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Latrobe’S Our Future Our Place Project Wins International AwardLatrobe City Council’s innovative ‘Our Future, Our Place’ sustainable housing project has been recognised internationally. By Latrobe City Council - 24th July 2007 - Back to News winning an ICMA (International City/County Management Association) Community Partnership Award in the 2007 Program Excellence Awards scheme.
Latrobe City mayor, Cr Tony Zimora said that this prestigious award is a significant achievement as Latrobe City was the only 2007 winner from outside the USA.
"The Our Future, Our Place program provides training and employment opportunities for groups of job seekers and Indigenous people in Latrobe City by constructing low cost, attractive and environmentally sustainable houses in renewal areas. Two houses have been constructed and sold at public auction and proceeds have been invested back into the project to allow work on a similar project to proceed in the very near future," Cr Zimora explained.
Latrobe City’s chief executive officer, Paul Buckley, said that an independent evaluation panel of US and international ICMA members judged the nominations on a wide selection criteria.
"The judges looked at the value of the project, at effectiveness measures such as cost savings, and whether the project could be replicated in other communities; and they also looked at quality, creativity and whether the project was innovative," Mr Buckley said.
"The Our Future Our Place project clearly met the selection criteria and we are delighted that an international team of judges rated this innovative project highly enough to win this award.
"The project is multi-focussed achieving positive outcomes in addressing long-term, entrenched unemployment, rejuvenating public housing areas and encouraging partnerships between local, state and federal government departments. The first house was built in Morwell East and the second house was constructed in Churchill to a design that attracted a six-star energy rating. The houses featured many environmentally sustainable design features such as passive solar orientation; low toxic materials and a concrete floor in the lounge which acts as a heat bank storing daytime winter sun warmth and releasing the captured heat at night, resulting in reduced heating requirements," Mr Buckley explained.
The Our Future Our Place project was developed in partnership with Try Youth and Community Services, the Department of Human Services (Victoria), the Department for Victorian Communities, and the Commonwealth Government’s Department of Transport and Regional Services along with support from a range of organisations in the private sector.
Try Youth and Community Services business manager, Michelle Fielding said that the multi-purpose focus of the project provided training to achieve sustainable job outcomes for job seekers in the community. "A critical aspect of Our Future Our Place is the emphasis on providing accredited training during the construction phase," Ms Fielding said.
"The target group for this project are the long-term unemployed and Indigenous people. Many of the people within this target group are aged between 17 and 35 years, many of whom were early school leavers, and some of whom have no work history. Trainees are sourced from the long-term unemployed and unemployed Indigenous people who are on the Work for the Dole Program to meet their Centrelink mutual obligations," Ms Fielding added.
Neighbourhood Renewal Program Gippsland manager, Julie Hocking, said that the project aims to improve the social mix, neighbourhood perception and physical image of former public housing estates. "Constructing houses in neighbourhood renewal areas makes a positive contribution to the overall aims of the Neighbourhood Renewal Program. The program aims to attract participants from these areas which contributes to community pride and involvement in the project. The construction of innovative housing, for private sale, on vacant sites that are scattered within the public housing estates of the Latrobe Valley, assists in building social cohesion and addresses training and employment opportunities for these residents," Ms Hocking said.
"The construction phase of each environmentally sustainable house was used as a vehicle to provide training and on-the-job experience to the unemployed as well as alleviating skills shortages that had been identified both within the local community and across the state in the areas of construction."
Maree McPherson, Gippsland Area Consultative Committee executive officer, explained that employers in regional Victoria are experiencing recruitment difficulties in construction trades such as plastering, bricklaying and cabinet-making and this project was able to assist with that shortage.
"During the pilot stage of this project it was important to ensure that the project was vigorously evaluated and documented to enable other communities to adopt similar programs" Ms McPherson said.
Kath McEntee, community engagement manager Department for Victorian Communities said that with the success of the whole of government approach of this project, the Our Future Our Place model can be successfully used by other interested communities. "This project demonstrated that it is possible for the private sector, local government, state and commonwealth departments to work cohesively to ensure a positive outcome for the project."
Ms McEntee added that as well as the opportunity to work on the construction of the houses, many participants received formal training qualifications.
"At least 65% of the participants completed Certificate II in General Construction, and at least 45% gained full time employment. These training and employment opportunities are invaluable in an area of sustained unemployment and as the project was promoted widely throughout Victoria, long term employment for the participants is now an achievable prospect," Ms McEntee said.
Victorian Housing Minister Richard Wynne said the award was a tremendous honour.
"This prestigious award pays tribute to the hard work, dedication and enthusiasm of everybody involved in the project; council staff, local DHS officer, and of course, the local people themselves.
"I salute them and I'm sure we will continue to see the tremendous benefits of Neighbourhood Renewal continuing to flow through the community."
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: news@gippsland.com
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