CONSTRUCTION tenders are open for 167 public homes set to be built across South Australia, worth between $50 million and $60 million.
As part of the next stage of the Malinauskas government’s commitment to public housing, the mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes are set to be built across dozens of metropolitan suburbs and seven regional areas.
“We are making strong progress on our commitment to deliver the first real increase of public housing in more than three decades,” said Nat Cook, minister for human services.
“This record release marks the next stage in our Government providing safe, secure housing for more South Australians who face barriers to long-term housing stability.”
The SA state government has committed an additional $232.7 million towards public housing since the 2022 election, to support 564 new homes, as well as major upgrades to 350 vacant properties.
Additionally, the government has cancelled the planned sale of 580 public housing properties.
A further 154 homes linked to the new investment are set to be tendered and commence construction over the next year, with land secured to ensure the swift delivery of the homes.
The SA Housing Authority is building more than 1,000 new homes over four years under its ongoing capital programs and the government’s additional investment.
“If you are a South Australian builder, now is the time to work with us to re-build public housing in this state. While we support your business with a pipeline of work, you are part of improving public housing for South Australians,” said Mary Patersos, presiding member of the SA Housing Trust Board.
This will be bolstered by the additional $135.8 million from the federal government for social housing, in addition to the first round of applications of the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund.
Tenders for this round close on 20 March 2024.
“I’m calling on local builders to help us complete the significant project pipeline we are rolling out, as we work with the Federal Government to secure future investment and further boost the state’s public housing supply,” added Cook.
Meanwhile, SA government has also announced $10 million up for grabs for regional stakeholders including councils, local industry, employers and developers to accelerate the delivery of priority housing projects across the state.
A registration of interest (ROI) process is now open for the submission of projects for funding consideration.
The process aims to find residential projects that deliver the greatest strategic value for the state but could benefit from targeted assistance from the government to get off the ground.
“Our regions contribute over $30 billion annually to the economy yet continue to face housing development challenges including limited infrastructure, high costs for materials and transport, and constrained local construction capacity,” said Nick Champion, minister for planning.
“Without housing to support workers in critical industries such as farming, fishing, mining, manufacturing, and tourism those regional economies fail to fire and reach their full potential.”
“This funding will provide opportunities for affordable, high-quality housing solutions that will assist with the ongoing growth and vitality of our regional communities.”
Applicants must demonstrate that their project aligns with regional housing priorities, will have economic and social impact, supports local industry and supply chain and has long-term sustainability and financial viability.
The maximum assistance per proposal is $2 million. Submissions that are investment ready and can commence within 12 months will be prioritised, with submissions open until 3 May 2024.
