Australia: Santos Starts Its Housing Project

The Santos GLNG Project has started to build its next stage of 56 houses for employees moving to Gladstone to work on the Project.

The houses are in addition to the 45 that were completed in June and are aligned with Santos GLNG’s strategy to house its workforce to reduce pressure on the Gladstone housing market.

CEO GLNG Operations Mark Macfarlane said the houses were for workers moving to Gladstone to work in the LNG plant that is currently being built on Curtis Island.

“As the structures of our LNG plant start to be built on the Island it signals the next phase of our housing strategy which is to prepare to accommodate our employees who will work permenantly in the plant when it is operational,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“We are looking to have the additional houses completed in the first half of next year.”

The houses will be built across three estates off Kirkwood Road in the Forest Springs, Little Creek and Vantage estates. They will be of a high standard, generally four bedroom properties with two bathrooms and fully fenced landscaped yards.

Mr Macfarlane said the 101 houses built for workers were in addition to the accommodation facility being built on Curtis Island for workers building the LNG plant and associated infrastructure.

“As our workforce builds on the island we continue to align the building of our workforce accommodation and we expect to have around 1,800 beds available on the island by the end of this year,” Mr Macfaralne said.

Mr Macfarlane said Santos GLNG had provided $7.4 million to the Gladstone Region for supported accommodation programs and to develop new community and affordable housing.

“I am pleased to see that part of this funding has been put towards rental assistance for the local Emergency Services including the Queensland Ambulance Service, Queensland Fire Service and Queensland Police Service,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“Our funding has also been able to help more than 60 families and seniors with rental assistance and support including budgeting assistance.”

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LNG World News Staff, August 28, 2012