Wednesday, 18 October 2023

Housing

Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (12:42): (311) My question is also for Minister Shing. How many of the 1459 households on the priority access waitlist in the Ballarat region will actually be housed under the government’s $1 billion Regional Housing Fund?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (12:42): Thank you, Mr McCracken, for that question. It is really great to be engaging with you on this and to be talking with you about the way in which housing can be delivered and should be delivered across regional Victoria. You and I share some very significant common ground around making sure that that issue, which is front of mind for so many communities across regional Victoria, is addressed. We have that additional announcement, as you quite rightly pointed out, of $1 billion for at least 1300 social homes across regional and rural Victoria, and that builds on the investment of at least $1.25 billion as part of the Big Housing Build, which is at least a quarter of the $5.3 billion overall.

We have invested in a range of projects, and I am looking forward to returning to your part of the world in the next little while to see the further work that has been done. When I look at BADAC and the work that has been delivered there to provide housing for ageing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of the community, it is about dignity and about providing spaces that are culturally safe and that are accessible. This work continues and will continue to make sure that the most vulnerable people across our communities get what they need.

The work around delivery of homes across regional Victoria continues to be developed by Homes Victoria. That is then done in partnership with community housing providers. It is also being developed alongside other businesses and industries and of course council, and they have been really significantly involved in the development of those strategies as well.

Joe McCracken: On a point of order, President, with the greatest of respect, my question was around how many of the 1459 households would be included on that list.

The PRESIDENT: The minister has been relevant to the question, and she has still got 1 minute and 19 seconds to address your concern.

Harriet SHING: Mr McCracken, I appreciate your desire to have a static answer now, but the essence of this work is that it is ongoing. I would like to see as many properties as possible brought online as soon as possible in a way that means that they are fit for purpose and accessible and that they are proximate to services and to amenity. I am talking with a range of people in this place, a range of people in the other place and people from across the political divide about what it is that they want and what it is that you want for your communities.

Just yesterday there was, I think, an adjournment matter from Ms Bath around access to housing for the Bass Coast shire and the Wonthaggi area. There are so many areas of need, and this is where priorities are developed in accordance with the housing register, the work of priority and assessment areas and the issues around need and what it means to connect and remain connected to, for example, specialist medical services and child care and schools and health care. We do want to make sure we get it right, though, Mr McCracken. That work continues every day, and as BADAC is one such example, there are others coming up in the next little while. I am looking forward to seeing you on the ground in Ballarat as that work continues.

Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (12:45): I guess the short on that is I do not know how many, and it sounds like you do not either. Given that we heard last week from the EPA that permanent housing was never recommended for the former saleyards site in Ballarat, where will the housing be constructed in Ballarat?

Melina Bath interjected.

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (12:46): I am going to pick up your interjection there, Ms Bath – ‘Ongoing discussions with councils, ongoing consultative work’. I am just going to put that on the record because this is quite literally what is happening. We want to work alongside communities. We want to make sure that when and as social housing is developed it is delivered in areas and in ways that fit the needs of communities now and into the future. We have a really significant projected growth in population, but we also have areas of significant socio-economic disadvantage and significant configurations –

Joe McCracken: On a point of order, President, with the greatest of respect, I have asked very specifically: if it is not at the Ballarat saleyards, then where is it going to be located?

The PRESIDENT: I think the minister was relevant to the question in saying there is ongoing work in identifying those locations, but I will let the minister continue.

Harriet SHING: Mr McCracken, again, we want to make sure that we are getting the housing to where it is needed. That is part of ongoing conversations. I know that is not a convenient answer for you, but for us to simply come to these outcomes without consultation would mean that we were not considering the views and priorities of communities, and we are determined to do exactly that.