❓ The Minister for Housing responds to questions about the government's investment in public and social housing, highlighting refurbishment projects and criticising the previous government's handling of housing stock.
AnsweredQoN 250Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PUBLIC AND SOCIAL HOUSING — INVESTMENT
250. Mrs M.R. MARSHALL to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the $2.6 billion investment in housing and
homelessness measures being delivered by the Cook Labor government.
(1) C an the minister update the house on how this record
investment is facilitating the extensive refurbishment of thousands of
public houses?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this work complements the construction of
hundreds of new public and social homes?
250. Mrs M.R. MARSHALL to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the $2.6 billion investment in housing and
homelessness measures being delivered by the Cook Labor government.
(1) C an the minister update the house on how this record
investment is facilitating the extensive refurbishment of thousands of
public houses?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this work complements the construction of
hundreds of new public and social homes?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
I want to thank the member for her question and her commitment to realising
social and public housing within her own constituency. On Monday, with the
member for South Perth, I had the pleasure of visiting one of our major new
refurbishment sites that saw the extensive refurbishment of 18 units in South
Perth. We made a significant investment of $3.5 million to undertake a total
revamp of these social housing units. That includes plumbing and electrical
work and kitchen and bathroom upgrades. I have to say that what I saw when
walking through was spectacular. Those refurbishments will provide secure homes
for vulnerable Western Australians.
This is just one project that
demonstrates the significant work that we are undertaking to keep stock in the
system. It is about not just keeping stock in the system, but extending its
life. The kind of investment that we have made ensures that those social homes
will remain in the system for the next 40 years. Since our record investment
and our investment in the social housing economic recovery package program, we
have delivered 1 654 major refurbishments to social houses in the system. It
means that every one of those houses stays in the system and provides secure
housing. It means that each month, with our new homes and refurbished homes, we
are returning or adding 125 social homes to the system.
Why is this an issue? Opposition
members love to rewrite history. They rewrite what we actually inherited as a government.
Let us be very clear that we face systemic issues due to the state of ageing
stock that we inherited from the previous coalition government, and it was due
to mismanagement. It was absolutely mismanagement by that government. Hundreds
of social homes were derelict. There is one great example on the public record
that we should always remember: Brownlie Towers. One tower had over 160
derelict units just sitting there. This is an extraordinary number of vacancies
to have with no plans to refurbish these completely unliveable units.
Mr R.S. Love : How many
people are living there now? How many houses are on that site now?
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr J.N. CAREY : I know the
history and record of the opposition, and the fact it has no housing plans,
agitates the member, but let us put it on the record.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr J.N. CAREY : The former
Minister for Housing at the time, Hon Colin Holt, was forced to admit that they
were sitting on 160 derelict and unfit apartments that had significant plumbing
issues and were just sitting there. Repairs worth $15 million were required and
his government did nothing. This is not an isolated story if we look at all the
projects that we inherited that this state government is fixing. Of course, the
Liberal government at the time left the
North Beach public housing site unresolved for us to fix. Subi East and Court
Place plans are progressing with the community housing sector. I have
described Bentley 360; and the Stirling Towers, in my electorate, which the
previous government left to us, will become a community housing project as
announced in December. What we have seen from the other side is a total rewrite
of history. They have used Kevin Rudd's stimulus package, and walked and strutted around with it like a drag
queen in RuPaul's Drag Race , but there was no substance at all.
There was no substance and they left us with a system that is failing.
I am deeply proud to be part of a state
government that, bit by bit and measure by measure, is fixing the chronic
existing issues and working with the community housing sector to deliver
affordable and social housing.
I want to thank the member for her question and her commitment to realising
social and public housing within her own constituency. On Monday, with the
member for South Perth, I had the pleasure of visiting one of our major new
refurbishment sites that saw the extensive refurbishment of 18 units in South
Perth. We made a significant investment of $3.5 million to undertake a total
revamp of these social housing units. That includes plumbing and electrical
work and kitchen and bathroom upgrades. I have to say that what I saw when
walking through was spectacular. Those refurbishments will provide secure homes
for vulnerable Western Australians.
This is just one project that
demonstrates the significant work that we are undertaking to keep stock in the
system. It is about not just keeping stock in the system, but extending its
life. The kind of investment that we have made ensures that those social homes
will remain in the system for the next 40 years. Since our record investment
and our investment in the social housing economic recovery package program, we
have delivered 1 654 major refurbishments to social houses in the system. It
means that every one of those houses stays in the system and provides secure
housing. It means that each month, with our new homes and refurbished homes, we
are returning or adding 125 social homes to the system.
Why is this an issue? Opposition
members love to rewrite history. They rewrite what we actually inherited as a government.
Let us be very clear that we face systemic issues due to the state of ageing
stock that we inherited from the previous coalition government, and it was due
to mismanagement. It was absolutely mismanagement by that government. Hundreds
of social homes were derelict. There is one great example on the public record
that we should always remember: Brownlie Towers. One tower had over 160
derelict units just sitting there. This is an extraordinary number of vacancies
to have with no plans to refurbish these completely unliveable units.
Mr R.S. Love : How many
people are living there now? How many houses are on that site now?
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr J.N. CAREY : I know the
history and record of the opposition, and the fact it has no housing plans,
agitates the member, but let us put it on the record.
Mr R.S. Love interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please!
Mr J.N. CAREY : The former
Minister for Housing at the time, Hon Colin Holt, was forced to admit that they
were sitting on 160 derelict and unfit apartments that had significant plumbing
issues and were just sitting there. Repairs worth $15 million were required and
his government did nothing. This is not an isolated story if we look at all the
projects that we inherited that this state government is fixing. Of course, the
Liberal government at the time left the
North Beach public housing site unresolved for us to fix. Subi East and Court
Place plans are progressing with the community housing sector. I have
described Bentley 360; and the Stirling Towers, in my electorate, which the
previous government left to us, will become a community housing project as
announced in December. What we have seen from the other side is a total rewrite
of history. They have used Kevin Rudd's stimulus package, and walked and strutted around with it like a drag
queen in RuPaul's Drag Race , but there was no substance at all.
There was no substance and they left us with a system that is failing.
I am deeply proud to be part of a state
government that, bit by bit and measure by measure, is fixing the chronic
existing issues and working with the community housing sector to deliver
affordable and social housing.
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