❓ The Minister for Housing provides an update on the McGowan Labor government's investment in refurbishing social housing, highlighting the program's impact on local jobs and businesses, particularly in regional WA, with $147 million invested and 1700 jobs created.
AnsweredQoN 424Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC HOUSING — REFURBISHMENT
424. Ms J.L. HANNS to the Minister for Housing:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's record investment in
refurbishing WA's ageing stock of social housing through the social housing economic recovery
package. Can the minister please update the house on this investment and
outline how it is supporting local jobs and local businesses, in particular,
those in regional Western Australia?
424. Ms J.L. HANNS to the Minister for Housing:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's record investment in
refurbishing WA's ageing stock of social housing through the social housing economic recovery
package. Can the minister please update the house on this investment and
outline how it is supporting local jobs and local businesses, in particular,
those in regional Western Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question.
The member is correct; this is the largest refurbishment program of public housing stock in Western Australian history. It is
part of our nearly $1 billion package of investment in social housing , homelessness initiatives and affordable homes. I am
deeply proud of this program because it tackles a key challenge that we
face and that I have put very clearly on the public record—that is, the
large amount of public housing stock that we have inherited that is either 30
years old and a proportion that is 40 years old. This does present a challenge
because we want to ensure that those houses remain in the public housing
system. I am also proud that a significant proportion
is going to regional Western Australia. Around 46 per cent, or $147 million, is
being invested in building , maintaining and refurbishing public housing
in regional Western Australia. That will mean that 1 700 jobs will be created
in Western Australia, and 780 in the regions.
I have been making a very
concerted effort to go out to regional communities not only to meet with local
governments , and agency and regional
staff to talk about the challenges, but also to see the delivery of this
program. There are great stories, like in Geraldton, where I met a local
Aboriginal builder GBSC Yurra that is building a new six-bedroom home for a large family in Geraldton. These are
good stories—an Aboriginal firm engaging around 40 tradespeople,
providing investment and jobs, and refurbishing public housing stock.
Across
regional locations—Northam, Narrogin, Derby, Kununurra, Fitzroy
Crossing, Karratha, Carnarvon, Geraldton , Katanning, Albany and Bunbury—we
are making that serious and historic investment to preserve housing stock to
make sure that it is there in 10 to 20 years to come.
The member is correct; this is the largest refurbishment program of public housing stock in Western Australian history. It is
part of our nearly $1 billion package of investment in social housing , homelessness initiatives and affordable homes. I am
deeply proud of this program because it tackles a key challenge that we
face and that I have put very clearly on the public record—that is, the
large amount of public housing stock that we have inherited that is either 30
years old and a proportion that is 40 years old. This does present a challenge
because we want to ensure that those houses remain in the public housing
system. I am also proud that a significant proportion
is going to regional Western Australia. Around 46 per cent, or $147 million, is
being invested in building , maintaining and refurbishing public housing
in regional Western Australia. That will mean that 1 700 jobs will be created
in Western Australia, and 780 in the regions.
I have been making a very
concerted effort to go out to regional communities not only to meet with local
governments , and agency and regional
staff to talk about the challenges, but also to see the delivery of this
program. There are great stories, like in Geraldton, where I met a local
Aboriginal builder GBSC Yurra that is building a new six-bedroom home for a large family in Geraldton. These are
good stories—an Aboriginal firm engaging around 40 tradespeople,
providing investment and jobs, and refurbishing public housing stock.
Across
regional locations—Northam, Narrogin, Derby, Kununurra, Fitzroy
Crossing, Karratha, Carnarvon, Geraldton , Katanning, Albany and Bunbury—we
are making that serious and historic investment to preserve housing stock to
make sure that it is there in 10 to 20 years to come.
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