Southern Metropolitan Region
Katherine COPSEY (Southern Metropolitan) (12:51): (516) My question is to the Minister for Housing. Last week, literally during Anti-Poverty Week, Services Australia closed the South Melbourne Centrelink office with no plans to open a new office anywhere in the local area. In my electorate, 56,000 people rely on income support payments and a substantial number of those are public housing tenants. The suggestion that residents should travel to Windsor is tone-deaf. Additional travel costs are hard to cover during this cost-of-living crisis. At the end of September, your Labor colleagues Minister Shorten and Mr Burns said they would try and find a new Centrelink location in the area, but the community has not yet received any updates about this. As the minister responsible for public housing tenants, could you please advise what representations you have made to both Services Australia and your Commonwealth colleagues to ensure Centrelink finds a new South Melbourne office so my constituents do not suffer an additional burden during this cost-of-living crisis?