General News
3 April, 2024
Breaking ground: hew homes on horizon this year
By CHRIS EARL WORK has started on the Loddon’s first major housing estate. Earthmoving equipment moved onto Bridgewater Rise last week to begin laying water and sewerage connections. Only four of the 15 residential blocks in stage one of the...
By CHRIS EARL
WORK has started on the Loddon’s first major housing estate.
Earthmoving equipment moved onto Bridgewater Rise last week to begin laying water and sewerage connections.
Only four of the 15 residential blocks in stage one of the development remain unsold.
Developer Josh Cummins expects civil works to take five months and construction of the first new homes in Acacia Court likely to start this year.
Drew Stratton, of McKean McGregor Real Estate, said: “People are already engaged with builders and preparing plans.
“Both first and second-home buyers have bought blocks in stage one and are younger people, family people, people with a connection to the area.”
Mr Cummins said people were buying off the plan at Bridgewater Rise while Mr Stratton said interest in the residential development was comparable to sub-divisions in Bendigo.
A second stage land release at Bridgewater Rise would see 10 blocks with a third stage having another nine.
The start on civil works in Bridgewater comes as Loddon Shire councillors on Tuesday backed recommendations in a report prepared by Villawood Properties - Unlocking Loddon’s Growth - to implement a nine-point action plan.
Council has already started searching for federal and state government grants for future housing development and now plans market demand opportunity research.
A housing expo in September to promote Loddon’s lifestyle rounds off top priorities in the action plan. “An understanding of who, their housing needs and capacity to pay must form the basis of council strategies in relation to direct investment in housing development,” says the report
The Villawood report indicated Bridgewater and Inglewood were key potential growth areas because of their proximity to Bendigo.
Councillors said the report provided a pathway for population growth.
Cr Linda Jungwirth hopes it is successful in encouraging people to live in Loddon.
Cr Dan Straub called the report one of importance for strategic population growth to underpin the local economy and council’s future rate base.
Villawood recommended that council “sell the story” of Loddon life to grow residential growth.