Social Housing Initiative comes at the right time for local building company in regional Victoria

Lockwood Willows Homes in Moama, Victoria, is a local company with over 20 years experience in the industry. Under the Social Housing Initiative of the Nation Building – Economic Stimulus Plan, Lockwood Willows is set to begin construction of two new units in Rochester.

Managing Director, Mr Mark Hartley, said “It’s been fantastic. We have had a massive downturn in country Victoria, it wasn’t good,”

“Everything went flat, the economy died. But this stimulus has been terrific,”

“These properties we are currently building I had to sit on as I couldn’t develop them until this opportunity came along,” Mr Hartley said.

Building has just commenced on the two two-bedroom units, at a total cost of $527,800, allocated as part of Stage One of the Social Housing Initiative in Victoria.

Lockwood Willows Homes currently has eight people working full-time on site, with a further 120 people expected to work on the construction of these units. The company currently employs 15 apprentices, and four Indigenous contractors.

The Economic Stimulus Plan construction has provided job opportunities within the local community, and has enabled Lockwood Willows to utilise local tradespeople, and source materials from local suppliers.

The two units are expected to be complete by December 2009.  

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