Rivergum Homes sheds nine jobs from local workforce

The state’s building industry woes are continuing with another major home builder forced to shed jobs from its local workforce.

Rivergum Home managing director Victor Said with chief executive Marc Taintey at the company’s steel frame factory at Hendon. Picture: Mark Brake

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One of the state’s biggest home builders has shed nine jobs from its local workforce, due to “structural and operational changes”.

Rivergum Homes - the state’s second biggest home builder - confirmed the job losses to The Advertiser but said no further staff changes were currently planned.

“Rivergum Homes can confirm that changes to the structure and operation of the SA business has resulted in the loss of nine roles,” managing director Victor Said said in a statement.

“The structural and operational changes coincide with the completion and hand-over of several significant local projects.

“Rivergum Homes currently has a significant pipeline of almost 350 homes contracted for construction in SA this year and the business is in a strong position with no further staff changes planned.”

Rivergum started work on more than 580 homes last financial year, with 507 of those in South Australia, down from 623 in the previous year.

Last October, the company’s chief executive Marc Taintey put the fall down to “lumpy” project work, but acknowledged that the local housing market was becoming increasingly competitive.

“The market here is challenging, housing is competitive,” he said at the time.

He told The Advertiser that Rivergum was targeting growth in Queensland and Victoria as part of an ambitious plan to nearly double its volume and become a 1000-homes-a-year builder within three years.