Housing
Rikkie-Lee TYRRELL (Northern Victoria) (12:22): (1025) My question today is for the minister for housing. I have been recently made aware of a large regional property owned by the Department of Health and human services on Wisely Road, Zeerust, just 15 minutes from Shepparton. This property has been vacant for at least five years, is boarded up but is being maintained. Can the minister shed some light on why this property has been left vacant for so long?
Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:23): Thank you, Mrs Tyrrell, for that question and for inquiring about this particular property. The property that you have referred to in Zeerust was purchased in 2008 for the purpose of residential care, and in 2023 it was deemed no longer fit for purpose. The property was required to be rezoned prior to it being sold. I am advised that we need to get some further information on rezoning and what that process looks like. I am sorry I cannot give you any further detail, but just to be really clear, maintaining the condition of a property which may be vacant – including prior to sale and prior to any divestment – through repairs, maintenance or structural change is par for the course in respect of any property that might be held, including for those purposes such as the one that you have referred to. Why don’t I see if I can get you some further information, including on the rezoning process. That can usually take between 12 and 18 months in general terms, but I will see what I can find you.
Rikkie-Lee TYRRELL (Northern Victoria) (12:24): I thank the minister for her very factual answer. I have had reports of a great number of public housing properties that are currently sitting vacant in my electorate of Northern Victoria. Can the minister tell me exactly how many public housing properties are vacant in my electorate?
Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:24): Thank you, Mrs Tyrrell, for that question. It might have perhaps been more useful to flip it around in terms of this being the principal question. Vacancies in our properties across the state are being managed really carefully and with purpose. We do have a lower vacancy rate in public housing around regional Victoria than the general housing stock, including through private rentals, and the total number of vacant properties has actually fallen by 19 per cent, or 721 properties, over a two-year period from 30 June 2023 to 30 June 2025. At the end of each tenancy properties are assessed for their condition. We do want to make sure that they are safe, livable and suitable homes, and there may well be extensive work that needs to be undertaken. In light of the fact that I do not have detail for your specific electorate and all of the seats that it represents across regional Victoria, why don’t I get some further detail to you on exactly what those statistics look like.