Wednesday, 1 November 2023

Ministers statements: housing workforce

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (12:29): Although I could not make it, last week we had the public housing forum and workforce awards, and thank you to parliamentary secretary Katie Hall for attending. This was an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding dedication and commitment of our public housing workforce and the really positive, life-changing and client-based outcomes that they have achieved. While these awards celebrate individual achievements, success rarely happens without the participation and collaboration of many, and I want to acknowledge and give a shout-out to the collective efforts that happen every day to support programs that help some of the most marginalised and vulnerable people across the state.

These awards are not just about recognition; they are also an opportunity to share best practice experiences and hear from experts right across the housing sector. As we look forward to 2024, I am really excited about working with people across the sector to continue to deliver the Big Housing Build, which includes homes for Aboriginal Victorians, women and children escaping family violence and people living with a disability, addiction or mental illness. I am equally excited about the commitment to deliver at least 1300 social homes across the regional part of the state and the announcement to build more and better housing in metropolitan Melbourne.

I want to give a particular shout-out to Edinha Tchong from North Melbourne estate, who I met with last week, who received a certificate for outstanding performance and leadership. Edinha has been in the sector for 32 years. She has a client-based, resident-based approach to engagement which is absolutely extraordinary. Similarly, Nick Elmes, a field services officer at the Carlton housing office, using the GoodSAM app actually revived someone using a defibrillator and quite literally saved their life. These are two examples of the extraordinary workforce we have. Thank you to each and every single one of you.