Hedland Council progresses key workers accommodation project

Town of Port Hedland councillors have adopted a business case to open the way for a service worker housing project. A concept plan for the South Hedland Service Worker Housing project proposes 76 houses of various design to be built on a 2.64ha allotment on Cottier Drive in South Hedland. The project is designed to offer affordable housing for workers in sectors such as education, tourism, childcare, retail and hospitality. Port Hedland mayor Peter Carter said affordable housing was a massive barrier to the growth of the town. “Everyone knows due to the town’s growth we need hairdressers, nail salons and people working at Kmart or Coles. We need these key workers here but they cant afford to live in the town because their rents are so high,” he said. “You need this housing here because without it the town would not grow. It’s a massive handbrake on the town. “If those key workers don’t have to spend half their pay on rent, it’s good for the whole community. “This key worker housing is very, very important to us because if you don’t get your hair done, your nails done and so forth people are going to leave town because there’s nothing here. “We know it is a State Government issue with key worker housing but they’ve given us $4.5m to help us so we can build around 75 key worker housing units. “Its nowhere near enough but it’s a step in the right direction because we need to have housing for our people.” The State Government earmarked $4.5 million for the development of the 76 key worker dwellings in South Hedland in March. The Government said the project would “improve housing choice and provide much-needed accommodation for workers to support businesses and services in the town centre”. The announcement follows another in October last year that $22m would be made available from the Port Hedland Voluntary Buyback Scheme for future housing. The South Hedland Service Worker Housing project is listed as one of the local authority’s main priorities and is likely to benefit from that cash.