❓ Ms. Hammat asks about the impact of the government's $2.4 billion investment in social housing and homelessness. The Minister details progress, including homes added, maintenance completed, and various initiatives, while also criticising the opposition's record and statements.
AnsweredQoN 831Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SOCIAL
HOUSING — DELIVERY
831. Ms M.J. HAMMAT to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's
unprecedented investment into social housing and homelessness. Can the minister
update the house on how this government's record $2.4 billion
investment into social housing and homelessness is delivering more social
housing for Western Australians, as well as critical maintenance work across
the existing social housing stock?
HOUSING — DELIVERY
831. Ms M.J. HAMMAT to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's
unprecedented investment into social housing and homelessness. Can the minister
update the house on how this government's record $2.4 billion
investment into social housing and homelessness is delivering more social
housing for Western Australians, as well as critical maintenance work across
the existing social housing stock?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for her question.
This government is doing everything it can to accelerate the
delivery of social housing in Western Australia. It has set an ambitious target
of adding 3 300 homes, in perhaps one of the toughest construction markets that
our state has ever seen. That is a $2.4 billion program in housing and homelessness.
I am really proud of all the reforms that we have been undertaking over the
past few years. To date, we have added over 800 homes to the system, with another 900 under contract or construction. There
has also been a lot of refurbishment and maintenance work. Since July
2020, almost 500 000 work orders have been completed, worth over $370 million,
for the maintenance and refurbishment of 19 000
properties. That includes major refurbishments of 521 properties through the
social housing economic recovery package grants program.
We have reformed delivery through
acceleration, through using timber-framed, prefab and modular homes, and the
spot purchasing program. We are boosting the community housing sector through
SHERP grants to community housing providers, many of which are in the regions,
with 320 homes. We are accelerating the speed of delivery by creating new panels for small and medium-size
builders, and through our modular panels. We have created the housing
diversity pipeline by unlocking lazy government land to secure one in five
social houses. We have brought in the $350 million remote communities fund to
deliver housing in remote communities, which the federal Liberal–National
government walked away from.
We have brought in tax reforms.
That includes a 100 per cent rebate on affordable product. We have changed the Keystart income limits. We have brought in a new
Keystart urban infill product. We are bringing in build-to-rent to support workers' accommodation. We also
have the regional land supply program, which is delivering 500 subsidised lots to the market. I have also announced a huge number of homelessness
reforms. That includes 100 social homes. We also have Boorloo Bidee Mia, which
is operating at 100 per cent. This is a great story of reform in the delivery
of housing.
I note the opposition. All I can
say is that it is a conga line of stuff-ups. Have I got that right? I thought I
would go back to it because I did stuff it up before. What we have seen from
the opposition have been mistruths, bizarre comments
and flip-flops. Yesterday, the Leader of the Opposition said that we were not
delivering any social houses . That is absolutely false. In two years,
the opposition has not put forward one housing or homelessness policy. When Hon
Steve Martin was asked this year, ''What are you going to do about it?'',
he said, ''I think we can look at maintenance work.'' I have just
said that we have completed 500 000 work orders, worth over $370 million, for
maintenance and refurbishments. The opposition gets basic statistics wrong. Hon
Steve Martin and the member for Vasse said
that there are 1 000 rough sleepers in the city. They put out a press release
that Common Ground had been scrapped. They said that Boorloo Bidee Mia
was operating at 50 per cent capacity.
Yesterday, the opposition spruiked
its record about Government Regional Officers' Housing investment in
the wheatbelt. In fact, to paraphrase the Leader of the Opposition, she said
that when the opposition came into government
in 2008–09, it made a significant investment in Government Regional
Officers' Housing. The Leader of the Opposition forgot to say
that as a member of that cabinet, she oversaw the largest selling off of GROH
homes in the wheatbelt region in any one financial year. That is a fact. That
is the record of the Leader of the Opposition. She came into this place yesterday and tried to rewrite history. I will
be getting the Leader of the Opposition a T-shirt that says, ''I
sold off the most GROH homes in the wheatbelt.'' It will be green and
gold, and she can add it to her anti-Metronet slogans.
Point of Order
Dr D.J.
HONEY : Speaker —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Before I give you the call, I remind members that points of
order are heard in silence and are determined by me.
Dr D.J. HONEY : This is a second
reading speech, not an answer to a question.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
That is an opinion; it is not a point of order. Minister for Housing, I ask you
to wrap up your answer, please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr J.N. CAREY : I think those
T-shirts would sell well. In fact, when I go out to regional local governments
and when I speak to local governments in the wheatbelt, they are shocked by the
record of the Leader of the Opposition in that she oversaw the greatest selling
off of GROH homes in any one financial year. That is her record. It cannot be
denied.
