❓ Question regarding the WA government's $319 million social housing economic recovery package and its impact on local businesses and employment. The Minister provides a detailed response outlining job creation, maintenance projects, and specific examples of regional businesses benefiting from the initiative.
AnsweredQoN 570Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SOCIAL HOUSING ECONOMIC
RECOVERY PACKAGE
570. Ms L.L. BAKER to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's $5.5 billion recovery plan, which includes a massive
investment in stimulating our building and
construction sectors. Can the minister please update the house on how the
government's $319 million social housing economic recovery
package is supporting local Western Australian businesses and providing more
opportunities for local Western Australian workers?
The SPEAKER : Minister. It is
a long question; I hope you have a short answer.
RECOVERY PACKAGE
570. Ms L.L. BAKER to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's $5.5 billion recovery plan, which includes a massive
investment in stimulating our building and
construction sectors. Can the minister please update the house on how the
government's $319 million social housing economic recovery
package is supporting local Western Australian businesses and providing more
opportunities for local Western Australian workers?
The SPEAKER : Minister. It is
a long question; I hope you have a short answer.
AnswerView source ↗
I am not so sure about that, mate!
I thank the member for the question
and for her enduring interest in social housing. It is great to have another
opportunity to talk about the more than half a billion dollars of additional
investment the McGowan government has brought to social housing since coming to
government. This is the latest iteration: the SHERP, as it is called. The
social housing economic recovery package is part of the McGowan government's
''WA Recovery Plan'', the first state in Australia to have such a
plan. The reason that we can have such a plan is that we are so ably led and
have done such a good job on the health crisis. The hard border created this
bubble, or the opportunity, within Western Australia
to get the economy going again. That is represented in this plan with $5.5 billion
worth of investment.
Inside
that investment is $319 million that is a direct support package to the
residential construction industry. There will be 1 700 jobs created over
two years, with 430 of those in the regions. Of course, 3 800 government homes
will receive an $80 million treatment around maintenance—that is, those
Government Regional Officers' Housing program maintenance arrangements—and
increasing the pipeline of work will ensure continued employment well beyond,
hopefully, the end of this crisis, if we see it. It is first and foremost aimed
at retaining and protecting jobs. We knew that the residential construction
industry was heading for a cliff of nearly 40 per cent unemployed out of about
60 000 people employed in the housing construction industry. That is not
something that the McGowan government was
going to let go by. This package has an incremental and direct input to Western
Australian businesses.
I can now update the house on the
latest builds. After only a few weeks into it, we are bang on track. New builds
are on track, with 64 having been allocated—33 in the metropolitan area
and 31 in the regions. We are progressing with the 1 500 homes that we are
refurbishing, with 127 allocated so far. That will take a little more time
because we have to go through it asset by asset. The first jobs will commence
later this month.
Under
the social housing economic recovery package, as at 31 July 2020, a total of
$302 821 in regional maintenance works
has been awarded across 56 properties to companies that are direct
beneficiaries. For example, I was with the member for Bunbury when Bunbury
Glass got a contract of $25 000, which might not sound a lot, but for a small
business in regional WA, it will have a great impact. It allows that company to
employ another person, who happens to have a disability, and an apprentice and
another trainee. This is the sort of direct impact that we can have when we
both listen to the industry and are able to act with decisive leadership, which
the McGowan government has done.
It
does not end there. In the south west, Ascot Aluminium, Southbound Security,
and South West Screens and D oors all got contracts. In the East
Kimberley, CMT Building and Kununurra Maintenance Service got contracts. In the wheatbelt, National Party members will be
happy to hear that Northam Carpet Court got $10 000 and Narrogin Carpet Court got $16 000; and, in the Pilbara, Karratha Glass Service got $27 000
worth of contracts. Of course, in the midwest,
Tek Building Services received $19 000. It is these suppliers to and supporters
of the residential construction industry that are thriving as a result
of the McGowan government's commitment to maintaining, protecting and
growing jobs.
