❓ Mr. Logan questions the Housing Minister about the living conditions of a public housing tenant, Tammy Cummings, and the delays in renovations. The Minister defends the department's maintenance efforts, citing numerous completed repairs and tenant-related issues causing delays.
AnsweredQoN 354Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC HOUSING — TAMMY CUMMINGS
354. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the
Minister for Housing:
Over the last two weeks of parliamentary sittings I have
drawn the minister's attention to the failings of the head contractor
maintenance model of the Department of Housing and on each occasion he has
firmly defended it.
(1) Is it
acceptable that Tammy Cummings, a young mother with three children, including a
10-week-old baby, is expected to shower in a leaking plastic mobile bathroom
set up in the driveway of her Department of Housing unit because renovations to
her home have now dragged on for six months?
(2) Is the
minister aware of letters sent by medical staff in the Department of Health
urging a housing transfer for Tammy Cummings and her children?
(3) Will the
minister commit to finding her somewhere else to live right now?
354. Mr F.M. LOGAN to the
Minister for Housing:
Over the last two weeks of parliamentary sittings I have
drawn the minister's attention to the failings of the head contractor
maintenance model of the Department of Housing and on each occasion he has
firmly defended it.
(1) Is it
acceptable that Tammy Cummings, a young mother with three children, including a
10-week-old baby, is expected to shower in a leaking plastic mobile bathroom
set up in the driveway of her Department of Housing unit because renovations to
her home have now dragged on for six months?
(2) Is the
minister aware of letters sent by medical staff in the Department of Health
urging a housing transfer for Tammy Cummings and her children?
(3) Will the
minister commit to finding her somewhere else to live right now?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3)
I thank the member for Cockburn for this question. I obviously have got some
knowledge of this over the past week, as I mentioned previously in the house.
As a general comment about
maintenance, I have mentioned before that the department has a stock of more
than 40 000 houses. Traditionally, it gets about 20 000 job orders a month and
it has possibly 5 000 outstanding at any one time. A lot of work orders have to
go out. Sometimes they do not go
well, and there are good
reasons for that, which no-one finds out about, such as the plumber or the
electrician rocking up and the person not being home. Sometimes a job order is
issued; they go to do the job and they do not get in.
A considerable amount of work has
been done on this tenant's unit, and I will get to the member's main point in a minute. A considerable
number of repairs have been done on this property. I will not read them all
out, but a lot are sink blockages. There have been 12 job orders completed
between 9 September 2011 and 18 March 2013. The first repair, carried out on 9
September, was to —
Clear blockage to kitchen sink and
bathroom basin—cause of blockage: toys.
A few months later, on 13 December
2011, to —
Clear blockage to all drains—cause
of blockage: unknown. Repair to laundry trough taps.
On 6 February 2012, a
few months later, to —
Clear blockage to bathroom drains—cause
of blockage: toys and plastic solids.
It goes on and on. There has been blockage after blockage in
the same area. In addition, five jobs orders were issued but could not be
completed because the tenant was not there.
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for West Swan, I formally call you to order for the third time today.
Let the minister answer the question.
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the third time.
Mr W.R. MARMION :
In addition to the jobs I have just listed, on 14 May this year, the department completed a maintenance property
inspection. The following repairs were completed on 27 May 2013 —
new door to storeroom
repairs to laundry door
repairs to clothesline
renew tiling on dining window sill
patch ceiling around kitchen exhaust fan
renew front door closer
renew kitchen fluro light
That is a considerable
amount of work and I have to take my hat off to the Department of Housing.
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cockburn, I call you to order for the first time today
Ms
S.F. McGurk interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Fremantle, I call you to order for the first time
today. Can you wind this one up, minister.
Mr
W.R. MARMION : I am sure I will get a supplementary, Mr Speaker.
Further to that work, the department
arranged for a kitchen upgrade, including the replacement of kitchen cupboards,
benchtop and sink. On 31 May 2013, the kitchen was installed and completed.
However, due to the tenant's personal circumstances and unavailability
the plumbing has not been connected; the tenant was not available. All this has
cost the department $17 000, but we are still working on the problem. We are still working to get the
property finished.
I thank the member for Cockburn for this question. I obviously have got some
knowledge of this over the past week, as I mentioned previously in the house.
As a general comment about
maintenance, I have mentioned before that the department has a stock of more
than 40 000 houses. Traditionally, it gets about 20 000 job orders a month and
it has possibly 5 000 outstanding at any one time. A lot of work orders have to
go out. Sometimes they do not go
well, and there are good
reasons for that, which no-one finds out about, such as the plumber or the
electrician rocking up and the person not being home. Sometimes a job order is
issued; they go to do the job and they do not get in.
A considerable amount of work has
been done on this tenant's unit, and I will get to the member's main point in a minute. A considerable
number of repairs have been done on this property. I will not read them all
out, but a lot are sink blockages. There have been 12 job orders completed
between 9 September 2011 and 18 March 2013. The first repair, carried out on 9
September, was to —
Clear blockage to kitchen sink and
bathroom basin—cause of blockage: toys.
A few months later, on 13 December
2011, to —
Clear blockage to all drains—cause
of blockage: unknown. Repair to laundry trough taps.
On 6 February 2012, a
few months later, to —
Clear blockage to bathroom drains—cause
of blockage: toys and plastic solids.
It goes on and on. There has been blockage after blockage in
the same area. In addition, five jobs orders were issued but could not be
completed because the tenant was not there.
Ms R. Saffioti interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for West Swan, I formally call you to order for the third time today.
Let the minister answer the question.
Mr P. Papalia interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Warnbro, I call you to order for the third time.
Mr W.R. MARMION :
In addition to the jobs I have just listed, on 14 May this year, the department completed a maintenance property
inspection. The following repairs were completed on 27 May 2013 —
new door to storeroom
repairs to laundry door
repairs to clothesline
renew tiling on dining window sill
patch ceiling around kitchen exhaust fan
renew front door closer
renew kitchen fluro light
That is a considerable
amount of work and I have to take my hat off to the Department of Housing.
Mr F.M. Logan interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Cockburn, I call you to order for the first time today
Ms
S.F. McGurk interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Fremantle, I call you to order for the first time
today. Can you wind this one up, minister.
Mr
W.R. MARMION : I am sure I will get a supplementary, Mr Speaker.
Further to that work, the department
arranged for a kitchen upgrade, including the replacement of kitchen cupboards,
benchtop and sink. On 31 May 2013, the kitchen was installed and completed.
However, due to the tenant's personal circumstances and unavailability
the plumbing has not been connected; the tenant was not available. All this has
cost the department $17 000, but we are still working on the problem. We are still working to get the
property finished.
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