More teachers in our regions now have a place to call home as the Minns Labor Government leans into innovative housing solutions like modular construction to deliver key worker housing.
It's all backed by a record $6.6 billion investment in social and affordable housing, which is delivering 8,400 new social homes, 21,000 affordable homes and more than 270 homes for essential workers like police officers and teachers.
Eight modular homes in Broken Hill are now ready for teachers to move in as part of the Key Worker Housing Program.
Using Modern Methods of Construction, the homes were built at a facility in Armidale and transported to Broken Hill, reducing weather delays and onsite inefficiencies to deliver homes up to 20 per cent faster than traditional construction.
The two-bedroom houses have been designed to support the way teachers live and work, featuring two bathrooms, open plan living and dining rooms, a dedicated study nook, and a large kitchen which opens onto an alfresco and private back garden.
Located on the traditional lands of the Wilyakali people, the homes are fitted with solar to keep electricity bills down and one house is adaptable to accommodate teachers or family members with mobility needs.
The Key Worker Housing program plays a critical role in helping to attract and retain essential law enforcement officers and educators to regional and remote areas where there are significant shortages.
The program has built more than 150 teacher homes across the state, including 15 in Broken Hill.
The Minns Labor Government is building better communities, with more homes close to transport, jobs and infrastructure so people can live in the communities they choose.
Deputy Premier of NSW and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:
"Ensuring public schools in regional communities like Broken Hill have the teachers they need is essential to providing students with the high-quality education they deserve, close to home.
"Supporting teachers in regional NSW was not a priority for the Nationals and Liberals, whose hands-off approach to regional education left these communities playing catch-up.
"The Minns Labor Government is working hard to reverse that approach by building modern, affordable housing that's helping to reduce teacher vacancies across regional NSW."
Minister for Housing Rose Jackson said:
"Regional communities like Broken Hill are crying out for key workers, but you can't recruit police officers and teachers if there's nowhere for them to live. That's why initiatives like these are so vital.
"We're tackling this by delivering more than 270 police and teacher houses across the state by the end of this year and modular housing is helping us get to that goal sooner.
"We're leaning into innovation - modular doesn't mean cutting corners, it means we can build high-quality homes in a matter of weeks rather than year."
