The SHERP represents a significant government investment in a pipeline of works, targeted at social housing, to support the WA construction industry through to 2023 while improving the lifespan and quality of homes available for social housing.
Phoenix Painting and Decorating founder Michael Noakes has taken on a brush hand, two tradesmen and an apprentice painter since winning tenders for exterior and interior painting packages as part of the SHERP and is pleased to be able to offer additional job and upskilling opportunities to local people.
“I've been in business for three years now. I started as a sole trader and have built the team to include seven tradesmen, two brush hands, three apprentices, an administration worker and myself. We predominantly do commercial work along with new housing and repaint jobs. Community housing work makes up almost half my annual workload,” Michael said.
“We are based in Albany and I employ all local people. My new brush hand Che wanted a change in career path coming from a chef background and has taken to painting like a fish to water! Robbie is a tradesman who wanted to get on board with a reliable company that could offer full-time work and all of the security that comes with it. Dale and Troy are a tradesman and apprentice that I took on through the COVID displacement incentives the government offered. I do think it was very hard for people to find work due to the down-turn of work at the peak of the pandemic so I’m very happy to have been able to employ local people at this time,” Michael said.
It is expected approximately 1700 jobs will be supported through the SHERP’s delivery, with at least 780 of these jobs in regional areas. Additionally, $660 million in economic activity is expected to be generated across the state, with $300 million of this in regional and remote areas.
Program Director Monica Nichevich said that it was gratifying to hear stories such as Michael’s which show the direct impact that the SHERP has had on the Western Australian community.
“It’s great to see Communities’ record investment in social housing through the SHERP is changing lives for the better. Not only are we providing a much-needed boost to social housing stocks and refurbishing existing properties to expand their lifespan, we are also providing significant employment opportunities to local businesses.”
Under the SHERP, hundreds of new social homes will be built across metropolitan and regional areas to help the most vulnerable people in our community. It will also deliver maintenance and refurbishment to thousands of existing social housing properties to prolong their useful lives and house those in need. The refurbishment stream will also seek opportunities to target deteriorated supported accommodation such as refuges, residential group homes for children in care, and supported disability accommodation.
