Tuesday, 5 March 2024

 Cindy McLEISH (Eildon) (14:24): My question is for the Premier. Many public housing properties, like 2 Pockett Road, Healesville, have remained empty for over 12 months. Why has the Labor government left so many properties like this one unoccupied in the middle of a public housing shortage?

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:24): I thank the member for Eildon for her question. She refers to one particular property – I think she said it was in Healesville – and if the member can provide the exact address I can refer that to the Minister for Housing to be able to follow up. I do note that whether it is through our Big Housing Build – that record investment, significant investment, in building more homes – or the ongoing work that we know we need to do in terms of the maintenance and upkeep of our public housing properties, we know that we have to continue to put our shoulder to the wheel and build more homes, particularly for those Victorians who rely on the government as the housing provider to provide them with the dignity of a roof over their head.

I do note that we have made record and significant funding in this area, and that is a contrast to a previous time when a previous government in every single budget – 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 – cut funding to the housing portfolio. That is not the way that you keep up with your maintenance. That is not the way that you get more homes built. We have taken a very different approach, whether it is the $5.3 billion investment in the Big Housing Build – and I draw to the house’s attention that in just the last few weeks alone we have seen announcements for more housing for people with mental health and complex needs in the Pakenham, Drouin and Mooroopna areas –

Cindy McLeish: On a point of order, Speaker, on relevance, this related to public housing properties which are empty.

The SPEAKER: The Premier was being relevant to the question in relation to public housing.

Jacinta ALLAN: We have also made an announcement in St Kilda for a particular project that is focusing on supporting people who are homeless to be able to get into new homes. There are a range of other projects almost too numerous to mention, because when you have the $5.3 billion in the Big Housing Build, the additional $1 billion through the Regional Housing Fund and the $150 million for the regional worker fund, these are the sorts of sustained investments that result in you being able to build more homes, particularly, as I said, for people who rely on the government to do that work.

 Cindy McLEISH (Eildon) (14:27): How many public housing properties have been sitting empty for over 12 months during the housing crisis? And to make it easy, I am after a number.

 Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:27): To make it easy for the former deputy leader of the opposition, I will refer that to the Minister for Housing to provide further detail. But also to make it easy for the former deputy leader of the Liberal opposition, I will also point out to the former deputy leader of the Liberal opposition that when you oppose housing projects, like the leader has done in his own electorate, like the blocker from Brighton has done in his part of the world, you do not get any homes built for more Victorians.