DHA and development partner, Investa Property Group, held a ground breaking ceremony to signify the start of work on Stage 1 of the new suburb of Muirhead in Darwin. The new housing development will provide 1,096 housing lots, including 329 new houses for Defence members and their families moving to the Top End.
Captain Chandler, Commanding Officer HMAS Creswell, presented house keys to a Defence Families of Australia representative to celebrate the completion of Stage 1 of the Creswell redevelopment project. DHA Board Member, the Hon. Sandy Macdonald, assisted in cutting the ribbon. The redevelopment delivered ten new houses for Defence members and their families.
The Hon. Warren Snowdon MP, Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, turned the first sod at the Betty Cuthbert Estate development in the Sydney suburb of Ermington. Located only 30 minutes from Sydney’s CBD, the development will comprise 47 dwellings including 42 townhouses for Defence members and their families.
The Hon. Wayne Swan MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Member for Lilley, opened DHA’s Gordon Olive Estate in the Brisbane suburb of McDowall. The estate was named after the RAAF World War II veteran Gordon Olive, CBE, and provides 61 new houses for Defence personnel and their families posted to Brisbane. Over $20.4 million was injected into the local economy and construction industry through the project.
DHA Board Members, Mr Michael Del Gigante and Ms Margaret Walker, officiated at an event to mark the completion of 18 new homes at Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera. 12 homes located in O’Connell Place no longer met Defence housing needs and were marked for disposal. This was a unique opportunity to redevelop the site with homes that would set a high standard for Defence housing. The new homes adjoin the Barracks and are just 10 kilometres from the Brisbane CBD.
DHA finished construction of five new homes in John Holland Court, Blackburn (Victoria) in November 2011. The three original homes on the site no longer met Defence housing needs and were marked for disposal. This was an opportunity to redevelop an existing site in a prime location. The new homes have been well received by Defence families.
Roland Kratzel is the first graduate of the DHA Apprenticeship Support Scheme. He finished his carpentry apprenticeship in December 2011 and has secured a full-time job in the building industry. The Apprenticeship Support Scheme was launched in support of the Nation Building-Economic Stimulus Plan with 21 apprentices taking part. Michael Del Gigante, DHA Managing Director, said “We saw this as a real opportunity to make a difference and to invest in the future of the building industry.” Roland always wanted to join the building industry. “Before I started the apprenticeship full-time, I completed a school-based apprenticeship. I always knew this was what I wanted to do,” Roland said. “I wanted the apprenticeship because my family are ‘tradies’. My two brothers are both carpenters—one is qualified and one is an apprentice —and my old man owns his own building business, so it really does run in the family.”
Roland trained for four years. He explained, “It’s three years of studying and working full-time, and the fourth year is working full-time.” Roland has been able to develop expertise in areas such as tool skills, management skills, and working as a team. The DHA Apprenticeship Support Scheme has given Roland the start he needed to make his own mark in the industry. According to Roland, “In ten years’ time I’d like to be running my Dad’s business, or have my own, building houses.” DHA anticipates four other apprentices will finish their training in 2012.
DHA took part in the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) National Congress in Perth. Members of DHA’s development team manned the trade stand and answered many questions about the Sale and Leaseback program and DHA’s tender process and housing standards.
A public information session was held on 22 March 2012 for DHA’s residential development to be known as AE2* at Ermington, Sydney. With significant Parramatta River frontage, the 16.3 hectare site will provide approximately 437 dwellings, of which at least 209 will be retained for Defence members and their families. * Named after the first Australian and Allied submarine to enter the Dardanelles during WWI.
On 11 May 2012, the half-way point for the Puckapunyal upgrade program was celebrated with the 70th fully-upgraded property open for inspection. Defence members posted to Puckapunyal and contractors who have worked on the program were invited to the open house. The program will provide a new ‘lease on life’ for 155 on-base properties.
The Muirhead project is the largest sustainable residential development currently underway in Darwin. When completed in 2019, it will provide 1,096 dwellings for the Darwin community. As the tropical climate is such a defining aspect of living in Darwin, Investa Property Group produced a Tropical Construction Guide, sponsored by DHA, for residents building in the area. The guide was launched at an event with all members of the DHA Board in attendance.