Queensland government award $7m tender to McNab for 19 new social homes in Newtown

A tender has been awarded for 19 new social homes in Toowoomba, with construction to soon begin on the $7m project. Take a look inside here.

Construction will soon be under way on 19 new social housing units after the state government awarded a $7m tender for the project.

Work will soon begin to transform a previously empty lot of land on Hursley Rd, Newtown, into modern homes, with McNab Construction landing the tender for the job.

Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon said the 19 new social homes would be made up of 13 one-bedroom and six two-bedroom apartments, with 10 to be built with accessibility in mind for people living with a disability and the elderly.

An artist’s concept drawings of how a new 19-unit social housing project in Newtown may look.

An artist’s concept drawings of how a new 19-unit social housing project in Newtown may look.

The units will be part of a pipeline of 100 social homes slated for the Darling Downs region, which will support more than 100 jobs during construction.

“The build follows the purchase of a vacant retirement village in Toowoomba, as well as the announcement of 71-shortlisted projects through our Housing Investment Fund, 60 per cent of which are outside Brisbane,” Ms Scanlon said.

An artist’s concept drawings of how a new 19-unit social housing project in Newtown may look.

An artist’s concept drawings of how a new 19-unit social housing project in Newtown may look.

The property, once complete, will feature six apartments built to gold level as specified by Livable Housing Design guidelines, providing level showers and thresholds and provision for grab rails, wider hallways and doorways with extra clearance spaces, with four apartments set to be built to platinum level which are suitable for people who mobilise in wheelchairs.