Homeless Funding Arrangements

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton) (14:24): My question is to the Minister for Social Housing. What action has the minister taken to achieve funding continuity for the specialist homelessness services sector?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay—Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:24): I thank the member for this important question and note his ongoing interest in community welfare. Almost nine years ago, a new prime minister asked members of parliament to visit homeless shelters to get a firsthand view of the significant nationwide challenge that is homelessness.

The executive director of the Brotherhood of St Laurence was asked to lead a national committee in the development of a long-term plan to improve the issue, and what followed was the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness. This agreement initially provided funds for a minimum of three years, with equal contributions from the commonwealth and the states. This time frame ensured that homelessness services could recruit and retain critical workers, who do some of the hardest work in Australia.

In South Australia, our homelessness and domestic violence system now consists of dozens of services across the state, with annual funding of more than $50 million. Approximately one-third of this vital funding comes from the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness, and yet we are now in the position where our future progress has been once again put at risk. In recent years, the agreement has twice been extended for one year only—

Mr Gardner interjecting:

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: —and in 2015 was not renewed until weeks before it was due to expire.

The SPEAKER: The member for Morialta is warned for the second and final time. Minister.

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON: By this late stage, critical staff had already begun to leave the sector and, when the agreement was finally extended, those who remained were not provided with the reassurance of the Equal Remuneration Order from Fair Work Australia to ensure they were compensated properly. In contrast, the South Australian government's contribution to the agreement has provided additional funds for the Equal Remuneration Order.

On 1 January 2016, I wrote to the commonwealth Minister For Social Services, the Hon. Christian Porter, to ask that the continuity of homelessness funding be made a priority. I highlighted that, if agreement on future funding is not reached by early 2017, there is significant risk of services being terminated. This would threaten assistance provided by the sector to more than 20,000 South Australians each year. Further, if this funding cannot be secured, approximately 230 jobs from the South Australian specialist homelessness services sector will be put at risk. To date, I have not received a response.

In order to ensure that this matter is centrestage, where it belongs, South Australia has written a submission to a meeting of ministers with responsibility for housing and homelessness that will take place in Brisbane on 31 March 2016. With the talk of an early election, there has never been a better time for the commonwealth to declare support for those most vulnerable in our community.