Housing NSW has won the State Property Authority Award for Government Leadership at the 2011 Property Council of Australia/ Rider Levett Bucknall Innovation and Excellence Awards.
The NSW Government's National Building Economic Stimulus Program (NBESP) Social Housing Initiative delivers on the Australian Government's $1.9 billion investment to build 6,300 new social housing homes in NSW by June 2012, part of the $42 billion Nation Building and Jobs Plan announced in February 2009.
The impressive initiative is the largest social housing infrastructure project in NSW in decades and has provided an extraordinary opportunity to reshape the social housing portfolio to meet emerging needs.
NSW is the first State to complete and exceed Stage 1 delivery targets set by the Federal Government. An outstanding 860 homes were completed by June 30 2010, being well ahead of the target of 752. Additionally, addition NSW has met the national Government target of 4,408 dwellings completed before the target deadline of 31 December 2010.
Property Council of Australia CEO Peter Verwer announced the Innovation and Excellence Awards winners at the Gala
Awards dinner, held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday 14th May 2011.
Mr Verwer said that the Housing NSW program reshaped the social housing portfolio to provide high quality, environmentally sustainable homes designed to meet the needs of clients and reduce homelessness across the state.
“This significant project not only assisted to stimulate the NSW economy by providing an estimated 5,127 full-time jobs, it successfully delivered quality outcomes in a very tight time frame to meet the Federal Government’s requirements.”
The Innovation and Excellence Awards provides an opportunity for the property industry to acknowledge and showcase excellence in the built environment, whilst heralding the achievements of its key professionals.
“The Awards program spans landmark projects over 14 separate categories in addition to nine future leaders. The calibre of this year’s Awards winners is a true testament to the resilience of the Australian property industry and our key stakeholders,” Mr Verwer added.
Bob Richardson, NSW Managing Director of Rider Levett Bucknall commented, “this great initiative has created a new
generation of apprentices and strengthened the construction and associated industries. Reforms have been driven to fast track the planning system without risking quality and environmental outcomes, and private sector rigour has been successfully integrated into public sector expenditure programs.”
Some key project facts:
Housing NSW
Nominated by: NSW Department of Human Services – Housing NSW
Size: An outstanding 860 homes were completed by June 30 2010, being well ahead of the target of 752.
For further information, please contact:
Ken Morrison, Chief Operating Officer, Property Council of Australia on 02 9033 1919 or 0412 233 715
