Bonus for essential workers priced out of QLD’s boom markets – realestate.com.au

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Beaudesert local and police officer Heather Campbell with her three children at Eucalee in the Scenic Rim

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Queensland police officer Heather Campbell never thought she would be able to afford to her own home.

But thanks to a developer grant designed specifically for essential workers, the single mum of three will be building a new home at Eucalee estate in the Scenic Rim, which is being developed by Villawood Properties.

“I never thought it would be a possibility for me to build my own home but now the opportunity has risen, and I am very excited to have a new home in a new community,” the Beaudesert-based police officer said.

“I had looked at numerous estates in the area but ultimately I wanted to feel like I wasn’t living in suburbia yet I still wanted to be close to all the essential services.”

Heather and her children purchased a block in Eucalee estate.

As a police officer, she was able to access Villawood’s Care Worker Support Program, and received a $10,000 saving on a new home in their Eucalee estate.

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Beaudesert local and police officer Heather Campbell with her three children at Eucalee in the Scenic Rim

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The program, which was started by Villawood in Victoria in 2018, has assisted hundreds of essential workers to purchase their own home in their local community, enabling them to live close by their workplace.

It was first launched in Geelong when it became apparent that people who provided services were increasingly unable to afford to live in the communities they served.

Villawood Properties Queensland general manager Michael Williams said the program was a proactive way to support the care workers in communities who worked tirelessly to support others.

“With the increasing cost of land and land supply constraints across South East Queensland it is becoming increasingly difficult for most people to purchase land, making it even harder for essential workers who are often on a modest income,” he said.

“This is our way of offering a helping hand to the people who give so much to our communities through their service.”

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House and land packages in stage three of the $400 million master-planned Eucalee community start from $588,697, while land starts from $269,900.

Essential workers are eligible for a discount of up to $20,000 on a new build, with Villawood passing on 271 rebates totalling $4,182,295 since the start of the Care Worker Support Program in 2018.

Two grants have so far been allocated in Queensland, totalling $20,000.

There have been 239 in Victoria ($3,901,295) and 30 in South Australia ($281,000).

Beaudesert remains a suburb affordable for essential workers for both units and houses, but houses now have a median price of $580,000, according to agent-advised sales listing analysed by Suburbtrends.

PropTrack has the median house price in Beaudesert at $560,000 in August.