Thursday, 31 July 2025

South-Eastern Metropolitan Region housing

Michael GALEA (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (18:26): (1800) My adjournment tonight is for the Minister for Housing and Building, Minister Shing, and the action that I seek is an update on how the Jacinta Allan Labor government is providing real and tangible social housing for my constituents in the South-Eastern Metropolitan Region. We have recently seen a very significant announcement of more than a thousand new social homes – in fact 1043 new social homes – announced across Victoria to be added to the social housing register, including for people escaping family violence, people sleeping rough and for First Nations Victorians. I am very excited to see that of this number a whopping 256 homes are to be built in Greater Dandenong, in the heart of the south-east. Indeed I absolutely have to take this opportunity to acknowledge the hard advocacy of some of my colleagues, including the member for Mordialloc, whose electorate takes in Greater Dandenong as well.

This is a terrific and very important announcement to see. We know that this government under Jacinta Allan is focused on tackling the housing crisis in Victoria. Whilst those on the other side of the chamber block, block and block again on housing, whilst we even see the Greens party blocking social housing projects too –

Nick McGowan interjected.

Michael GALEA: Well, they are not here, Mr McGowan. It is a shame. You are probably one of the better ones when it comes to yimbyism. We obviously have NIMBY-in-chief Mr Davis, who has probably left the building for the day, his tail between his legs after his nice little attempt at a stunt backfired spectacularly on him.

Nick McGowan interjected.

Michael GALEA: You must have missed it. You probably have forgotten it already wilfully, Mr McGowan. He has tried it again, just as he tried to get rid of the activity centres – the activity centres that are going to provide those genuine housing options for generation Z and millennial Victorians to actually get onto the property ladder, to actually live where they want to live, whether that is in an inner-city area, whether that is in the outer suburbs, which I am proud to represent, or whether it is in places such as Greater Dandenong. We know that the Liberal Party oppose those housing options for Victorians, just as they have consistently opposed social housing projects in the past and indeed as the Greens are currently opposing social housing projects too. But this government will continue to carry on, and I acknowledge the fierce advocacy and work and commitment of Minister Shing that she has already put in. This action that we have seen with these new homes is very significant indeed, and I very much look forward to seeing them, as I am sure the member for Mordialloc and others in this place as well will look forward to seeing them. All the while, we know that those opposite will continue to snipe and moan and deliver absolutely nothing for Victorians, because that is all you do and that is all you know how to do.

Nick McGowan: Well, we are in opposition. It is a little bit hard.

Michael GALEA: I will give you maybe one exemption there, Mr McGowan, because you are not so bad. The action that I seek is an update on the social housing that has been built in the south-east of Melbourne.