House party: Member for Western Victoria Region David Koch and Housing Minister Wendy Lovell with New Norlane’s first tenants, Ramy, Laila, Farah and Dany.
JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
GEELONG builders have welcomed an $80 million housing project at Norlane as a boost for the industry at the right time.
Hamlan and Denis Family Homes are set to complete the first 14 homes in the 320-home project by Christmas.
Victorian Housing Minister Wendy Lovell handed over the first two homes to new tenants earlier this month.
Tenders had opened to build the next 256 homes, she said.
Hamlan Homes director Brian O’Donnell said the New Norlane project was a “significant shot in the arm” for Geelong’s building and construction industry and the city’s economy in general.
He confirmed his company had submitted a tender for the next round of building.
Mr O’Donnell said the project’s training and apprenticeship scheme, requiring project builders to offer trainee and apprenticeships to local applicants, was a “good initiative”.
“We’d be using local trades and apprentices if we were successful,” Mr O’Donnell said.
Mr O’Donnell said his company had previously been involved in home construction in Norlane as part of a Federal Government nation building program.
City of Greater Geelong’s latest annual economic indicators bulletin reported a 1.2 per cent decrease in building activity, from $1.3 billion to $1.2 billion.
New dwellings work was down 5.2 per cent, with a total 2793 approvals last financial year.
“We want local builders to construct the homes to put the investment and jobs right back into the Geelong economy,” Ms Lovell said.
“The New Norlane initiative is expected to create at least 80 jobs per year over four years.
“We are asking local builders to take on apprentices and employees from the government Tenant Employment Program. Each builder will be required to offer at least two training or apprenticeship positions to local residents.
“It’s expected there will be a minimum of six training and apprenticeship positions and we would be hoping for more positions to be created.”
Ms Lovell said New Norlane was one of Victoria’s largest ever public and private housing projects.
The project would build 160 social and 160 private homes during the next four years.
The former Victorian Housing Commission built Norlane Estate over 10 years from 1948.
Ms Lovell said the project included the construction of a display village at Norlane’s former Yooringa Ave flats.
The outcome of the tender would be known by “early 2012”, she said.
