The Allan Labor Government is delivering more affordable housing in regional Victoria, making it easier for workers to live near their jobs while helping local businesses keep skilled staff in the industries that need them most.
Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant recently announced Sea Bounty Pty Ltd will receive funding through Round 2 of the Regional Worker Accommodation Fund.
More than 30 new projects funded through Round 2 will build housing in regional communities across Victoria – helping local businesses and industries attract the workers they need to grow while supporting regional workers and their families with more affordable places to live.
The projects will unlock more than $136 million in public and private investment in new worker housing, delivering more than 900 bedrooms for workers across regional Victoria.
Each project will bolster key regional industries including health, agriculture, tourism, hospitality and manufacturing – providing the housing they need to secure stable regional workforces that remain vital to local communities.
In Bellarine, the Regional Worker Accommodation Funding is supporting the construction of a 10-bedroom, 2-bathroom worker housing facility for Sea Bounty’s mussel and oyster aquaculture workers in St Leonards.
More than 50 projects are now being supported by the Regional Worker Accommodation Fund across two rounds, unlocking an almost $387 million investment in new housing for thousands of regional workers.
With record migration to the regions, the Regional Worker Accommodation Fund ensures that rural and regional communities have the skills, workforce and infrastructure needed to thrive.
The investment forms part of more than $47 billion in support provided by the Government for rural and regional towns across Victoria in just over a decade. For more information, visit www.rdv.vic.gov.au/rwaf
Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional Development Jaclyn Symes
“By supporting shovel ready worker housing projects, we’re enabling better access to affordable housing and accommodation across the state which is crucial for health, agriculture, tourism, hospitality and manufacturing.”
“In order to maintain stable employment, you need to have affordable accommodation, which is why we’re backing worker accommodation across regional Victoria to retain workforces that will keep our regions thriving.”
Quotes attributable to Member for Bellarine Alison Marchant
“Affordable, reliable housing is essential to attracting and keeping skilled workers in Bellarine. This project is a practical step toward supporting the industries that keep our region strong.”
