Thursday, 16 November 2023

Responses

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (18:17): There were 13 matters for the adjournment and response from relevant ministers tonight, which includes two matters for me this evening.

I want to perhaps deal with Mrs Broad’s adjournment matter at the outset. We have contemplated a process for discussion around the specific example raised today by you in question time and then again today in the adjournment. As I said, I am really happy to work with you to understand more about this particular matter, noting that there may well have been, if the area is Echuca, an interface with natural disasters, floods et cetera. I do want to get to the bottom of that, and I am looking forward to those conversations so that we can actually provide additional information and a measure of support, should it still be required.

Where your adjournment matter relates to the Big Housing Build and the $5.3 billion, that is an investment which has yielded 7600 properties, which are either complete or in the process of being constructed through planning and construction processes. This is added to by at least an additional 1300 homes across rural and regional Victoria as part of the regional package, and then on top of that there is an additional $150 million for regional worker accommodation. This is, as you asked in one component of your adjournment, about providing an additional 1300 social homes. This is work that is already well in train around project development through Homes Victoria. There have been a number of properties that have already been provided in the course of that additional $1 billion allocation, including to flood-affected areas, and that is about making sure that people who are still recovering from last year’s floods are in a position to more readily access social housing.

I am very happy to take you through – and I am sorry – with the chamber’s forbearance, the detail of housing in the various areas that you have raised. In the Campaspe local government area we have got 16 new homes completed. The total Big Housing Build investment is $5 million, and 44 jobs have been created. A further two new homes are underway as part of other capital programs, and 283 homes have had or are in the process of having maintenance and/or upgrades undertaken across that area, with an investment of $5.4 million.

In the Greater Bendigo area 51 new homes have been completed and 261 new homes are underway. The total Big Housing Build investment is $111 million, and 998 jobs have been created. In addition to the above, a further two new homes have been completed and 48 new homes are underway as part of other capital programs, with an investment of $19.5 million and 174 jobs created. 855 homes have or are in the process of having maintenance and/or upgrades undertaken across this area, with an investment of $11 million. The minimum investment guarantee and the contracted investment for the Greater Bendigo local government area is $111 million against a minimum investment guarantee target of $85 million.

In the Mildura region, 30 new homes have been completed and 75 homes are underway. The total Big Housing Build investment is $39 million, and 352 jobs have been created. In addition to the above, a further three new homes have been completed, and four new homes are underway as part of other capital programs, with a $2 million investment and 17 jobs created. 431 homes have had or are in the process of having maintenance and/or upgrades undertaken across this area, with an investment of $7 million. The minimum investment guarantee and contracted investment for this area is $39 million against a minimum investment guarantee target of $40 million.

In Wodonga and that area, under the Big Housing Build 51 new homes have been completed and 94 ‍new homes are underway. The total Big Housing Build investment is $55 million, and 495 jobs have been created. In addition to the above, a further eight new homes have been completed and another six homes are underway as part of other capital programs, with a $9.5 million investment and 85 jobs created. 455 homes have had or are in the process of having maintenance and/or upgrades undertaken across the Wodonga local government area, with an investment of $5.5 million. The current contracted investment for the Wodonga region is $55 million against a minimum investment guarantee target of $30 million.

In Greater Shepparton and that area, 48 homes have been completed and 94 new homes are underway. The total Big Housing Build investment is $52 million, and 467 jobs have been created. In addition to the above, a further 28 homes have been completed, and 36 new homes are underway as part of other capital programs, with a $19.5 million investment and 174 jobs created. 630 homes have had or are in the process of having maintenance and/or upgrades undertaken across the area, with an investment of $9 million. The current contracted investment for the Greater Shepparton local government area and broader region is $52 million against a minimum investment guarantee target of $45 million.

In Wangaratta, under the Big Housing Build 55 new homes have been completed and 106 new homes are underway. The total Big Housing Build investment is $57 million, and 514 jobs have been created. In addition to the above, a further six new homes have been completed as part of other capital programs, with a $2 million investment and 18 jobs created. 261 homes have had or are in the process of having maintenance and/or upgrades undertaken across the Wangaratta local government area, with an investment of $3 million. The current contracted investment for the Wangaratta local government area is $57 million against a minimum investment guarantee target of $20 million.

Mrs Broad, what I also want to do is underscore the fact that 60 per cent of the Big Housing Build Funds at the end of September had been allocated. There is, as I said, that further $1 billion fund with at least 1300 homes, and this will of course include consideration of village sites for the purpose of residential development. That is being done and developed in consultation and close partnership with local government authorities, local organisations and communities to make sure that what is being delivered is fit for purpose and is able to go straight to final state rather than the athletes village accommodation and those configurations which were originally contemplated and would have required decommissioning, retrofit upgrades and possibly relocation to other rural and regional areas.

When we also talk about the work that is happening across rural and regional Victoria, affordable housing is a big part of that too. There are 2400 additional affordable homes as part of the overall figure, and we are working really closely alongside community housing providers, including as that relates to programs, support and services. We have got an investment of more than $100 million in this budget which is about refuges, about crisis accommodation and about providing support to people once a triage process has been undertaken at times of acute need. I am very happy again to provide you with additional information. There was, however, a lot of detail requested in the course of your adjournment, and that is why I have taken the time I have to take you through it. It is there, and I am very happy to continue to update you, but there is also information publicly available.

Mr Davis had the only other adjournment matter that remains outstanding for tonight. I am aware, Mr Davis, of a matter from Melbourne Water that has been brought to my attention, and there are a number of allegations that you have made in your adjournment tonight. I do not intend to go into them, on the basis that there is an investigation in place at the moment. There are matters –

David Davis: An internal investigation, as I understand it.

Harriet SHING: There may well be other investigations, Mr Davis, and it would not be appropriate for me to know about them – or for you to know about them, for that matter. Again, I would hate for you to take from my contribution this evening, Mr Davis, that I know what investigations or inquiries might be in train at the moment. I would hope also that any other people who may know about investigations or inquiries are not insinuating that they are breaching any form of confidence or confidentiality requirements in talking about any matters that are relevant to allegations of the nature that you have put to the chamber tonight.

David Davis: I don’t want you to cover up this stuff.

Harriet SHING: Mr Davis, I am going to actually pick you up on that interjection. You have just referred to a cover-up. This is actually a matter that Melbourne Water is dealing with by way of investigation. I have been advised that an investigation is occurring. It is not –

David Davis interjected.

Harriet SHING: Well, Mr Davis, it appears that you know exactly what is happening, which is more in fact than what I know. If it were the case that I knew exactly what was happening, where in fact there may be inquiries or investigations or matters referred to agencies which are beyond the scope of this Parliament to comment on and where there may well be obligations to maintain utmost confidentiality, which I hope you would appreciate, Mr Davis, then I am not going to know about them, am I? Nor would it be appropriate for me to know about them. Mr Davis, I have been advised that there is a matter under investigation. I have also been advised that the person whom you have referred to in your adjournment no longer works for Melbourne Water. I have a full expectation that Melbourne Water will make sure that relevant processes are followed, including as they relate to allegations of the nature that you have levelled. There are a range of obligations that exist for employees in every setting I can imagine around acting in the best interests of an employer and indeed in disclosing relevant matters which may have a nexus to the nature of the work being undertaken. Mr Davis, Melbourne Water is required to uphold and maintain those standards of integrity and of disclosure. Again, I am not going to comment on a matter that Melbourne Water has indicated to me is the subject of investigation, nor would it be appropriate for me to do so.

The PRESIDENT: The house stands adjourned.

House adjourned 6:28 pm.