Dozens of new homes in Ararat are a step closer to becoming a reality thanks to support from the Allan Labor Government - with enabling infrastructure now in place at the Greenhill Lake Estate.
Minister for Regional Development Gayle Tierney and Member for Ripon Martha Haylett today joined Ararat Rural City Council at the Greenhill Lake Estate to announce that the right infrastructure is now in place to start building new homes.
The works are supported by a $950,000 investment from the Labor Government's Regional Workforce Pilots program and have already supported 14 new homes to be built. The new infrastructure means 160 residential lots of land can now be turned into new homes for families and workers in Ararat.
The essential services and infrastructure including the installation of electricity, water, sewerage and road networks has supported up to 100 local construction jobs.
So far 33 lots of land in the Ararat East Development Zone have been sold, with 127 still available.
Ararat is the gateway to Victoria's Grampians region and has a growing population of more than 11,000 people. Greenhill Lake Estate is situated on the edge of the picturesque Green Hill Lake in Ararat and will provide more housing to support local workers and their families across the region. The Greenhill Lake Estate is part of the Ararat East Development Zone.
The Labor Government's $5 million Regional Workforce Pilots has been designed to test solutions to housing shortages and address the challenges faced by local businesses and industries in attracting the workers they need.
The Ararat Regional Workforce Pilot has so far supported 23 new workers in manufacturing, agriculture, early childhood, disability support, meat processing, civil construction, and information technology industries - generating an estimated $18 million for the local economy.
Since 2014, the Labor Government has invested a record $45 billion in projects and programs designed to support regional and rural Victorian cities and towns to continue to thrive.
For more information, go to rdv.vic.gov.au(opens in a new window).
As stated by Minister for Regional Development Gayle Tierney
"We're supporting more places like Ararat with the infrastructure it needs to make new homes possible - so that more people can call regional Victoria home."
"We're supporting more housing for vital workers, who are the cornerstone of our regional economies."
As stated by Member for Ripon Martha Haylett
"The completion of essential services at the Greenhill Lake Housing Estate is a major milestone that brings us closer to having more affordable homes for Ararat's growing community."
As stated by Ararat Rural City Council Mayor Bob Sanders
"We hope more people will discover the great lifestyle that Ararat has to offer and secure local employment to help alleviate some of the workforce shortages that have challenged our local businesses and industries."
