The State Government is supporting regional businesses to attract and retain staff with new homes for thousands of regional Victorian workers and their families.
Member for Eastern Victoria Tom McIntosh last week announced that three projects in East Gippsland have been successful in the first round of the $150 million Regional Worker Accommodation Fund – which will cover more than 20 projects to boost affordable housing for workers and their families across Victoria.
Bairnsdale Regional Health is one of the 20 successful recipients, with funding provided to design and build 32 new bedrooms for essential healthcare workers on land owned by BRHS.
“This project will help us to attract and retain skilled health workers in the region,” Bairnsdale Regional Health Service acting chief executive officer, Kathy Kinrade, said.
“This initiative will directly benefit the regional community and it aligns with our BRHS Corporate and Workforce Planning objectives as well as the Regional Economic Development Strategy.
“The Regional Worker Accommodation initiative will contribute significantly to secure frontline healthcare and related services across this large region of Eastern Victoria. People’s lives and liveability depends on the healthcare services we provide every day.”
Omeo District Health will receive funds which will provide five extra bedrooms for healthcare workers within walking distance of the
healthcare facility – marking a 50 per cent increase in accommodation capacity compared with the current facilities.
Mt Hotham Regional Airport will be able to deliver 172 bedrooms under its Key Worker Accommodation project, at the airport 20km from Mt Hotham Resort.
“This new accommodation will provide much-needed accommodation for our essential healthcare workers, and delivers the hey workers that East Gippsland needs,” Member for Eastern Victoria Tom McIntosh said.
“This will make it easier for our towns to attract healthcare workers to come to, work and live in, and participate in the local communities.”
All successful projects across the state are shovel-ready and include co-investment from private businesses, industries or local community groups – unlocking nearly $250 million in combined private and public investment in new regional housing. Each local housing project will be unique to the area – from self-contained units, worker villages, family dwellings, shared accommodation, and studios – and will be built to meet the skills needs of key sectors such as health, agriculture, education, manufacturing, and tourism.
The Regional Worker Accommodation Fund is part of the State Government’s record $45 billion investment in regional and rural Victoria since 2014 – making our regional and rural towns even better places live, work and visit.
