Jumping the line for land
Blocks being set aside for police, nurses & teachers
EMERGENCY services and care workers will be at the front of the line for new house blocks in an Armstrong Creek estate.
Armstrong-Mt Duneed developer Villawood Properties is setting aside blocks in the 391-lot Sanctuary precinct for care industry workers, including police, ambulance officers, firefighters and SES workers, primary and secondary school teachers, nurses, childcare, aged care and social workers.
Executive director Rory Costelloe said the decision to favour care workers was driven by a concern about affordability as potentially hundreds of new workers move to Geelong with the opening of headquarters for WorkSafe and NDIS.
“We are concerned about the lack of affordability for Geelong homebuyers and particularly our care workers,” Mr Costelloe said.
“We want to look after people such as emergency service workers, teachers, nurses and NDIS people.
“These people are often working for modest wages and expected to care for our community health and wellbeing.
“We want to create an opportunity for those care workers currently being priced out of the market in a prime location.”
Mr Costelloe has a record of being vocal with the development industry over prices.
In 2017, Mr Costelloe took the decision to amend Villa- wood Properties’ contracts to block sales of its land lots to speculators, a practice he said had driven a surge in lot prices in Melbourne’s outer suburbs toward a median price of $300,000.
The price differential for an average block in Geelong is about $100,000 cheaper than Melbourne.
Speculators buy lots then resell contracts for tens of thousands of dollars more before they settle, pocketing the profits.
Mr Costelloe also recently voiced concerns to Urban Development Institute of Australia members about the risks of rising land prices damaging housing affordability, killing off demand for new land.
He told the UDIA Awards in Melbourne that median lot price had risen $100,000 in a year.
Villawood Properties provided no indication of the number of blocks available. Eligible buyers will be required to provide proof of occupation at point of sale.