❓ Mr. Logan questions the Minister for Housing about UWA's allocation of NRAS-funded housing to international students, contrary to the scheme's intention to prioritise low-income students. The Minister acknowledges the concern and states that the WA government has requested a review from the Commonwealth.
AnsweredQoN 178Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
UNIVERSITY
STUDENT HOUSING — NATIONAL RENTAL AFFORDABILITY SCHEME
178. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the
Minister for Housing:
I draw the minister's attention to his ministerial
statement of 25 June 2013 regarding national rental affordability scheme–funded
university housing, specifically when he told the house —
The rooms will be allocated to
students on low income to moderate incomes with other conditions placed on the
funding to ensure that those most in need will benefit from the scheme.
(1) Why is the minister allowing the university to disregard
these conditions?
(2) Will the
minister guarantee that no low-income student will be without housing due to
wealthy full-fee-paying international students being given preference?
STUDENT HOUSING — NATIONAL RENTAL AFFORDABILITY SCHEME
178. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the
Minister for Housing:
I draw the minister's attention to his ministerial
statement of 25 June 2013 regarding national rental affordability scheme–funded
university housing, specifically when he told the house —
The rooms will be allocated to
students on low income to moderate incomes with other conditions placed on the
funding to ensure that those most in need will benefit from the scheme.
(1) Why is the minister allowing the university to disregard
these conditions?
(2) Will the
minister guarantee that no low-income student will be without housing due to
wealthy full-fee-paying international students being given preference?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Cockburn for the question. It is a
relevant question and it is of concern to me.
(1)–(2)
Both the University of Western Australia and Edith Cowan University have been
allocated NRAS incentives. Edith Cowan University has 142 incentives, of which
70 have been delivered. UWA has 1 000 incentives, of which —
Tabling of Paper
Mrs
M.H. ROBERTS : It appears that the Minister for Housing is reading
from a document. I ask that he table that document. I hope the minister has not
written on it to prevent himself from tabling it.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Points of order are
to be taken in silence. Minister, if it is an official document, will you table
it? If it is your notes, it is a different story.
Mr W.R. MARMION : Mr Speaker,
this document was prepared for me for Parliament. I am happy for you to examine
it and you can make your determination. These are dot point notes. If the house
wants my response to a very good question from the member for Cockburn, I am happy
to give it.
The SPEAKER : Carry
on, minister.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr W.R. MARMION :
These are my notes. I do not know the exact number of houses specified in the
member's question that might be rented to —
Mr B.S. Wyatt :
What do you mean? You wrote the question! Of course you do.
Suspension of Member Statement
The SPEAKER : Member for Victoria
Park, in accordance with standing order 48, I call you to order for the fourth
time. Please leave the chamber for the rest of the day's sitting.
[The member for Victoria Park left the chamber.]
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr W.R. MARMION :
The member for Cockburn asked a very good question. If members opposite want to
hear the answer, they might like to pay attention because I have a fair bit of
information that might be of use to them.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
Table it and we'll read it.
Mr W.R. MARMION : I
will read it out, if members want to hear it. I do not have to.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
Get on with it!
Mr W.R. MARMION :
Okay. At the request of the WA government, the incentives for both universities
were conditioned on the proviso that the accommodation had to be for students
with low socioeconomic status, students with disabilities, Indigenous
Australian students, students from rural and isolated areas of WA and women
enrolled in non-traditional disciplines such as engineering, computer science
and postgraduate study. I am advised that most of the UWA units were tenanted
during February 2013 and will be subject to the commonwealth government's
annual compliance review in May and June this year. This will be the first time
that UWA has been required to complete a full year's compliance audit.
We are starting a very new program. Interim information provided by the
commonwealth Department of Social Services on 17 March this year reveals—this
is of some concern to me—that 65 per cent of NRAS dwellings at UWA are
currently tenanted to foreign students. Thirty-eight percent of foreign
students occupy NRAS dwellings at Edith Cowan University. This outcome does not
appear to be consistent with the intentions of the WA government, nor the
conditions of the offer of the NRAS incentives made by the commonwealth
government. We have written to the commonwealth requesting that the situation
be reviewed as a matter of priority.
relevant question and it is of concern to me.
(1)–(2)
Both the University of Western Australia and Edith Cowan University have been
allocated NRAS incentives. Edith Cowan University has 142 incentives, of which
70 have been delivered. UWA has 1 000 incentives, of which —
Tabling of Paper
Mrs
M.H. ROBERTS : It appears that the Minister for Housing is reading
from a document. I ask that he table that document. I hope the minister has not
written on it to prevent himself from tabling it.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Points of order are
to be taken in silence. Minister, if it is an official document, will you table
it? If it is your notes, it is a different story.
Mr W.R. MARMION : Mr Speaker,
this document was prepared for me for Parliament. I am happy for you to examine
it and you can make your determination. These are dot point notes. If the house
wants my response to a very good question from the member for Cockburn, I am happy
to give it.
The SPEAKER : Carry
on, minister.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr W.R. MARMION :
These are my notes. I do not know the exact number of houses specified in the
member's question that might be rented to —
Mr B.S. Wyatt :
What do you mean? You wrote the question! Of course you do.
Suspension of Member Statement
The SPEAKER : Member for Victoria
Park, in accordance with standing order 48, I call you to order for the fourth
time. Please leave the chamber for the rest of the day's sitting.
[The member for Victoria Park left the chamber.]
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr W.R. MARMION :
The member for Cockburn asked a very good question. If members opposite want to
hear the answer, they might like to pay attention because I have a fair bit of
information that might be of use to them.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
Table it and we'll read it.
Mr W.R. MARMION : I
will read it out, if members want to hear it. I do not have to.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
Get on with it!
Mr W.R. MARMION :
Okay. At the request of the WA government, the incentives for both universities
were conditioned on the proviso that the accommodation had to be for students
with low socioeconomic status, students with disabilities, Indigenous
Australian students, students from rural and isolated areas of WA and women
enrolled in non-traditional disciplines such as engineering, computer science
and postgraduate study. I am advised that most of the UWA units were tenanted
during February 2013 and will be subject to the commonwealth government's
annual compliance review in May and June this year. This will be the first time
that UWA has been required to complete a full year's compliance audit.
We are starting a very new program. Interim information provided by the
commonwealth Department of Social Services on 17 March this year reveals—this
is of some concern to me—that 65 per cent of NRAS dwellings at UWA are
currently tenanted to foreign students. Thirty-eight percent of foreign
students occupy NRAS dwellings at Edith Cowan University. This outcome does not
appear to be consistent with the intentions of the WA government, nor the
conditions of the offer of the NRAS incentives made by the commonwealth
government. We have written to the commonwealth requesting that the situation
be reviewed as a matter of priority.
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