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26 June 2026 | 2 min read
26 June 2026
· NAB is backing a major housing project for essential workers in regional Victoria
· Horsham project expands to deliver 80 high-quality new worker homes
· New housing helps attract and retain critical regional workforce and eases pressure on local rental markets.
A major NAB‑backed housing project in regional Victoria is helping tackle one of the biggest barriers to attracting essential workers: a lack of places to live.
A $9 million workforce housing development in Horsham, led by Elmstone Property Group in partnership with Grampians Health and JG King Building Group, is delivering 36 high-quality, self‑contained apartments for healthcare professionals and other essential workers in the Wimmera region.
The first stage of the Horsham Medical Worker Accommodation Project is now complete and its first residents have just moved in.
Located within walking distance of Grampian Health’s Wimmera Base Hospital, the purpose‑built housing is designed to help attract and retain doctors, nurses and other critical workers by removing one of the biggest barriers to relocating to the region.
NAB has also funded a significant expansion of the project, which will add a further 18 apartments and 26 two‑bedroom homes on an adjacent site, making it one of the largest private workforce accommodation developments of its kind in Australia.
The expansion will also support workers tied to major regional investments, including critical minerals projects and new manufacturing facilities such as the Farm Frites plant.
Elmstone Property Group Director Stuart Benjamin, who was born and raised in regional Victoria, is a passionate advocate for advancing the needs of regional communities.
Mr Benjamin said the project shows how targeted housing investment can unlock regional growth.
“Housing shortages are holding regional communities back. This is a practical way to attract and keep the people our regions rely on,” Mr Benjamin said.
“It’s not always about paying people more to work in the regions, it’s about giving them a reason to want to be there. This project does exactly that.”
The development includes a mix of accommodation types, including accessible options, supporting both visiting specialists and workers relocating long-term.
Elmstone Property Group and JG King Building Group are both multi-generational family business customers of NAB, and Mr Benjamin said securing NAB’s support has been critical to progressing and expanding the project.
NAB Senior Business Banking Manager Josh Nunan said the project demonstrates how housing supply supports regional economies.
“This is about helping communities attract the workforce they need to grow,” Mr Nunan said.
“By backing projects like this, we’re helping address a real barrier for employers and easing pressure on local rental markets.”
The project supports NAB’s $60 billion ambition to boost housing affordability by 2030, with increasing housing supply a key focus.
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