- Infrastructure Development Fund to support nearly 150 new homes for regional workers
- Projects in Cowaramup, Karratha, Lake Grace and Beverley share in $5.3 million
- The $80 million fund has now supported more than 720 new key worker homes in regional WA
New key worker accommodation projects in Karratha, Lake Grace, Beverley and Cowaramup will share in a $5.3 million funding boost from the Cook Labor Government's $80 million Infrastructure Development Fund (IDF).
The $80 million fund provides funding assistance to address upfront costs associated with connecting essential water, electricity, and sewerage infrastructure, which have constrained development and impacted the viability of housing projects.
The funding will support the delivery of almost 150 new homes for regional workers including:
- $2.34 million to assist the City of Karratha to develop up to 82 new dwellings for key workers as part of a mixed-use development at Welcome Road in Karratha;
- $1.4 million to help the Shires of Lake Grace and Beverley deliver six new key worker homes - two in Lake Grace and four in Beverley - and unlock capacity for more regional development in the region; and
- $1.6 million to assist Goldfields Cowaramup Pty Ltd deliver up to 58 key worker dwellings in Cowaramup.
Through the fund to date, 79 apartment projects have been approved for funding to support the construction of more than 5,400 new apartments. These latest projects add to five already approved for funding that will help deliver over 720 new dwellings for key workers across regional Western Australia.
The announcement of the next round of IDF funding for key worker accommodation comes only weeks after the State Government announced an agreement with Perdaman to develop 100 new homes for workers at their $7 billion Karratha Urea Project.
Full details of the Infrastructure Development Fund and projects that have been approved to date for funding can be found online atwa.gov.au/Infrastructure-Development-Fund.
Applications for the apartment rebate and infill precinct projects are open until 6 January 2025.
Comments attributed to Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti:
"Our Government recognises that the upfront cost of connecting essential services can be a serious barrier to development, which is why we established the $80 million Infrastructure Development Fund.
"By reducing the significant upfront infrastructure costs, we're helping get critical regional worker accommodation projects off the ground, like the plan for more than 80 new homes in Karratha.
"Ensuring adequate housing supply for key regional centres is essential to growing local economies and jobs, and our Government will continue to invest and support measures that get new developments off the ground."
As stated by Planning Minister John Carey:
"Through our Government's $80 million Infrastructure Development Fund, $5.3 million has been allocated to unlock new key worker accommodation projects in Karratha, Lake Grace, Beverley and Cowaramup.
"These new projects aim to deliver essential housing for key workers in regional communities across southern and northern regional Western Australia.
"We continuing to work with local governments and industry to unlock development potential and create a future pipeline of key worker accommodation projects across regional WA, to ultimately boost the long-term housing supply."
