Construction has started on the 100th home for government employees just eight months after the State Government announced that Royalties for the Regions would fund 400 new dwellings for teachers, police officers and other staff in regional locations.
The new brick and tile three-bedroom home in Wagin will be the 100th built for government employees from the $200million Royalties for Regions ‘Housing Our Workforce’ funding.
The three-bedroom home is one of two homes to be built in Wagin under the scheme by local builder Trevor Parsons and both will be ready to house either a police officer or a teacher in the area by May 2010.
Construction has started on Government Regional Officers Housing (GROH) dwellings across the State with completion of the first house funded by the scheme expected in the coming months.
Housing and Works Minister Troy Buswell said the 100th home was a great milestone for the program and that the scheme was on target to build 400 new government employee homes over two years.
“The start of building on the 100th home is excellent progress and means that we are well on the way to providing additional housing to crucial workers such as police and teachers in regional areas,” Mr Buswell said.
“The community is getting much-needed new housing for key workers, taxpayers are getting value for money and we’re able to keep jobs in the building industry.”
Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls said the new housing showed the Royalties for the Regions program was delivering direct benefits to country people.
“Key government workers such as teachers, police and child protection officers play an essential role in country communities and good housing is critical to attract and retain the best people,” he said.
Mr Grylls said that GROH homes built under the Royalties for the Regions program would be established in the regional areas of greatest need.
In the Kimberley, 45 dwellings will be built through Broome, Derby, Fitzroy Crossing, Kununurra, Warmun and Wyndham.
Work on construction of the homes started in 2008 and, as at September 1, 2009, a total of $51.4million had been committed. Homes are either pre-fabricated in Perth and shipped to the regions or built through a tender or expression-of-interest process.
In the Pilbara, 33 new homes will be built across Karratha, Newman, Port Hedland and Tom Price.
The Great Southern will benefit from seven new dwellings, the Goldfields 12, the Mid-West and Gascoyne two, and the Wheatbelt 12.
All will house government workers across a variety of agencies including fisheries, police, education and child protection.
NOTE: A map showing the location of the first 100 GROH homes funded through Royalties for Regions Housing Our Workforce is attached.
Housing and Works Minister’s office - 9222 9111
Regional Development Minister’s office - 9213 7000