Construction has begun on the 1,000th home to be built under the federal government's $6.4 billion social housing stimulus package.
The $4 million 18-unit development in Woolloongabba, Brisbane's south, will allow people to move off the social housing list into homes, federal minister for families, housing, community services and indigenous affairs, Jenny Macklin, said.
"The local construction industry is getting the boost it needs to support jobs during the difficult times of the global recession,” Macklin said.
Sunshine Coast developer, Rockwood Imports, is employing 16 local builders on the project, which is expected to be completed by April 2010.
"The roll out of new social housing began only three months ago with the construction in New South Wales of the first homes to be built under the stimulus package. Reaching this milestone demonstrates the government is on track to deliver 20,000 homes across Australia by June 2012,” Macklin said.
As part of its nation building plan, the government is building more than 4,000 new social housing dwellings in Queensland. A further 22,000 existing social housing dwellings will be refurbished and upgraded in Queensland, at a cost of more than $80 million.
"More than 4,000 new homes are being built across Queensland. We're building homes for people who need them most and we're creating thousands of jobs for workers in the building industry,” Queensland housing minister, Karen Struthers, said.
