Shire receives $7.6 million boost for key worker housing village

Published on 20 September 2023

One of the Shire of Broome’s highest priority projects is a step closer to fruition after the State Government announced it was providing $7.6 million for 91 key worker homes.

The funding will allow the Shire to undertake headworks and some civil works for the Sanctuary Road Caravan Park, Key Worker and Over 55s Village at Lot 3110 Sanctuary Road.

The project will feature 91 park homes intended as affordable housing for key workers, which are in critical short supply., 

The headworks, which include clearing and installing services such as power, water, and sewerage, will prepare the site for a developer to construct caravan park sites and key-worker accommodation.

Broome Shire President Desiree Male said she felt both delighted and relieved when Minister for Planning; Lands; Housing and Homelessness, John Carey announced the funding as part of a $12 million infrastructure boost around the state.

“It is good to know that Broome’s housing crisis has become a state government priority,” she said.

“The funding is a testament to the Shire’s persistence in advocating for more housing in Broome, and I can’t tell you how many meetings there have been with various ministers to get to this point.

“A lack of housing has long been identified as an issue in Broome, and our 2022 Community Scorecard process told us it was the number one issue that residents want the Shire to fix.

“There is a limited role the Shire can play in constructing homes, but we responded with a Business Case for the Sanctuary Road Caravan Park, Key Worker and Over 55s Village project, which will have a massive impact on Broome.”

Cr Male said while the $7.6 million isn’t as much as the Shire requested for the project, it will go a long way in helping the Shire get this essential project off the ground.

“Because it is a bare green fields site, it will require site preparation, connections and roadworks to make it shovel-ready to construct key worker accommodation and caravan sites.”

Each of the 91 housing plots will feature modern, high-quality, two- and three-bedroom relocatable housing.

The site north of Sanctuary Road is on crown land over which the Shire holds a Management Order.

Cr Male said the Shire will lease the improved land to a private developer, who will construct the project.