Vol. No. Vol. 2518No. 4227
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Wednesday, January 2016 Wednesday, May13, 3, 2023
SEUSS-TACULAR: Horsham Arts Council’s production of Seussical the Musical begins tomorrow night at Horsham Town Hall. The production is bringing the familiar stories of Dr Seuss to life for audiences of all ages. Story and more pictures, pages 22-23. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
Ararat housing action A
BY JESSICA GRIMBLE
new partnership seeks to develop affordable housing solutions as business and employment opportunities continue to flourish in Ararat.
Ararat Housing Enterprise is a partnership two years in the making between Ararat Rural City Council and a private enterprise, headed by Rowly and Judy Paterson. Tenders for the first stage of the initiative open today and the project will build upwards of 40 houses throughout Ararat across a 10 to 15-year project timeline. The entry-level family homes,
with three bedrooms and one to two bathrooms, set on 650 square metre blocks, will add to an average four houses built in Ararat annually. The initiative seeks to address housing shortages in the rural city – which is impacting business’ ability to recruit and retain staff, including about 600 vacancies across the municipality which remain unfulfilled. It comes at a critical time when businesses are forecasting significant growth – particularly in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors. Willaura farmers Mr and Mrs Paterson own ACE Radio Broadcasters, which includes The Weekly Advertiser, 21 radio stations across the east
coast of Australia and a digital arm. Capital investment will be $4 million across the first four years, with cocontributions from the private enterprise and the council. Mr Paterson said the ‘appetite’ for suitable parcels of land to purchase would offer an insight into the proposed timeline for construction to begin – though directors are also seeking to move swiftly. Their preference is to utilise local tenderers. “This is a private partnership that will be nimble and respond to the economic environment at a given time,” Mr Paterson said. “It will be a very transparent pro-
cess. We are putting tenders out to acquire land within the city of Ararat and go out to tender to build a specified model of home which can have variations, but will be within a range that offers affordable housing.” Ararat Rural City Council chief executive Dr Tim Harrison said the partnership offered an effective and tailored response to a challenge faced both regionally and nationally. “For the first four years, we will retain all of the houses built as rental properties; from year five, we will continue to build four new houses a year and, at the same time, sell four of the existing properties into the market,” Dr Harrison said.
for Mum
“We can sit around and pontificate and talk about it, but action is also important. “With Rowly and Judy’s assistance, this partnership is a really good way of being in that action space. “We hope to see homes rising from those lots quickly.” Dr Harrison said initiatives such as Pacific Heat and Power’s proposed biogas plant, forecast to become the third-largest biogas plant in the world and produce about 6.5 percent of the state’s industrial gas while creating 100 jobs in Ararat, was fantastic news for the municipality. Continued page 3
IN THIS ISSUE • Antenatal care report • Pharmacists raise concerns • Laharum celebration artisanHP1044
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