An Adelaide-based housing developer has secured a $1 million boost from Renewal SA through the Office for Regional Housing by going above and beyond to help deliver dozens of new houses and residential allotments in South Australia’s Mid North.
Graycar Contractors is the successful proponent of an Expression of Interest (EOI) launched in April by Renewal SA’s Office for Regional Housing, enabling the delivery of 10 rental homes for key workers in Port Pirie and unlocking land for further residential development.
The developer has signed up to deliver 42 new housing allotments in addition to the 10 homes for key workers in the seaside industrial city.
Matt Hunt, Director of the Office for Regional Housing, said this was well above the threshold that triggered up to $1 million in civil infrastructure support from Renewal SA.
“In order to access the full $1 million of funding assistance on offer as part of our EOI, developers had to deliver 10 houses and at least 20 additional allotments, however Graycar Contractors has committed to providing much more,” he said.
Mr Hunt said the outcome of the EOI process was very positive and would deliver an outstanding result for Port Pirie.
“The EOI far exceeded our original expectations for this project,” Mr Hunt said.
“The creation of 52 new housing opportunities in Port Pirie will go a long way to ease pressure in a tight housing market.”
Graycar Contractors will undertake a two-stage expansion of Balmoral Park Estate in Risdon Park, an existing development located 3km southwest of Port Pirie, to meet the EOI requirements.
“The fact the developer is already active in the area provided added efficiencies and gave us confidence the project would be delivered to a high standard,” Mr Hunt said.
Stage one will deliver 20 serviced allotments and 10 fit-for-purpose homes, which will be leased to the state’s Government Employee Housing scheme for a minimum of 10 years.
Stage two will create an additional 32 serviced allotments.
The 10 homes will be built by Graycar Contractors joint venture partner Chelsea Homes, which has committed to completing civils and home construction within 30 months.
“We want to ensure our investment delivers housing opportunities quickly, accelerating accommodation for incoming essential workers,” Mr Hunt said.
“We expect Chelsea Homes will take advantage of economies of scale and offer house and land packages to the private market through the additional allotments while fulfilling the requirement of 10 for essential workers.”
Lucio Signore, Owner of Graycar Contractors, said he was pleased to be working with Renewal SA to deliver more housing in the area.
“We’re proud to be contributing to a project that will make a real difference for Port Pirie,” he said.
“These homes will help attract and retain essential workers and, with our construction partner Chelsea Homes, we’re committed to delivering them to the highest standard.
“Being able to deliver 52 allotments at Balmoral Park will go a long way toward easing housing shortages in the area, stimulate local construction and provide jobs and income for the local community.”
Renewal SA’s $1 million contribution is funded through its Regional Housing Initiatives Program (RHIP), a $10 million initiative supporting projects that help unlock housing allotments across the state.
Earlier this year, Renewal SA announced more than $6 million in provisional funding for similar projects, aimed at delivering over 200 move-in-ready homes and serviced residential allotments through the RHIP.
“By making such a significant contribution to this development, and similar ones across the state, we hope to stimulate the local development and construction industries and unlock further opportunities,” Mr Hunt said.
Port Pirie was identified by the Office for Regional Housing as a priority location due to its high demand for government workforce housing, proximity to growing mining activity in the state’s north, and its established construction sector.
Established in 2023, the Office for Regional Housing is tasked with increasing the supply of quality, affordable homes in regional South Australia, supporting economic growth and improving quality of life.