WYNDHAM is the most popular place to live in Victoria, new figures by the Housing Industry Association show.
In 2006 residential building work valued at $215 million was approved in south Wyndham while the local population grew by 15.4 per cent.
The HIA’s acting regional director for Victoria, Caroline Lawrey, said it was now the number one population and building hotspot in Victoria, with Wyndham North following in ninth place.
“The figures indicate that people still look at the area as the one they want to live in,” she said.
“Its proximity to the city and affordable housing could be reasons for this.”
Werribee real estate director Bob Westwood said average house prices in Wyndham were $100,000 less than the $377,000 Ms Lawrey said was the average across Melbourne.
“That will get a three or four-bedroom home close to schools, that will be relatively new and about 600 square metres in size,” Mr Westwood said.
“It is affordable and, with things like the food technology precinct and campus, is attracting a lot of academics here as well as a real broad cross-section of people.”
He said Hoppers Crossing, Tarneit and Wyndham Vale were the most popular suburbs for buyers.
Werribee Wizard branch principal Linda Gehlhar said the number of people taking out construction loans had risen by 20 per cent in the past few months.
She said many people were building a second home as an investment property.
And growth is set to continue through State Government initiatives, including discount schemes and public housing, to make living in the area even more affordable.
Ms Lawrey said Wyndham’s growth was a good sign of a healthy community but had to be matched by accompanying service growth. “When you think that growth was 1.3 per cent across Australia as a whole and Victoria’s growth was 1.4 per cent in 2006, Wyndham’s 15.4 per cent is very significant,” she said.
“Housing is part of a range of factors that add to liveability … such as services, facilities, neighbourhood character.
“And the whole building section is working close with local government to see communities are attractive and sustainable because there is nothing worse than social isolation.”
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Wyndham mayor Shane Bourke said the biggest challenge in managing the growth was keeping infrastructure up to scratch.
“This growth will keep going for a long time — many decades,” Cr Bourke said.
“And we have challenges in keeping the roads up to standard because we have been coming from behind.
“But as far as infrastructure goes, in the past two years council has spent $90 million on capital works and for 2007/08 there will be another considerable amount.”
