Land developers have been urged to provide assistance to care workers who may struggle to buy a home near where they work. Picture: iStock

Melbourne’s developers have been urged to adopt an initiative to give cops, firefighters, nurses, teachers and care workers discounted land in the city’s new housing estates.

The system has been endorsed by Victorian premier Daniel Andrews, and now its original proponents are calling on other developers to assist the essential city workers.

Developer Villawood Properties has wiped $20,000 off the cost of lots in their estates for workers in these fields and are calling on others to support care workers trying to buy into the city’s fringes.

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Speaking at St Vincent’s Hospital, Villawood boss Rory Costelloe pointed to recent Price Waterhouse Coopers research indicating 79 per cent of careworkers didn’t believe they would ever own their own home.

“We’re calling on other businesses across the state to consider what they can do in their own community to help the nurses, firefighters, police, teachers, aged-care workers and all other care workers,” Mr Costelloe said.

The Delaray estate in Clyde North by Villawood is among those that has offered the discount.

Mr Andrews said nurses, teachers and carers were “crucial” to Victoria, and lauded the initiative.

“Ultimately this is about taking care of the people who take care of us, recognising that the market can be very challenging to get into your first home — and not always just your first home,” Mr Andrews said.

“We’ve just been talking about some of the challenges of a workforce, whether it will be in teaching, emergency services or in health and aged care who need to live close to where they work in order to do their job properly, but can sometimes be priced out of the market.”

Premier Daniel Andrews speaking at the event hosted by Villawood.

Villawood is making its $20,000 discount available to 20 per cent of the lots released in all their estates.

Health Workers Union assistant secretary David Edan said wider development industry support could have a very positive impact.

Villawood’s Armstrong Creek housing estate has also attracted care worker buyers.

“Occasionally at the HWU we have a member join with their home address listed as care of their employer,” Mr Edan said.

“When we have contacted these members, we have discovered they are homeless.

“It’s very sad to say we have a working poor in this country, but it’s reality.”

Aged-care worker Paul Geren and his nurse partner Lindu Santhosh are among the 50 families to receive the discount to date.

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“To be acknowledged by companies such as Villawood, in a way that takes the pressure off, it’s just amazing,” Ms Santhosh said.