Friday, 14 November 2025

 Will FOWLES (Ringwood) (14:53): (1394) My constituency question is to the Minister for Housing and Building. When will tenants be able to move into the new public housing at the McDowall Street development in Mitcham? This 62-dwelling Big Housing Build project was announced in 2021, and only recently has construction actually commenced. The site is in the heart of the Ringwood electorate, and my local constituents have consistently raised concerns about the exceptionally slow delivery of the project. More than 66,000 Victorians are sitting on the waiting list for public housing, a number which has not been updated since June. These Victorians deserve certainty about when projects will be completed. I note that the minister has previously advised that construction is expected to be completed in 2027. A six-year gap between announcement and completion is a huge delay, and I remain concerned about the pace at which these housing commitments are materialising. While it is welcome to see work finally underway, families in my community need a clear timeline for when these long-promised homes will be ready for tenants to move in.