Yarriambiack Housing Project Success

Published on 11 April 2022

Yarriambiack Housing Project Success

A letter from the Honourable Mary-Anne Thomas MP, Minister for Regional Development and Agriculture, has confirmed that Yarriambiack Shire Council has been successful in obtaining $2.8m from Round 2 of the Regional Infrastructure Fund for the ‘Easing Yarriambiack’s Affordable Rental Housing Shortage’ project.

This project will see Yarriambiack Shire Council construct fourteen new two-bedroom housing units for older aged residents across five Yarriambiack towns. The proposed new dwelling units will be located in Warracknabeal (6 units), Hopetoun (2 units), Murtoa (2 units), Rupanyup (2 units) and Woomelang (2 units).

Yarriambiack Shire Council Mayor, Cr Kylie Zanker said, “This is a fantastic outcome for our Shire and communities. Rental housing is at a critically low level in all the targeted towns and is at a point where provision of some community-based rental accommodation is considered essential infrastructure. This project will meet the twin objectives of retaining aging residents in our towns and freeing up existing larger dwellings for rental or sale to new residents.

A survey of stakeholders in the targeted Yarriambiack Shire towns was completed by Wimmera Development Association in 2020 as part of an assessment of local housing availability. The assessment found that availability of housing for sale and for rent are both rated as major weaknesses in each town. In the case of houses for sale this is compounded by the fact that those house that are available tend to be unsuitable for the market demand segments (without renovation or refurbishment).

Rental properties make up just 19.3% of total dwelling stock in the five towns, and 49% of rental arrangements are informal through family or personal connections rather than being available to the market. Many employers report difficulties in finding accommodation for employees, and there is an increasing number of workers commuting to Warracknabeal, Murtoa and Rupanyup in particular, for work as a direct consequence of unavailable local housing.

“Using a community not-for-profit enterprise approach to manage rental housing is a proven model for success in maximising local benefits via a structure in which the housing assets and land are owned by Council and operated and managed by the local incorporated committees. Existing Asset Management Committees in Murtoa and Woomelang have successfully operated a portfolio of seven units for many years. The

relationship between Council and its communities has been strengthened by these partnerships in providing housing as infrastructure and a community service”, Cr Zanker said.

“The Yarriambiack and wider Wimmera-Mallee region will benefit from construction and trade suppliers, with the Council committing to utilising local construction and trades where possible”, Cr Zanker added.

It is anticipated that the construction of the units will take approximately eighteen months to complete.