Tuesday, 3 March 2026

 Anasina GRAY-BARBERIO (Northern Metropolitan) (21:15): (2361) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Consumer Affairs, and the action I seek is that the government introduce rent controls to stop unaffordable rent increases. Victoria is in a rental crisis, a crisis that my constituents in Northern Metro know all too well, with 40.6 per cent of the population in Northern Metro being renters. The average weekly income in Victoria is roughly $1380. Meanwhile the average rent in Melbourne has climbed to $580 weekly, consuming a whopping 42 per cent of a person’s income. That hardly leaves anything left over once the grocery shop has been done, utility bills paid and fuel and transport costs met. Minister, how are renters expected to save for a home and build financial security? The average age of residents in Northern Metro is approximately 30 years of age – the perfect time to start thinking about their future and building up their financial security. People instead are cutting back on essentials just to keep a roof over their heads. I have heard from my constituents who are skipping doctor and dentist visits just to afford their rent. No-one should have to choose between their health issues and their housing.

Across Victoria, people are struggling to make ends meet. The cost-of-living crisis is deepening and creating housing insecurity. People do not know if they will be able to afford their next lease renewal. They are living with constant stress about being priced out of their homes and their communities. For too long the government has allowed rents to keep rising without real limits, and as long as that continues, renting will stay unaffordable. Minister, will you finally take substantial steps to ensure rents are affordable and secure for everyday Victorians in Northern Metro?