The Riverland will receive a welcome boost in essential services next month, following the completion of the latest round of key worker houses by Renewal SA’s Office for Regional Housing.

Essential workers in healthcare, law enforcement, and education will occupy five newly built houses in Renmark as part of the state government's Regional Key Worker Housing Scheme.

Matt Hunt, Director of Renewal SA’s Office for Regional Housing, said the scheme was maintaining momentum, having already delivered homes in Mount Gambier and Port Augusta late last year.

“This is the first handover of houses under the scheme that will be home to essential workers from all three target key worker industries” Mr Hunt said.

“We are pleased to have worked so closely with the local council and builders to deliver the homes that will boost such important services in the town.”

The five houses, a mix of two- and three-bedroom dwellings, were built by Rockford Homes, which have constructed hundreds of homes across the region throughout their 30-year history.

John Pearce, owner of Rockford Homes, said it has been rewarding for his company to be involved in bringing key workers to Renmark.

“Knowing that it brings much-needed accommodation for essential workers is very rewarding for us as local builders and for the town,” Mr Pearce said.

“It has been a privilege to work with Renewal SA throughout the development.”

The standalone dwellings are turnkey delivered, equipped with landscaping, upmarket amenities, have high energy ratings, and are located close to the town centre.

Mr Hunt applauded Rockford Homes' efforts in Renmark.

“These houses have been delivered on budget to a very high standard by skilled and professional local trades.

“It’s been about six months from the time of council approval to the time of delivery, which is quite ahead of schedule,” Mr Hunt said.

Like most regional towns, housing availability has been a serious issue for Renmark.

According to realestate.com.au, only six houses have been listed on the rental market in Renmark in the last month, but 183 people have registered “serious interest” in living in the area.

For those looking to lay down roots and buy, 13 houses have been listed for sale in the last month, with 568 buyers registering their interest.

Tony Siviour, Chief Executive Officer of Renmark Paringa Council, said housing shortages have been concerning for the region.

“The housing shortage across the state and in Renmark is a growing concern and is something Renmark Paringa Council has identified as a key issue to help the state government address,” Mr Siviour said.

The Regional Key Worker Housing Scheme is helping to alleviate the problem, with council applauding the initiative and hoping for the opportunity to be involved in similar programs in the future.

“Initiatives like the Regional Key Worker Housing Scheme are extremely important, and we’re pleased to see it being executed in Renmark,” Mr Siviour added.

“To have dedicated housing to support such valuable industries like healthcare, law enforcement, and education is a massive positive for our community.

“We applaud Renewal SA for bringing this initiative to our town, and we are eager to facilitate more housing opportunities in the future.”

The houses will now be listed for sale, backed by 10-year state government leasing arrangements which include guaranteed occupancy, ongoing maintenance provision and an optional five-year extension.

The Office for Regional Housing said selling the homes was a key part of the implementation of the scheme, generating economic activity and private investment in regional towns and allowing re-investment of capital by the government.

“We intend to bring all 30 homes under the pilot project for the scheme to the market, with scope for a growing pipeline of investment opportunities in future rounds of the scheme,” Mr Hunt said.

Renewal SA’s Office for Regional Housing was established in 2023 with the goal of supporting economic development and job growth in country areas by providing advice and assistance to help accelerate key strategic housing projects.

Its Regional Key Worker Housing Scheme is among the Office for Regional Housing’s key priorities, facilitating a pilot program of 30 housing deliveries across the Copper Coast, Riverland, Mount Gambier, Port Augusta, and Ceduna.

Thirteen homes have now been completed and it’s expected the remaining houses under the pilot program will be complete by September 2025, with additional projects set to be announced in the coming months following a $20 million boost to Regional Housing announced in the 2024-2025 State Budget.