Wednesday, 4 March 2020

Statements on parliamentary committee reports

Public Accounts and Estimates Committee

Report on the 2019–20 Budget Estimates

Mr RIORDAN (Polwarth) (10:08): I rise to report this morning on the 2019–20 budget estimates, a brilliant report that, as Deputy Chair, I helped oversee in the last year. I rise specifically to talk on two elements in this report—one being the housing portfolio, chapter 4.9—and the issues around school infrastructure. Of course another report will be coming out later in the year on school infrastructure.

The housing portfolio is an interesting one because it goes to the heart of what this government says it cares about and what it actually does. When you dive down into the details in this report there is some pretty damning information coming out about the state of homelessness and availability of both social and community housing in the state of Victoria. It is quite shocking and jarring for those of us that are lucky enough to have a home to see that since 2011 the increase in homelessness in Victoria has grown by 11 per cent, and older single women in particular are bearing the brunt of this. This is an interesting mix that we have got—a government that comes out strongly talking about supporting women and a government that comes out strongly arguing about doing more for social justice in this area, but yet the statistics, the facts and the details here in our own budget reports are clearly pointing to the fact that this government says one thing and does the complete opposite. It is not even interested in solving the problem. We talk about 28 600 houses, homes, places that people can go to comfortably and safely at night just in Victoria alone that are required immediately, and this government has not put one cent towards helping rural and regional people find homes.

There are two stories that I have been dealing with in my own electorate in recent weeks. One is the situation of a young single mum with a profoundly disabled 10-year-old and a small newborn child. Her partner passed away, sadly, last year. She is by herself, and the best the state can offer her is a one-bedroom unit, and in that one-bedroom unit they have to try and make do with all the difficulties of ramps and other access that is required. They are not wanting to leave their community because of course a family like that relies on the support of her parents and her former partner’s parents, but the department’s best response is, ‘We might be able to find you a home in Geelong or Warrnambool’— a good hour away. Warrnambool of course is not only an hour away from daily and regular help from parents and other family members but another 2 hours return train trip from the Royal Children’s Hospital, which is a big concern for this young mother and her children. When we have situations like that and a government that says it cares about women and cares about supporting the vulnerable and yet can do nothing to help this situation or do anything to expediate it, it is really quite a shame. It is quite a disgrace in fact.

We see that in the housing portfolio there has been a bit of a focus in the 2019–20 budget on doing some remedial work in and around Melbourne, but even by the government’s own statistics it is falling very well short of what is required.

Another point that is made really clear in this report is that not only is there not enough housing available and there is not enough future funding for housing available but the quality of the housing that we are providing is declining. We look at the Australian Productivity Commission report where it refers quite clearly to what suitable housing stock has. Suitable housing stock has four working facilities: for washing people, for washing clothes and bedding, for storing and preparing food, and for removing sewage. You would have thought these were very basic elements in something that you provide as social housing, and yet this government has been unable to even increase the provision of that. In fact 20 per cent of their housing stock does not meet those basic requirements of removing sewage, having somewhere to wash your clothes, somewhere to wash people and somewhere to prepare and store food.

This is a government that says it cares about these issues, and yet it cannot do that. It is not putting the funds or the resources into the system to even get a simple improvement in where people can live. With that, I conclude.