Renewal SA to invest in 10 housing projects across SA to help deliver more than 200 homes

New housing allotments and rental properties planned for regional SA have been given an economic boost, in a bid to ease the housing crisis.

More than 200 residential allotments and rental properties will be created in key areas across regional South Australia, where the housing crisis is stunting economic growth.

The Lower Eyre, Tatiara District and Franklin Harbour councils are three larger of the 10 beneficiaries to share in $6m of funding from Renewal SA’s regional housing initiatives program.

The Tatiara Council will receive close to $800,000 to develop the final two stages of a 55-allotment residential development, on Ramsay Tce, in Bordertown.

The council’s chief executive, Anne Champness, said the council purchased the land last financial year in a bid to help promote economic growth in the region.

“The reason why were doing the work is because businesses for a long time have been vocal about not being able to recruit staff because they can’t find anywhere to live,” she said.

Tatiara District Council chief executive Anne Champness

“Businesses have also looked at ways to help and some are renting homes for employees, while one of our larger businesses built a home themselves for potential employees.”

Ms Champness revealed the council also had plans for a 21-allotment residential development in Keith and industrial subdivisions in both Keith and Bordertown.

The SA Business Chamber’s 2024 Regional Voice survey found access to housing was as a top issue of nearly half of all respondents, who attributed it to the difficultly of attracting staff.

The Lower Eyre Council will also receive close to $800,000 to deliver the first stage of a 80-allotment subdivision in Cummins, welcomed by one of the town’s largest employers.

Nutrien Cummins Ag Services branch manager Matthew Haarsma said the lack of permanent accommodation had forced nearly a quarter of its 24 staff to live out of town.

“We have two new employees starting in the new year and neither of them can find anything in Cummins, so they will need to travel,” Mr Haarsma said.

The District Council of Orroroo Carrieton will receive around $450,000 to help fund infrastructure to deliver a 23-allotment land division.

Mayor Grant Chapman said the future of regional towns was predicated on many factors, including the supply of new land for housing.

The District Council of Orroroo is hoping to attract young families back to the Mid North. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

“We’re the same as a lot of country towns, we’re an aging population so we’d like to get young people starting families to come back as it’s a great place to raise kids,” Mr Chapman said.

“At the moment very few houses are for sale and the ones that do come on the market are being bought by people in major cities, mostly retirees.”

Property development company, Evergreen Built, will receive $623,000 to help create 16 medium-density allotments and eight specialist disability houses in Mount Gambier.

While Cornerstone Housing will receive $750,000 to assist in its delivery of 15 long-term rentals in Loxton.