Tuesday, 30 May 2023

 Samantha RATNAM (Northern Metropolitan) (12:17): (154) My question is for the minister representing the Minister for Housing. Minister, on Saturday my colleagues and I rallied with the community in Port Melbourne, who are devastated that your government plans to demolish the Barak Beacon public housing estate with no plans to rebuild public housing on the site. In fact your government’s plans will privatise the estate, with the majority handed over to private developers and with the minority of the dwellings transferred to community housing providers. In the midst of a housing affordability crisis we should not be giving away public land to private developers when we can use it to build thousands more public homes. Residents like Margaret and Jeanie spoke passionately and with distress about their experience of being doorknocked just before Christmas and being asked to leave their homes of over 25 years in some cases. The residents welcome refurbishment of their estate and welcome more public housing to be built on site. Minister, why won’t the Andrews Labor government build more public housing at Barak Beacon estate?

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers, Minister for Child Protection and Family Services) (12:18): Thank you, Dr Ratnam, for the question for the Minister for Housing. I will pass it to him for a response in accordance with the standing orders.

 Samantha RATNAM (Northern Metropolitan) (12:18): Thank you, Minister, for passing that on. By way of supplementary, Minister, following the rally you took to Twitter to claim that the Greens were protesting the building of social housing. It was clearly misinformation about what was happening at this public housing estate, so much so that Twitter has placed a community note, which is essentially a misinformation warning, on your tweet. Minister, will you apologise for posting misinformation on social media about the purpose of the community rally, which was to oppose the demolition of public housing and oppose the privatisation of this estate?

 Lizzie BLANDTHORN (Western Metropolitan – Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers, Minister for Child Protection and Family Services) (12:18): Again, thank you, Dr Ratnam. I will pass it to the Minister for Housing for a response.