❓ Ms. Kent asks about the impact of changes to Government Regional Officers' Housing (GROH) policy on increasing public housing supply. The Minister outlines challenges and initiatives, including transferring surplus GROH stock to social housing.
AnsweredQoN 357Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SOCIAL HOUSING — REGIONS
357. Ms A.E. KENT to the Minister for Housing:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to delivering more
social housing, particularly in regional Western Australia. Can the
minister update the house on changes to the policy settings for Government
Regional Officers' Housing and outline how this has helped to increase
the supply of public housing?
357. Ms A.E. KENT to the Minister for Housing:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to delivering more
social housing, particularly in regional Western Australia. Can the
minister update the house on changes to the policy settings for Government
Regional Officers' Housing and outline how this has helped to increase
the supply of public housing?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for her question.
As I have said repeatedly in this
chamber, we face significant challenges in delivering housing and social
housing in Western Australia. As we know, as a result of a range of factors
that have come out of the global pandemic, we have a very tight construction market.
We have seen supply chain issues and labour shortages, and even the war in
Europe. The feedback from builders is that these factors have seen cost
escalations. Of course, all of that creates hurdles in our delivery of social
housing. But this government is committed to using every lever possible, and we
have been driving reform in our existing programs and in new programs. I have
already said in this chamber that in response to these issues we created the
modular program to deliver 200 modular homes, including 150 in the regions. We
also have the social housing economic recovery package, which is funding
community housing all across Western Australia, including in the regions, to
maintain and refurbish and also to build social housing stock. We have the $116
million Regional Land Booster program to unlock potential and get more land to
make it available in regional Western Australia, and to date that has seen
around 400 lots released to the market. Of course, we are investing around $200
million in Government Regional Officers' Housing for spot purchasing,
new builds and refurbishments.
Given the pressures we face, we also
have to look at the existing stock in the system. As the minister, one of the
reforms that I have pursued is to look at how we manage GROH. How do we look at
the vacant stock in the system? Can we have greater flexibility in how we
transfer stock that might not be needed for the GROH scheme? I am pleased to
say that as part of our ongoing review of that stock, we are adding back into the
social housing system. We are also
supporting local government and not-for-profits. We are using vacant GROH
housing stock that is surplus to needs for other purposes. We have, to
date, transferred 38 dwellings from GROH to social housing. These are across several regions, including two in Tambellup
in the great southern, two in Lake Grace in the wheatbelt, two in Derby
in the West Kimberley, another six in the midwest, 13 in the Pilbara and eight
in the south west.
I
want to assure all Western Australians, as the Minister for Housing, that this
government is constantly seeking and driving reforms to pivot delivery so that
in the heated construction market, we can deliver and add more social housing
to the system any which way we can to provide a roof for vulnerable Western Australians
during these times.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER : That
concludes question time.
As I have said repeatedly in this
chamber, we face significant challenges in delivering housing and social
housing in Western Australia. As we know, as a result of a range of factors
that have come out of the global pandemic, we have a very tight construction market.
We have seen supply chain issues and labour shortages, and even the war in
Europe. The feedback from builders is that these factors have seen cost
escalations. Of course, all of that creates hurdles in our delivery of social
housing. But this government is committed to using every lever possible, and we
have been driving reform in our existing programs and in new programs. I have
already said in this chamber that in response to these issues we created the
modular program to deliver 200 modular homes, including 150 in the regions. We
also have the social housing economic recovery package, which is funding
community housing all across Western Australia, including in the regions, to
maintain and refurbish and also to build social housing stock. We have the $116
million Regional Land Booster program to unlock potential and get more land to
make it available in regional Western Australia, and to date that has seen
around 400 lots released to the market. Of course, we are investing around $200
million in Government Regional Officers' Housing for spot purchasing,
new builds and refurbishments.
Given the pressures we face, we also
have to look at the existing stock in the system. As the minister, one of the
reforms that I have pursued is to look at how we manage GROH. How do we look at
the vacant stock in the system? Can we have greater flexibility in how we
transfer stock that might not be needed for the GROH scheme? I am pleased to
say that as part of our ongoing review of that stock, we are adding back into the
social housing system. We are also
supporting local government and not-for-profits. We are using vacant GROH
housing stock that is surplus to needs for other purposes. We have, to
date, transferred 38 dwellings from GROH to social housing. These are across several regions, including two in Tambellup
in the great southern, two in Lake Grace in the wheatbelt, two in Derby
in the West Kimberley, another six in the midwest, 13 in the Pilbara and eight
in the south west.
I
want to assure all Western Australians, as the Minister for Housing, that this
government is constantly seeking and driving reforms to pivot delivery so that
in the heated construction market, we can deliver and add more social housing
to the system any which way we can to provide a roof for vulnerable Western Australians
during these times.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER : That
concludes question time.
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