The state government is providing a boost for regional builders during the pandemic through public housing works that have created thousands of local jobs right across the state, including in the west.
Almost $500 million has been invested to upgrade and maintain more than 23,000 social housing units across Victoria and build 168 new social housing dwellings.
The maintenance funding, which has created more than 2,900 jobs across Victoria, includes work such as painting, roofing, fencing, and smaller renovations of kitchens and bathrooms in public housing to improve liveability.
A further $30 million has been invested to upgrade and maintain up to 450 Specialist Disability Accommodation facilities across Victoria.
This funding, combined with the $5.3 billion Big Housing Build, has helped keep the building and construction sector humming during the pandemic.
The Big Housing Build is delivering more than 12,000 new homes across Victoria, while creating 10,000 jobs per year over the four years of the program.
Housing Minister Richard Wynne said: “A quarter of the Big Housing Build spend – that’s $1.25 billion – will be invested in regional areas, ensuring the economic and social benefits of the program are felt in communities right across the state.”
“Government funding like this not only boosts the construction sector, but also helps our state recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
