Residents in Gawler and surrounding areas will have access to better emergency care, with a brand-new much bigger emergency department opening its doors on Monday.
The first tranche of housing works to accommodate hundreds of workers needed to realise the Malinauskas Government’s Hydrogen Jobs Plan – a cornerstone of the State Prosperity Project – will soon be underway, with a big build of new accommodation facilities set to benefit Whyalla now and for the future.
Civil works and construction on the world-leading hydrogen power station, electrolysers and storage facility are scheduled to begin in the second half of 2024, with the number of project staff and professional services workers in the region set to rapidly grow as the year progresses.
An initial 32 high-quality cabins will be built at Discovery Parks’ Whyalla Foreshore Caravan and Holiday Park to accommodate the earliest Hydrogen Jobs Plan workforce, under an agreement between the State Government and G’day Group, owner of Discovery Parks and workforce accommodation business Discovery Workstay.
Discovery Parks’ expansion will increase accommodation capacity in Whyalla’s popular foreshore area and provide ongoing tourism market benefits for Whyalla.
It is the first step in an infrastructure blitz that will eventually help accommodate up to 1000 workers required at the project’s peak.
The State Government has been collaborating with Whyalla City Council and Renewal SA to identify and make available parcels of Crown Land suitable for accommodation development.
A Heads of Agreement has also been signed with Upper Spencer Gulf business Bentley’s Cabin Parks to progress plans to build 50 cabins at greenfield site Kloeden Reserve - with the potential for future expansion.
Positioned on Lincoln Highway in Whyalla Norrie, close to Whyalla Airport, the 18-hectare Kloeden Reserve will be subdivided into four allotments, with Bentley’s Cabin Parks seeking to purchase 6.94 hectares at market value on the south-eastern corner of the site for development.
Part of Kloeden Reserve is earmarked to be made available for future housing development, creating additional supply to meet Whyalla’s future housing needs.
Bentley’s Cabin Parks is a local family business operating in Port Augusta and Port Pirie, building its cabins in South Australia and sourcing most of its furniture from the Minda Association.
Under the Heads of Agreement, the 50 new high-quality cabins would be completed later this year as civil works at the Hydrogen Jobs Plan gain pace.
Th 82 new cabins provided under agreements with Discovery Parks and Bentley’s will provide enduring value to Whyalla, encouraging further tourism and providing additional ongoing capacity to house workers for an anticipated $10 billion in major projects in the pipeline for the Upper Spencer Gulf in the next six years.
With Whyalla’s existing accommodation providers already experiencing high occupancy rates year-round, the Government is committed to ensuring the Hydrogen Jobs Plan workforce does not put pressure on existing housing.
Under the agreement with Discovery Parks, the project’s early workforce will have first option to book the new accommodation from later this year until the end of construction. During this period, Discovery Parks can make any cabins not used by the Hydrogen Jobs Plan workforce available for members of the public to book and enjoy.
Work is ongoing to identify optimal solutions to house the broader Hydrogen Jobs Plan workforce – expected to be more than 1000 at the project’s peak - with a range of options under consideration.
Engagement with the residents and stakeholders will occur soon to gather insights to ensure the chosen accommodation solution aligns with the needs of the community.
The Government will continue to work closely with the Whyalla City Council and other key stakeholders to identity and prioritise strategically located parcels of government-owned land to assist the city’s long-term growth, both with supply of housing and infrastructure to meet future need.
Quotes
Attributable to Peter Malinauskas
This is the start of an infrastructure blitz for Whyalla.
The accommodation that will house the temporary workforce needed to see the Hydrogen Jobs Plan through to fruition will leave a lasting legacy that will benefit Whyalla’s business and tourism sectors long into the future.
We are working to ensure that accommodation delivered in support of the Hydrogen Jobs Plan has minimal impact on the community and provides enduring value to the City of Whyalla.
Attributable to Tom Koutsantonis
We’re determined to go the extra mile to ensure the Hydrogen Jobs Plan delivers ongoing benefits for Whyalla and the Upper Spencer Gulf, and that includes working with the Whyalla City Council and Renewal SA to deliver additional housing allocations and accommodation capacity.
We’re proud to be partnering with Discovery Workstay and local Upper Spencer Gulf businesses like Bentley’s Cabin Parks to build additional high-quality accommodation in Whyalla that tourists and visitors will be able to enjoy for years to come.
Attributable to G’day Group Chief Operations Officer and Head of Discovery Workstay Matt Lang
G’day Group operates more than 15 workforce accommodation facilities around Australia and we’re honoured to have been selected to partner with the South Australian Government to support the delivery of the State Government’s Hydrogen Jobs Plan.
This is an exciting development for the Whyalla community, which will deliver lasting economic benefits and support the creation of new jobs in the region.
As a business, we are passionate about delivering economic growth in regional Australia and we’re excited to see the State Government’s hydrogen plan continue to evolve.
Attributable to Hayden Bentley, Director, Bentley’s Cabin Park
Bentley’s Cabin Park Port Pirie and Port Augusta is a born-and-bred Upper Spencer Gulf family business, manufacturing our cabins in Port Pirie and using local suppliers wherever possible.
The South Australian Government is investing in our regions through major projects like the Hydrogen Jobs Plan.
We’re excited to be part of it, and excited about the opportunities this investment is creating across the Upper Spencer Gulf – it is energising the whole region.
Through this expansion into Whyalla, we’re building for the future.
Attributable to Member for Giles Eddie Hughes
Whyalla is on the cusp of seeing its first instalment on the diversification of our economy.
The hydrogen power plant, electrolysers and storage represent the largest investment in the Whyalla economy in decades.
Providing good quality accommodation for a large construction crew is a necessary first step which will help take pressure off our tight private rental market.
I look forward to what wil be a very exciting period in Whyalla’s history and the jobs that will be generated.
Attributable to Whyalla Mayor Phill Stone
We’ve had ongoing discussions with the State Government regarding the release of strategic Crown land parcels for housing – as well as community and social infrastructure – so I’m pleased to see this first step in delivering housing for current and future projects in the city, as well as ongoing tourism needs.
Most importantly, this is not temporary accommodation that will be moved on when current projects are complete – it represents a long-term investment in Whyalla.
The Upper Spencer Gulf is South Australia’s engine room to cut pollution, boost green manufacturing and deliver energy production on a massive scale. Set to become a powerhouse for the nation, the region needs even further housing and infrastructure projects from all levels of government and private investors to fully capitalise on this once-in-a-generation opportunity.
We look forward to continuing to partner with the State Government on further housing and social infrastructure initiatives that ensure the best outcomes for our existing community, while supporting the growth that will enable even more people to call Whyalla ‘home’ in the future.
