SUSTAINABLE HOUSING SOLUTIONS

The Surat Basin is already experiencing a high demand for housing and labour as major gas and energy projects seek to prove-up reserves to achieve financial closure.

Surat Basin Developments and Surat Basin Homes established a joint venture partnership in 2005 to assist major resource companies planning to establish their operations in the region to successfully address housing-specific challenges – and identify opportunities. Together, the joint venture combines the dual advantages of local expertise and development capability with longstanding and direct relationships within the local community. Both companies are privately-owned by local community members with strong ties and established credibility with the regional workforce and suppliers.

Importantly, they offer the key advantages of local expertise with corporate vision and corporate governance; a demonstrated track record of delivering residential homes and townhouses to commercial projects in the region; and the ability to custom-build housing solutions within critical timeframes.

Surat Basin Developments controls significant tracts of prime land within the region, many of which already have Development Approval (DA), or a DA process well underway. Surat Basin Homes provides the building capability, local supplier networks and expertise.

The joint venture is in a position to work with key organisations to commence the 6 to 18-month master planning and development process required to meet companies short and long-term housing needs.

The joint venture’s objective is to work in partnership to tailor specific housing solutions that directly meet the specific needs of these organisations, their employees and families. These range from staff rental accommodation to employee-owned housing schemes.

The benefits for organisations participating in such a program include:

• Providing greater job satisfaction and security for employees and their families by enabling them to live and work in the same community
• Encouraging loyalty from employees through long-term housing commitments
• Avoiding cultural, social and financial impacts resulting from a fly in, fly out workforce
• Creating a sense of place and community for employees
• Enabling employees to become financially independent through custom-made lease and purchase arrangements
• Contributing to responsible and sustainable community development.
• Importantly, these housing options will offer organisations and their workforce long-term stability by delivering on the critical areas of affordability, lifestyle and proximity to family. They are also designed to keep an organisation’s accommodation investment to a minimum and reduce the reliance on, and cost of, temporary construction camps.

Finally, this planned approach to housing can help remove unwanted barriers within the communities in which major organisations base their operations. History has shown that rents have sky rocketed in other mining towns within the Bowen Basin and if not addressed early, affordable housing can become a critical issue in attracting and retaining employees.