General News
15 October, 2024
Murtoa housing development boost with $200K State Government-backed pilot
Wimmera, Mallee councils tackle housing shortage in shared trial.
The Victorian Government has launched a $200,000 trial program to address housing shortages in rural areas through shared Municipal Building Surveyor services, announced in Murtoa on October 14.
Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development Michaela Settle revealed the three-phase project, led by Yarriambiack Shire Council, aims to streamline building approvals across five participating councils.
The initiative is expected to improve access to surveyor services, helping to fast-track housing developments in the Wimmera and Mallee regions.
In a trial program led by Yarriambiack Shire Council. the government has pledged $200,000 to support the three phase project to address the housing shortage.
Joining Yarriambiack Shire in the program are Buloke, Hindmarsh, Loddon and Swan Hill municipalities.
Yarriambiack chief executive Tammy Smith said the council was pleased to be a part of the pilot program that would address the shortage of housing across the region.
"Municipal Building Surveyors played a crucial role in supporting the safe and timely delivery of commercial and residential buildings and this project promised to bring more of these services to the Wimmera and the Mallee," Ms Settle said.
"From supporting the provision of housing to driving economic growth, this growth will support these five councils to continue helping the development of thriving businesses and communities."
Building surveyors work across the state to assess building permit applications, conduct building inspections at mandatory stages and issue occupancy permits and certificates of final inspection.
Small rural councils often face challenges in engaging the Municipal Building Surveying services needed for timely housing and planning approvals, a challenge this trial aims to address.
Member for Western Victoria Jacinta Ermacora said the trial was a game-changer for regional councils, helping to unlock new housing opportunities and make the development process more efficient for our local communities."
The project will be delivered in three phases. It will first identify the challenges and opportunities around sharing surveying services between councils, before establishing a 'Shared Service Hub' to support the participating councils with more cost-effective access to surveying services.
The Hub will provide a Municipal Building Surveyor service that can be engaged in a shared manner by all five local councils, instead of councils needing to engage individual services.
The third phase will evaluate the program and lead to recommendations that can potentially be replicated across other regional councils.
The feasibility study will run until early 2026, and the outcomes will then be shared widely with all rural and regional Councils, so other regions can consider setting up their own Hubs to speed up approvals.
"This initiative will make it easier for regional councils to access the building surveyor services they need, helping to fast-track property development in communities like the Wimmera and Mallee," Minister for Regional Development Gayle Tierney said.
"We're proud to work with Rural Councils Victoria to back innovative ideas such as shared services, supporting rural communities to deliver the housing and infrastructure essential for their economic growth."
Support for this project is part of the Labor Government's record $45 billion investment across rural and regional Victoria since 2014 to make our cities and towns even better places to live, work, stay and play.
Swan Hill Rural City Council CEO Scott Barber said he was proud council was partnering with like-minded rural councils and supported the launch of the Rural Councils Shared Municipal Building Surveying Services Feasibility Study. Like many rural Councils, attracting specialist skills to the area can be challenging.
"Even though Swan Hill is a larger area that many, it still suffered a housing shortage," he said.
He thanked the Victorian Government for the Regional Development Victoria $200,000 grant and thanked Yarriambiack Council for leading the five councils involved in a n innovative collaborative effort that he believed would benefit rural communities across the state.
Mr Barber said the project was not just about improving access to building surveyors but removing the barriers that had slowed the creation of much-needed housing in our regions.
Rural Councils Victoria Chair Cr Mary-Ann Brown said it was pleasing to see that government had taken the RCV Rural Housing Action Plan into consideration and was delivering on the ask to increase rural expertise and capacity to deliver housing projects.
"Rural Councils Victoria is looking forward to working closely with the government to see more projects like this delivered in rural Victorian communities," she said.