Cloncurry is set for a major seven million dollar new housing project thanks to federal funding.
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Cloncurry Shire Council has done well out of Round 5 of the Building Better Regions Fund with Canberra to put a $5,062,500 contribution Perkins Street Housing Project and Cloncurry Shire Council to stump up the rest of a $6,750,000 project.
The project will construct nine new houses in Cloncurry.which Senator Susan McDonald said will be constructed together to reduce costs.
"The North West Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils has been advocating for a solution to the housing crisis in their area, and they released a report just this week showing a dire need for homes," Senator McDonald said.
Cloncurry Mayor Greg Campbell said the feedback from mines and government departments was that one of the biggest inhibitors of people coming to town was the lack of higher quality housing.
"Sometimes that comment is used as a bit of an excuse, but sometimes it's genuine so we took the bit between our teeth and said we'll make it happen so that there is every reason we can attract new young couples to our town," Cr Campbell said.
The project will be built on a block of land on the corner of Railway and Perkins St and will deliver a new road and a nine house sub-division.
Cr Campbell said some of the houses will be publicly leased but others will be used by a local mine.
"We have a memorandum of understanding with Dugald River mine that they'll take a number of the houses," he said.
"It will be a council project to manage and control. We'll engage builders to build the houses and civil contractors to do the road and water pipes."
Cr Campbell said they were looking for a local business to grow or else attract a builder from elsewhere who might be interested in addressing the wider shortfall of housing in western Queensland.
Bob Katter congratulated Cloncurry Council for progressing the types of projects communities need to look at to ensure we have enough housing for everyone.
"However, we need to find a cheaper model for building houses. Currently housing is costing an average of $400,000 when we need to get it under $100,000. Whether it be the materials, the design, or a reduction in the cost of subdivisions, we can and must get the prices down," Mr Katter said.
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