Thursday, 19 March 2026

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:36): (1283) My question is to the minister who formerly held the portfolio of Minister for Commonwealth Games Legacy but in her current capacity as the minister for housing. In July 2023 when your government killed the Victorian Commonwealth Games it promised there would be at least 1300 new homes constructed across regional Victoria and it touted the promises for 2026. Yet, Minister, by 30 June last year only $91.5 million had been spent on homes construction, with $420 million slated to be spent by 30 June this year. I therefore ask, Minister: isn’t it a fact that the 1300 new homes, as well as further upgrades, will not be delivered in full by the end of 2026?

Evan Mulholland interjected.

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:37): You know what, Mr Mulholland, I am going to take up that interjection, because it is a great question. It is a great question because it gives me an opportunity to talk you through the work that we have been undertaking ever since the $2 billion regional package was announced. That $2 billion regional package was about delivering benefit to rural and regional communities right across the state to make sure that we could not only upgrade sporting infrastructure, not only provide key worker accommodation and not only provide opportunities for towns and for regional centres to thrive but also deliver at least 1300 additional social housing homes and hundreds of additional upgrades. Now, Mr Davis, let me take you back in time, because –

Renee Heath: On a point of order, President, question time is not a time to patronise the opposition. I ask you, on relevance, to bring her back to the question.

The PRESIDENT: I was struggling to hear the minister because there was a lot of yelling. I am happy to give her the benefit of the doubt because I could not hear anything because of the yelling.

Harriet SHING: Mr Davis, when the housing for athletes villages was foreshadowed – and Ms Bath actually picked this up in a number of questions that she asked at the time about the fittings and fixtures for these homes, talking about kitchens and garages – it was temporary accommodation. It was accommodation for a 12-day period – namely for the duration of the games. What we delivered as part of the regional package was a commitment for at least 1300 homes. They are fully appointed and fitted-out homes which will meet the needs of people on the Victorian housing register to be able to call long-term housing. 630 homes are currently underway or complete through the Regional Housing Fund. That sits as a $1 billion commitment to be delivered on, alongside the Big Housing Build, which is $1.25 billion for rural and regional Victoria. Mr Davis, that is of an order of magnitude far outstripping anything that you ever, ever committed to as part of social housing. What we are delivering is –

Renee Heath: On a point of order, President, question time is not an opportunity to attack the opposition. Isn’t it a fact that 1300 new homes, as well as further upgrades, will not be delivered in full?

The PRESIDENT: You do not need to repeat the question in the point of order. I uphold the point of order in terms of question time not being a time to attack the opposition. As well as that, interjections are unruly. Maybe the chamber can take a deep breath.

Harriet SHING: Over 4900 homes are currently complete or underway through our programs across rural and regional Victoria. That includes the homes that we have committed to building as part of the Regional Housing Fund, and that includes further work that we are getting underway to deliver social housing homes, for example, in Colac – homes that you are objecting to on the basis that they are too close to a cemetery, Mr Davis. You are blocking and opposing the delivery of social housing homes in rural and regional communities because you say that they should not be too close to a cemetery.

 David DAVIS (Southern Metropolitan) (12:41): As the minister has outlined, the housing commitment made by the state government committed to fully funding regional housing, but it appears only 10 per cent of the fund has so far been spent, most of it actually on upgrading existing stock. I therefore ask: how much of the regional fund has so far been spent and how many new homes, rather than replacements, have been built to date?

 Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:42): Let me be really clear, Mr Davis: the commitment is for at least 1300 new homes across rural and regional Victoria and hundreds of additional upgrades. To date, 630 homes are underway or complete through the Regional Housing Fund. Every day we complete eight new social housing homes across the state. You would not know that, because you cut funding to delivering social housing and went backwards by 250 homes every year.

Nick McGowan: On a point of order, President, it is not often that I will complain about behaviour, because mine is not always exemplary. However, I do believe I heard a member opposite tell me to shut up. I would suggest that is not parliamentary. I do not do it myself, and I certainly would not expect it, but I would expect that to be withdrawn by the member who said that.

The PRESIDENT: Does the member want to withdraw it? I do not know who it was.

Tom McIntosh: On the point of order, President, I may have indicated that Mr McGowan was making too much noise. I stand by the noise comment, but if my comments were offensive, I withdraw them.

David Davis: On a point of order, President, the minister was straying into an attack on the opposition. She knows she is not to do that, and she needs to come back and just simply answer how many new homes have been completed to date, which she seems resistant to do.

The PRESIDENT: I believe the minister was being relevant to the question.

Harriet SHING: I have answered the question, Mr Davis. It is just unfortunate that you do not like it, because you have never liked delivering social housing across the state. What I will say in relation to upgrades is that they provide habitable –

David Davis: On a point of order, President, the minister knows she is not to attack the opposition, and she does seem to struggle with that. I have not been troublesome with this question; I have been very direct. It is a very precise question: how many new homes to date?

Jaclyn Symes: She has already answered it.

David Davis: No, she has not, actually. She keeps saying ‘and underway’.

The PRESIDENT: I believe the minister has been relevant to the question. I uphold the part of the point of order about not attacking opposition.

Harriet SHING: We provide eight new homes every single day around the state for Victorians who are on the social housing register to call their own. There are thousands of upgrades across the state, including hundreds across rural and regional Victoria – homes which you did not want to upgrade or repair after floods and emergencies, as your former minister was on the record as saying.

The PRESIDENT: I think the minister has finished her answer.

David Davis: On a point of order, President, she is flouting your ruling. It is an attack on the opposition. It is clear what is going on. She needs to stop it and just simply answer the question of how many to date.

The PRESIDENT: I think the minister has finished her answer. I appreciate, Mr Davis, your point of order about the minister flouting my direction, but I have got to say I feel like I am getting flouted in every direction, so maybe everyone could stop the flouting.