Moe shares in Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan funding to create jobs and improve affordable housing
Moe-based Eastcoast housing has received $397,000 in funding from the Commonwealth Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan for maintenance work on 47 homes in East Gippsland and Melbourne’s Bayside suburbs.
Victorian Housing Minister Richard Wynne made the announcement while visiting some of the work underway at Eastcoast’s Moe properties as part of the Brumby Labor Government’s Gippsland Bushfire-Recovery Community Cabinet in the region.
Mr Wynne said upgrading Gippsland’s social housing was part of the plan to create jobs and beat the economic downturn as well as to improve the quality of affordable housing stocks in the area.
“The Brumby Labor Government is taking action for Victorian families during these tough economic times and standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Rudd Government to deliver economic stimulus as well as building improving our record investments to boost affordable housing options for those Victorians in need,” Mr Wynne said.
Federal Housing Minister Tanya Plibersek said the funding was part of the $1.58 billion package allocated to Victoria, of which $99.2 million will go on maintenance of social housing owned by the government and not-for-profit community agencies.
“This large-scale program of upgrades will benefit medium and small-sized contractors across Victoria,” Ms Plibersek said.
“The Rudd Government’s commitment of $99.2 million as part of the Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan for maintenance work on social housing will help to sustain jobs and businesses across the State while improving much-needed housing for hard-pressed Victorian families.”
Mr Wynne said the work would include internal and external painting and bathroom and kitchen upgrades.
“Investing in repairs and maintenance will prolong the life of the homes and improve life for the tenants,” Mr Wynne said.
“It’s good to see these infrastructure projects which show governments and the community working in partnership.”
Of the $99.2 million, half will be spent this financial year and half next financial year. Work will be done on 5600 properties. This will extend the life of housing by up to 15 years and enable approximately 1600 homes that would have been lost to public and community housing to be retained.
“In addition to the maintenance work that will improve the quality of much of Victoria’s affordable housing stock, Victorians will benefit from the largest affordable housing building program since the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, with 5000 new homes to be delivered in the next two years across the state,” Mr Wynne said.
Ms Plibersek said the Rudd government was injecting $6.4 billion across Australia to build 20,000 social homes, supporting 15,000 jobs nationally over the next two years and cushioning the impact of the global economic crisis.
“Nearly 70 percent of the Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan is infrastructure and these construction projects are now underway,” Ms Plibersek said.
“When the stimulus package gets up to full steam in about 12 months, there will be around 35,000 individual construction projects around the country.”