Australia grew by more than 70,000 people during the peak of the pandemic, driving up rents by as much as 20 per cent.
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