Tuesday, 18 June 2024

 Martha HAYLETT (Ripon) (19:09): (706) My adjournment matter is for the attention of the Minister for Housing in the other place. The action I seek is that the minister provides me an update on the Allan Labor government’s Regional Housing Fund and how it will benefit communities across the Ripon electorate. The need for more affordable housing is raised with me by constituents, community groups and stakeholders every single day. Currently there are 58,459 applications for social housing across Victoria, including 432 families in Maryborough, 261 in Ararat, 182 in Creswick, 85 in Beaufort, 51 in Avoca and 33 in Wedderburn, and the list goes on. We have limited homelessness outreach services across Ripon and next to no transitional housing or crisis accommodation. Communities are calling out for more housing, with many trying to advance local solutions, including the Wedderburn Lions Club, who have secured land next to the neighbourhood house to build housing for older residents, and they just need investment and an interested service provider.

The Dunolly District Hospital Auxiliary have also secured land next to the local hospital for 18 units to house older residents in town, with many locals eager to move in. In Ararat, Clunes, Maryborough, Skipton and St Arnaud there is huge demand for key worker housing to expand our local industries and support agricultural businesses. And in Newbridge and Talbot we could build hundreds more affordable homes if we had the enabling infrastructure, including sewerage.

The need is there, and our government wants to help. Recently I attended the opening of four brand new homes for social housing renters in Ararat. They were delivered thanks to $1.8 million from our Labor government in partnership with Ararat Rural City Council, Haven Home Safe, E2E Growth Consultants and JG King Homes. Renters said the news had made their year, and it made mine too. My passion for ending homelessness and securing more housing for our region is what drives me most in this place, and I cannot wait to see more affordable homes built in the future. I welcome an update from the minister on how our government will deliver more affordable housing through the Regional Housing Fund.