Tuesday, 1 August 2023

Eastern Victoria Region housing affordability

Melina BATH (Eastern Victoria) (20:21): (343) My adjournment debate this evening is for the Minister for Housing in the other place, and it relates to housing, homelessness and the cost of living in my Eastern Victoria electorate. There is a sensational person called Sarah Copland. She is the pastor of Enjoy Church in Gippsland. She and her incredible team of volunteers support vulnerable locals. Located in Morwell, the front line of crisis and the heartland, unfortunately, of need in this area, she operates a number of programs that support people who are struggling with the cost of living and struggling with homelessness. She runs Re.store pantry, which provides an opportunity for people to fill their larders. She has a market day in conjunction with Foodbank Victoria once a month, and she has seen the demand grow and grow like never before. The cost of housing and the cost of rent, food and electricity are having a profound impact on people’s lives. She once upon a time would see a few families; now it is a least 200 a month that come through and use the food bank in Morwell.

Recently, talking to her about housing stress specifically, she said the need is dire and is growing. There are multiple families living under one roof because they cannot afford to live separately. Social and affordable housing in Eastern Victoria Region is absolutely on the must-do list. We have seen with the Andrews government how they are all too happy now that the political situation has passed, the election has come and gone and they have worked out that it was a flawed policy to have a Commonwealth Games that they could not afford, to backtrack on the whole business.

The Council to Homeless Persons has some very grim figures. Gippsland homelessness has surged in the past four years between assessments – 10 per cent in East Gippsland, 32 per cent in South Gippsland, 38 per cent in Narracan, a shocking 85 per cent in Morwell and 113 per cent in Pakenham ‍– and there is great scepticism as to whether the Andrews government will actually deliver any of the slated 1300 social and affordable homes after the Commonwealth Games debacle. So I ask the minister to provide a time line for my electorate of Eastern Victoria. When will the homes be built, how many will there be and when can we see the bricks and mortar come to fruition?