Of
course, there are some good local builders. I was very clear to the agency that
I wanted to make sure that we just did
not get everything out for large projects or large builders with big balance
sheets. I wanted to make sure that we were helping medium-sized business
as much as we could. Shelford Quality Homes, a great Rockingham builder, received seven builds to the value of $1.35 million
in the suburbs of Bertram, Byford and Hilbert; and Zircon projects , a Malaga builder, has had two builds allocated to
it so far, worth $387 000, in Haynes. Again, this is a demonstration
that the McGowan government, with strong leadership, has a plan for recovery,
and the plan is working.
I thank the member for the question
and for her enduring interest in social housing. It is great to have another
opportunity to talk about the more than half a billion dollars of additional
investment the McGowan government has brought to social housing since coming to
government. This is the latest iteration: the SHERP, as it is called. The
social housing economic recovery package is part of the McGowan government's
''WA Recovery Plan'', the first state in Australia to have such a
plan. The reason that we can have such a plan is that we are so ably led and
have done such a good job on the health crisis. The hard border created this
bubble, or the opportunity, within Western Australia
to get the economy going again. That is represented in this plan with $5.5 billion
worth of investment.
Inside
that investment is $319 million that is a direct support package to the
residential construction industry. There will be 1 700 jobs created over
two years, with 430 of those in the regions. Of course, 3 800 government homes
will receive an $80 million treatment around maintenance—that is, those
Government Regional Officers' Housing program maintenance arrangements—and
increasing the pipeline of work will ensure continued employment well beyond,
hopefully, the end of this crisis, if we see it. It is first and foremost aimed
at retaining and protecting jobs. We knew that the residential construction
industry was heading for a cliff of nearly 40 per cent unemployed out of about
60 000 people employed in the housing construction industry. That is not
something that the McGowan government was
going to let go by. This package has an incremental and direct input to Western
Australian businesses.
I can now update the house on the
latest builds. After only a few weeks into it, we are bang on track. New builds
are on track, with 64 having been allocated—33 in the metropolitan area
and 31 in the regions. We are progressing with the 1 500 homes that we are
refurbishing, with 127 allocated so far. That will take a little more time
because we have to go through it asset by asset. The first jobs will commence
later this month.
Under
the social housing economic recovery package, as at 31 July 2020, a total of
$302 821 in regional maintenance works
has been awarded across 56 properties to companies that are direct
beneficiaries. For example, I was with the member for Bunbury when Bunbury
Glass got a contract of $25 000, which might not sound a lot, but for a small
business in regional WA, it will have a great impact. It allows that company to
employ another person, who happens to have a disability, and an apprentice and
another trainee. This is the sort of direct impact that we can have when we
both listen to the industry and are able to act with decisive leadership, which
the McGowan government has done.
It
does not end there. In the south west, Ascot Aluminium, Southbound Security,
and South West Screens and D oors all got contracts. In the East
Kimberley, CMT Building and Kununurra Maintenance Service got contracts. In the wheatbelt, National Party members will be
happy to hear that Northam Carpet Court got $10 000 and Narrogin Carpet Court got $16 000; and, in the Pilbara, Karratha Glass Service got $27 000
worth of contracts. Of course, in the midwest,
Tek Building Services received $19 000. It is these suppliers to and supporters
of the residential construction industry that are thriving as a result
of the McGowan government's commitment to maintaining, protecting and
growing jobs.
Of
course, there are some good local builders. I was very clear to the agency that
I wanted to make sure that we just did
not get everything out for large projects or large builders with big balance
sheets. I wanted to make sure that we were helping medium-sized business
as much as we could. Shelford Quality Homes, a great Rockingham builder, received seven builds to the value of $1.35 million
in the suburbs of Bertram, Byford and Hilbert; and Zircon projects , a Malaga builder, has had two builds allocated to
it so far, worth $387 000, in Haynes. Again, this is a demonstration
that the McGowan government, with strong leadership, has a plan for recovery,
and the plan is working.
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