Villawood’s care worker initiative wins plaudits

VICTORIAN Premier Daniel Andrews has supported a call by Villawood Properties for the business community to follow the developer’s lead in offering support packages for care workers.

Villawood’s Care Worker Support Program has set aside land at Geelong that has been taken up by nurses, firefighters,teachers, police, paramedics, and personal and aged care workers.

The program has provided land for workers who might otherwise have been squeezed out of the market.

Following its success in Villawood’s Geelong estates, it has been extended to their Melbourne developments.

“As Geelong’s economy changes, care workers are a rapidly growing and increasingly important part of our community and our employment base,” Villawood executive director Rory Costelloe said.

“We need to look after them.”

Oliver Hume research shows Greater Geelong’s health care and social assistance workers grew 40 per cent between 2011 and 2016 to become the largest local employment sector, at almost 16 percent.

Mr Andrews congratulated Villawood for the Care Worker Support Program this week.

“Every day, our nurses, teachers and first responders devote themselves to caring for our
communities,” he said.

“And through their Care Worker Support Program, Rory and his team are dedicated to making a real difference in the lives of these hard-working Victorians.

“I congratulate Villawood Properties on this program and commend them on their expansion efforts.”

Care workers buying into Villawood through the scheme have also praised it.

“When you know people want to live in the community, and build their home there and be part of that community, it really makes a difference,” Gurdeep Kaur, a driver for wheelchair-bound people, said.

“Villawood giving back to the community like this is a great idea.”

Under the initiative, 10 per cent of Villawood’s land on public release is reserved for two months for care workers, regardless of demand.

“Those care workers working within a 10-kilometre radius of our Villawood community also save $10,000 on their land price,” Mr Costelloe said.

“This is to ensure they can live close to work and continue to nurture the local community.

“Everyone at Villawood has been very moved by what we’ve achieved in a very short time.

“We’d love to see other companies jump in and replicate this care worker support initiative across broader sectors.”