MORE worker accommodation will be made available in Robinvale to help ease the housing shortage in the town.
The Victorian Government said accommodation for up to 60 workers would be provided under a partnership with Robinvale Backpackers, who have received $744,000 through the Seasonal Workforce Accommodation Program (SWAP).
The backpacker-style accommodation will include rooms for two to four people, each with self-contained ensuites, plus communal facilities including laundry, kitchen and common rooms.
Another housing project, which received $500,000 from the government’s Building Works package, is currently under construction and will initially deliver four houses with a further four to follow.
Robinvale was recorded as having 3313 residents in the 2016 Census, but an independent report released in September 2019, funded by the State Government and Swan Hill Rural City Council, indicated there were as man as 8800 people residing in the town.
Member for Northern Victoria Mark Gepp said the SWAP project would be a valuable addition to the region with limited accommodation currently a barrier for workers wanting to stay in town.
“The Mallee is home to some of the country’s best horticulture production businesses and it’s important we can provide safe, suitable accommodation for the highly valued workers who arrive each year to support these farms,” Mr Gepp said.
“This new, purpose-built accommodation will be a real game-changer for seasonal workers joining the Victorian harvest and supporting the region’s agricultural businesses.”
Robinvale Backpackers business partner Tim Millen welcomed the business partnership and hoped the project would have an impact on the town’s housing shortage.
“We are really pleased to be able to increase the accommodation options here,” he said.
“Robinvale is a great place to live and we want people who come to work in the town to see it’s a great place to stay.”
The project has also been welcomed by agriculture businesses, including table grape and almond operations which require workers throughout the year, whether during harvest or pruning.
The blitz on worker accommodation and services has created more than 260 new beds with building and upgrade projects completed across the region including at Mildura, Robinvale and Boundary Bend.
