Council & Politics
4 September, 2024
Ararat's Greenhill Lake Estate nears completion with $950,000 investment
Regional Development minister Gayle Tierney visited Ararat.
Dozens of new homes in Ararat are a step closer to becoming a reality thanks to support from the Victorian Government, with enabling infrastructure now in place at the Greenhill Lake Estate.
Regional Development minister Gayle Tierney visited the site on Wednesday, September 4, announcing that vital services such as electricity, water, sewerage, and road networks are now in place, paving the way for 160 residential lots for new homes.
This initiative, backed by a $950,000 investment from the State Government's Regional Workforce Pilots program, has already facilitated the construction of 14 homes and supported up to 100 local construction jobs.
First announced in February 2021, the Greenhill Lake Estate is part of the Ararat East Development Zone, with 33 lots sold and 127 still available.
Ms Tierney said the Victorian Government was proud to support the Ararat council in making new homes possible so that "more people can call regional Victoria home".
"We're supporting more housing for vital workers, who are the cornerstone of our regional economies," she said.
"This is affordable, good quality housing in a great location. Thanks to everyone for working as a team... the net result now is that you can see that the curtains are up, there's cars in the driveway, and where's there's no cars, people are at work."
The Regional Development minister said the visit to the housing estate was part of an ongoing tour of state government-supported projects in Western Victoria.
"At the moment is going through and checking where a whole lot of projects are up to, with my own eyes; it's one thing getting good advice and great grace, but to actually see it is really important," she said.
Ararat Rural City Council mayor Bob Sanders said he looked forward to welcoming more people to the region.
"We believe that by investing in development projects such as this, we can attract new residents, businesses and greater investment to our region," he said.
"Our council plan outlines a clear vision for the future of our rural city, one that prioritizes greater growth and development for our municipality.
"Supporting housing growth is one of the six key objectives of our council plan, and we have not shying away from that. We recognize the housing crisis in rural Victoria is a complex issue. However, we are taking proactive steps to overcome it."
The mayor said strategies, including actively pursuing new housing options and developing programs to increase migration, would help the council meet the objective.
"We've committed to supporting innovative housing models that work to overcome market failure and create capacity to increase the population of the city," he said.
"The Green Hill Lake development is vital to addressing the housing crisis in rural Victoria.
"It will not only provide much needed housing but also stimulate economic growth, create jobs and alleviate workforce shortages within our local industries and businesses by investing in this project, where we are demonstrating our commitment to creating affordable and sustainable housing options for our residents and creating a better future for our region."
Greenhill Lake Estate director Max Perovich said housing developments in regional areas significantly reduce the strain on development in Melbourne.
"Many regional Victorian residents just value the input that the state government gives, and we encourage you to do more to enhance regional Victoria, because it's such a critical element to the state as a whole," he said.
"Melbourne is one element, but regional Victoria is a stronger element, and relocating people to regional areas such as this is paramount.
"Whatever the state government can do... whether there's any form of decentralization policies that can be initiated, we welcome that."