DEFENCE CONNECT: Minister for Defence Personnel Matt Keogh has announced three contracts between Defence Housing Australia and Western Australian businesses to deliver 550 additional new homes for Defence personnel and their families. The new homes will be leased to Defence Housing Australia (DHA) and will provide accommodation in the coming years close to Fleet Base West, HMAS Stirling. These agreements form part of DHA’s New Builds Volume Leasing Program and importantly, will see developer Parcel Property, alongside local home builders Forma Homes and Plunkett Homes, expand local housing supplies.
Wharf precinct HMAS Stirling
“Australia’s Defence personnel are our most important capability, so it is vital they and their families are well supported with modern, fit-for-purpose housing in their local communities,” Minister Keogh said. The agreements follow an expression of interest period seeking industry participants who can deliver new properties using their own land, land sourced from the market or a combination. Further agreements are in the works for hundreds of additional homes over the next five years.
“Rockingham and Baldivis are proud to be home to Australia’s largest naval base and is very proud of the role this community plays in serving the nation. As HMAS Stirling grows in size, we will need homes for Defence personnel and their families,” minister for resources, minister for Northern Australia and Member for Brand Madeleine King said. Dr Robert Lang, Defence Housing Australia chair, expanded on the ministers’ comments, saying, “DHA is excited to have entered into these agreements with Parcel Property, Forma Homes and Plunkett Homes, a first for DHA, which will enable us to scale our housing supply for Defence members and provide long-term secure investments for buyers, with DHA as the tenant.”
New homes are expected to be delivered in the suburbs of Wellard, Baldivis and Mundijong, with a smaller number of properties delivered in Kwinana, Lakelands, Port Kennedy, Waikiki and Madora Bay. The program will provide an opportunity for broader industry engagement, economic development for the region, and long-term and “set-and-forget” confidence for investors. The first dwellings, as part of this Program in Rockingham, are expected to be delivered in 2025–26.