❓ Question on Notice regarding the implementation of the 'Skilling WA' plan, specifically concerning affordable housing and workforce development in WA, particularly in mining communities. The response details actions taken, research conducted, and future plans.
AnsweredQoN 3371Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the document, ‘Skilling WA - A workforce development plan for Western Australia’. In particular I refer to the short term priority actions 3.2.4 (Office of Land and Housing Supply - The coordination of the planning for land and housing supply in Western Australia will be undertaken by the Department of Planning’s new Office of Land and Housing Supply) and 3.2.5 (State affordable housing strategy. The Department of Housing will develop a State affordable housing strategy which will focus on strengthening social housing, improving the supply of affordable housing to the wider market, including service/key workers, non-government organisation workers and students, and supporting the transition of people through the housing system), and I ask -
(1) Given that the Minister has listed the Agencies of planning and housing as short term priority actions in the workforce development plan, how many times has the Minister met with the Ministers for Planning and Housing to discuss the provision of diverse and vibrant communities for workforce attraction and retention measures?
(2) Has any research taken place, or information been provided, on the availability of affordable housing for workers and their families in the mining communities in the northwest of Western Australia?
(3) Are there any plans to make housing available in the areas where there are currently fly-in, fly-out workers?
(4) How soon will affordable housing be supplied to service/key workers?
(5) Have any costings been done for these short term priority action, and what are they?
(6) What is the time frame for the achievement of this short term priority action?
(1) Given that the Minister has listed the Agencies of planning and housing as short term priority actions in the workforce development plan, how many times has the Minister met with the Ministers for Planning and Housing to discuss the provision of diverse and vibrant communities for workforce attraction and retention measures?
(2) Has any research taken place, or information been provided, on the availability of affordable housing for workers and their families in the mining communities in the northwest of Western Australia?
(3) Are there any plans to make housing available in the areas where there are currently fly-in, fly-out workers?
(4) How soon will affordable housing be supplied to service/key workers?
(5) Have any costings been done for these short term priority action, and what are they?
(6) What is the time frame for the achievement of this short term priority action?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
21 March 2011
Responded by
Minister for Training and Workforce Development
Response time
34 days
(1) During the development of Skilling WA the Department of Training and Workforce Development met with the Department of Housing once and the Department of Planning once to discuss these priority actions. The Department of Training and Workforce Development also met with the Departments of Housing and Planning to discuss other priority actions contained within Skilling WA.
While no formal meetings took place between myself and the Ministers for Planning and Housing regarding this issue, the Department of Training and Workforce Development did liaise closely with my office concerning its discussions with the Departments of Housing and Planning.
(2) The Pilbara Housing and Land Snapshot report is published quarterly by the Pilbara Development Commission. It details the available housing for rent and purchase in 14 towns of the Pilbara. The Government has conducted detailed housing needs assessments for Pilbara towns and the Western Australian Planning Commission is incorporating this work into the Regional HotSpots reports.
The Western Australian Planning Commission publishes details of future land and housing developments in the Karratha Regional HotSpots report. Also, the Commission will release a detailed assessment of future land and housing supply in Port and South Hedland in April 2011. Reports for Onslow, Tom Price and Newman will be released later in 2011.
(3) Yes. The Pilbara Cities project is focussed on key delivery initiatives involving essential services infrastructure, housing and land development, community development and economic diversification. As part of this project, there has been an increased focus on land development by the State (through Landcorp and Department of Housing) as well as work on attracting private sector developers to the region. Several private sector companies including Finbar, Auzcorp, Pindan Constructions, Colin Wilkinson Developments, National Lifestyle Villages, Cedar Woods, Humphrey Land Developments and Jaxon Construction have acquired State Government land parcels in the Pilbara region which they are developing in a wide range of accommodation styles. The State is continuing discussions with the private sector on options for further developments.
(4) The State has already begun providing affordable housing for service workers in the State's north. The Karratha Service Workers Accommodation project will deliver 100 rental accommodation units. Forty-eight of these units are now on site and are expecting their first tenants in the coming weeks.
In November, 2010, the Department of Housing announced the purchase of Broome Motel to provided affordable accommodation for service industry workers in Broome. The property will provide for 55 self contained units.
(5) The Office of Land and Housing Supply has an annual budget of $300 000 to 2013-14.
The State Affordable Housing Strategy will provide the framework for facilitating the delivery of affordable housing in Western Australia. Specific funding for this strategy will be part of the Department of Housing's annual budget submission.
(6) Regarding priority action 3.2.4, the Office of Land and Housing Supply has been established and is performing its function of cross-agency coordination of land availability approval processes, the collection of analytical data on land availability and affordability, and provide advice to Cabinet in respect to planning levers available to facilitate land supply.
The State Affordable Housing Strategy is expected to be released later this year.
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While no formal meetings took place between myself and the Ministers for Planning and Housing regarding this issue, the Department of Training and Workforce Development did liaise closely with my office concerning its discussions with the Departments of Housing and Planning.
(2) The Pilbara Housing and Land Snapshot report is published quarterly by the Pilbara Development Commission. It details the available housing for rent and purchase in 14 towns of the Pilbara. The Government has conducted detailed housing needs assessments for Pilbara towns and the Western Australian Planning Commission is incorporating this work into the Regional HotSpots reports.
The Western Australian Planning Commission publishes details of future land and housing developments in the Karratha Regional HotSpots report. Also, the Commission will release a detailed assessment of future land and housing supply in Port and South Hedland in April 2011. Reports for Onslow, Tom Price and Newman will be released later in 2011.
(3) Yes. The Pilbara Cities project is focussed on key delivery initiatives involving essential services infrastructure, housing and land development, community development and economic diversification. As part of this project, there has been an increased focus on land development by the State (through Landcorp and Department of Housing) as well as work on attracting private sector developers to the region. Several private sector companies including Finbar, Auzcorp, Pindan Constructions, Colin Wilkinson Developments, National Lifestyle Villages, Cedar Woods, Humphrey Land Developments and Jaxon Construction have acquired State Government land parcels in the Pilbara region which they are developing in a wide range of accommodation styles. The State is continuing discussions with the private sector on options for further developments.
(4) The State has already begun providing affordable housing for service workers in the State's north. The Karratha Service Workers Accommodation project will deliver 100 rental accommodation units. Forty-eight of these units are now on site and are expecting their first tenants in the coming weeks.
In November, 2010, the Department of Housing announced the purchase of Broome Motel to provided affordable accommodation for service industry workers in Broome. The property will provide for 55 self contained units.
(5) The Office of Land and Housing Supply has an annual budget of $300 000 to 2013-14.
The State Affordable Housing Strategy will provide the framework for facilitating the delivery of affordable housing in Western Australia. Specific funding for this strategy will be part of the Department of Housing's annual budget submission.
(6) Regarding priority action 3.2.4, the Office of Land and Housing Supply has been established and is performing its function of cross-agency coordination of land availability approval processes, the collection of analytical data on land availability and affordability, and provide advice to Cabinet in respect to planning levers available to facilitate land supply.
The State Affordable Housing Strategy is expected to be released later this year.
Notice: This document is created or edited using unregistered or evaluation copy of rtLib valid for testing or development purposes only. To use it for productive or any other purposes please register it. You may purchase the license on
http://www.rtlib.com
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