Public housing in Kununurra has received a boost with the completion of three new homes.
The three two-bedroom, one-bathroom social homes were constructed by Kullari Building, an Indigenous building company located in Broome and owned by Nirrumbuk Aboriginal Corporation.
Construction of the three properties took eight months from building permit approval and the homes will soon be allocated to people on the public housing waitlist.
There are 17 new properties at various stages of planning and construction in the East Kimberley, including 10 in Kununurra, four in Wyndham and three in Halls Creek.
The State Government is investing $2.4 billion into social housing and homelessness measures in the coming four years, which includes funding from the record investment of $875 million as part of the 2021-22 State Budget. This is the single largest one-off investment into social housing in the State's history.
Through this investment, 3,300 new social housing properties will be delivered, and refurbishment and maintenance work will be carried out to many thousands more.
The maintenance and refurbishment program will be critical to ensuring these homes remain part of our State's social housing stock for many years to come.
As stated by Housing Minister John Carey:
"These new homes will provide a critical to boost to the public housing stock in Kununurra, particularly for couples and singles who don't require a larger family home.
"The homes have been built in just eight months by local Indigenous building company Kullarri Building, who specialise in construction and refurbishment projects.
"Where possible, we want to make sure local businesses are employed to deliver these projects to ensure we're creating local employment opportunities.
"Our Government will be investing around $2.4 billion over the next four years on social housing and homelessness measures. I am seeking to deliver that investment as fast as possible and the Kimberley region will continue to be a key focus.
"We currently face a very challenging and heated construction market due to a range of factors, including supply chain and skilled labour shortages, but we continue to look at a wide range of options to accelerate delivery."
As stated by Kimberley MLA Divina D'Anna:
"It's fantastic to see another three social homes completed in Kununurra, and that we continue to see projects like this driving local employment and training opportunities for people in the Kimberley.
"Our Government is investing record amounts to boost the amount of new social housing across Western Australia, and I will continue to advocate for more investment in our region, and ensure local businesses realise the benefits of those investments."