The point I am making is there is a
very clear difference between our side and that side. In two years, the
opposition has not come up with one policy solution. Opposition members have
not even had the respect and dignity, in their five years in opposition, to go
to the Mission Australia homelessness lunch.
Our
government is clearly demonstrating that it is accelerating the delivery of
social housing through a large number of reforms to help the most
vulnerable in Western Australia.
The SPEAKER : The member for Roe with the last question
for 2022.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
This government is doing everything it can to accelerate the
delivery of social housing in Western Australia. It has set an ambitious target
of adding 3 300 homes, in perhaps one of the toughest construction markets that
our state has ever seen. That is a $2.4 billion program in housing and homelessness.
I am really proud of all the reforms that we have been undertaking over the
past few years. To date, we have added over 800 homes to the system, with another 900 under contract or construction. There
has also been a lot of refurbishment and maintenance work. Since July
2020, almost 500 000 work orders have been completed, worth over $370 million,
for the maintenance and refurbishment of 19 000
properties. That includes major refurbishments of 521 properties through the
social housing economic recovery package grants program.
We have reformed delivery through
acceleration, through using timber-framed, prefab and modular homes, and the
spot purchasing program. We are boosting the community housing sector through
SHERP grants to community housing providers, many of which are in the regions,
with 320 homes. We are accelerating the speed of delivery by creating new panels for small and medium-size
builders, and through our modular panels. We have created the housing
diversity pipeline by unlocking lazy government land to secure one in five
social houses. We have brought in the $350 million remote communities fund to
deliver housing in remote communities, which the federal Liberal–National
government walked away from.
We have brought in tax reforms.
That includes a 100 per cent rebate on affordable product. We have changed the Keystart income limits. We have brought in a new
Keystart urban infill product. We are bringing in build-to-rent to support workers' accommodation. We also
have the regional land supply program, which is delivering 500 subsidised lots to the market. I have also announced a huge number of homelessness
reforms. That includes 100 social homes. We also have Boorloo Bidee Mia, which
is operating at 100 per cent. This is a great story of reform in the delivery
of housing.
I note the opposition. All I can
say is that it is a conga line of stuff-ups. Have I got that right? I thought I
would go back to it because I did stuff it up before. What we have seen from
the opposition have been mistruths, bizarre comments
and flip-flops. Yesterday, the Leader of the Opposition said that we were not
delivering any social houses . That is absolutely false. In two years,
the opposition has not put forward one housing or homelessness policy. When Hon
Steve Martin was asked this year, ''What are you going to do about it?'',
he said, ''I think we can look at maintenance work.'' I have just
said that we have completed 500 000 work orders, worth over $370 million, for
maintenance and refurbishments. The opposition gets basic statistics wrong. Hon
Steve Martin and the member for Vasse said
that there are 1 000 rough sleepers in the city. They put out a press release
that Common Ground had been scrapped. They said that Boorloo Bidee Mia
was operating at 50 per cent capacity.
Yesterday, the opposition spruiked
its record about Government Regional Officers' Housing investment in
the wheatbelt. In fact, to paraphrase the Leader of the Opposition, she said
that when the opposition came into government
in 2008–09, it made a significant investment in Government Regional
Officers' Housing. The Leader of the Opposition forgot to say
that as a member of that cabinet, she oversaw the largest selling off of GROH
homes in the wheatbelt region in any one financial year. That is a fact. That
is the record of the Leader of the Opposition. She came into this place yesterday and tried to rewrite history. I will
be getting the Leader of the Opposition a T-shirt that says, ''I
sold off the most GROH homes in the wheatbelt.'' It will be green and
gold, and she can add it to her anti-Metronet slogans.
Point of Order
Dr D.J.
HONEY : Speaker —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Before I give you the call, I remind members that points of
order are heard in silence and are determined by me.
Dr D.J. HONEY : This is a second
reading speech, not an answer to a question.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
That is an opinion; it is not a point of order. Minister for Housing, I ask you
to wrap up your answer, please.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr J.N. CAREY : I think those
T-shirts would sell well. In fact, when I go out to regional local governments
and when I speak to local governments in the wheatbelt, they are shocked by the
record of the Leader of the Opposition in that she oversaw the greatest selling
off of GROH homes in any one financial year. That is her record. It cannot be
denied.
The point I am making is there is a
very clear difference between our side and that side. In two years, the
opposition has not come up with one policy solution. Opposition members have
not even had the respect and dignity, in their five years in opposition, to go
to the Mission Australia homelessness lunch.
Our
government is clearly demonstrating that it is accelerating the delivery of
social housing through a large number of reforms to help the most
vulnerable in Western Australia.
The SPEAKER : The member for Roe with the last question
for 2022.
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
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