Wednesday, 22 June 2022

 Mr WYNNE (Richmond—Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing) (14:29): I rise today to update the house on the stellar progress of the Andrews Labor government’s $5.3 billion Big Housing Build as we continue to roll out the largest single investment in social and affordable housing in Australia’s history. I am delighted to announce we have already completed over 1300 homes, with another 5500 underway, a total of 6800.

All over regional Victoria, from Gippsland to Mildura, there are now 1500 homes under construction with an investment value of more than $500 million. For example, we are delivering—get off your phone, I am going to tell you, member for Ripon—260 homes in the seat of Ripon with a project value of $80 million. In metropolitan Melbourne, for example, in the Bayside area, the member for Sandringham and the member for Brighton will see—

Members interjecting.

Mr WYNNE: He loves this.

Mr Andrews: He loves public housing.

Mr WYNNE: He does. He does love public housing. They will see the construction of 229 homes with a value of $120 million, which will create over a thousand jobs. In the member for Box Hill’s community we are building 556 homes throughout his area and creating 2000 jobs with an investment of $365 million. None of this would have been possible except for the fantastic free TAFE initiative that Victoria has to skill up our workforce, whether it is through the certificate IV in plumbing and services or the free certificate in building and construction. We are building secure housing, jobs on site, the supply chain and a magnificent economic stimulus, particularly in regional Victoria.