The Hodgman Liberal Government is reinvesting the dividends of our hard work to get the budget back under control into essential services for vulnerable Tasmanians, such as providing more homes for people in need.
Our Affordable Housing Action Plan is delivering 900 new homes and housing for an additional 1600 vulnerable Tasmanians over the next four years, while creating 550 full-time equivalent jobs in our building industry.
Today, I was pleased to visit the first new homes being built under the $7.5 million Private Developers Shovel Ready Social Housing Initiatives, some of the many initiatives in our plan.
This is about working with local builders and developers to deliver 27 new homes around the State over the next eight months.
In Glenorchy, Anard Developments is building five new homes in a $1.47 million project that is providing employment for 10 tradespeople, including, importantly, three apprentices.
The new homes – expected to be completed in August – will add to Housing Tasmania’s public housing portfolio and will be allocated to priority applicants from the housing register.
More homes are also being built under this initiative on the North-West Coast and at Kingston.
To be built close to services, in areas of high demand and in line with the Australian Standards for Adaptable Housing, the new homes will enable us to provide roofs over the heads of Tasmanians in need sooner, especially vulnerable Tasmanians who are ageing or living with disability.
The initiative is also providing a great opportunity for small to medium builders, with the work helping these businesses to create more employment.
This building site in Glenorchy is clear evidence that the Liberal Government is getting on with the job of delivering more affordable housing.