With affordable housing one of the most pressing needs across the country – especially in rural and remote locations – a NSW Government grant of almost $3 million has helped transform the site of a rusting old warehouse in Narromine into much needed social housing.

Vacant for more than two decades, the ageing sheds on Algalah Street were demolished and redeveloped into 14 newly built homes.

“The site will now give around 20 residents safe and secure housing, with priority given to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people,” a joint statement by Minister for Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty, and Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Rose Jackson, announced on March 24.

Additional funding for the build came from community housing provider Orana Support Service, which will own and manage the property.

Part of the area of land on which the houses have been built fronting busy Algalah Street remains vacant. Dubbo Photo News understands further development is proposed for the rest of the site.

Orana Support Service’s CEO Tina Reynolds said her organisation is proud to have played a meaningful role in responding to the housing crisis in the region, and the partnership with the NSW Government has enabled it to expand its capacity as a community housing provider.

“We were fortunate to secure a vacant warehouse site and transform it into 14 new homes for those in our community who need safe, stable housing the most.

“Orana Support Service [is] delivering not only quality housing but also integrated outreach support through our Specialist Homelessness Service,” she added.

The Algalah Street development has been a long time coming, with locals closely watching the land be developed and then construction start last year. That the project has now concluded and people are moving into the homes is pleasing news to Narromine mayor, Cr Ewen Jones.

"It is fantastic that we now have 14 new units in Narromine. Tina Reynolds has done a marvellous job to make this happen," major Jones said.

"There were some delays due to the contamination from the industrial use of the site, but Tina and Narromine Shire Council worked through these."

A long-time resident of the community, mayor Jones also revealed some of the history of the site.

"The site where the 14 units have been built was originally a manufacturing factory called McPherson and Cluness."

Migrants Bob McPherson and George Cluness arrived in Narromine in 1951 and 1952 respectively from the UK through a migration scheme, he said, and worked building houses in Narromine before establishing McPherson Cluness, designing and manufacturing agricultural equipment.

"At its peak, it employed 50 people and over the years trained carpenters, welders, sheet metal workers and fitters and turners. Many went on to establish businesses of their own," mayor Jones said.

Engineering firm Monadelphous owned the site from the early 1980s until around 2006, he added.

"A huge thank you to the NSW Government for funding these units, especially to Ministers Moriarty and Jackson. The funding has certainly helped improve some of the housing crisis in Narromine. I understand that more units will be constructed when further funding becomes available."

Ministers Jackson and Moriarty describe the Narromine project as an example of “innovative solutions to address the housing crisis.”

Other examples of government-led innovative thinking include a “nation-leading land audit” which allegedly identified sites capable of delivering more than 11,000 homes, and building 90 homes using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) in 2025-26. The government also established the $100 million Homelessness Innovation Fund (HIF), which has already seen the creation of an additional 800 new beds in NSW across varying accommodation models.

“More than 1350 new homes have already been delivered across regional NSW since April 2023, including nearly 500 in Western NSW,” the announcement added.

The momentum is expected to continue with the historic $6.6 billion Building Homes for NSW program, which aims to deliver 8,400 new public housing units, 21,000 affordable and market homes, and upgrades to 30,000 existing social housing properties, the Ministers said.

There is no doubt that the 14 new homes at the Algalah Street property will be welcome news to those desperately waiting for social housing in Narromine.

“We know the need for housing in regional areas like Narromine has never been greater,” Minister Moriarty said.

“Across Western NSW, we’re delivering more homes more quickly, and this project is another example of how we’re using every tool available to tackle the housing crisis regionally.

“Transforming a long-vacant site into new homes means more people in Narromine can stay connected to their community and build a stable future.”

Minister Jackson said “everything is on the table” to help solve the state’s housing crisis.

“If a vacant warehouse can become more than a dozen new homes, then we’ll do it,” she concluded.