Housing Trust Properties

Mr GEE (Napier) (15:07): My question is to the Minister for Housing and Urban Development. Can the minister update the house on how the South Australian government is delivering better homes for Housing Trust tenants and stimulating the housing construction industry?

The Hon. S.C. MULLIGHAN (Lee—Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, Minister for Housing and Urban Development) (15:07): I thank the member for Napier for his question. I particularly know that he is a very passionate supporter of Housing Trust homes in his electorate. The South Australian government is delivering one of the biggest upgrades to our ageing public Housing Trust stock in the state's history. Many of our Housing Trust homes are more than 45 years old, and it costs a considerable amount of money to maintain them. Many don't suit the needs of tenants. Many are very large, and also expensive, for the tenants occupying them.

Through our various renewal programs, the state government will be replacing thousands of dwellings that will result in a public housing portfolio that better meets the needs of tenants now and into the future. Our Renewing Our Streets and Suburbs initiative will see us renew 4,500 pre-1968 Housing Trust homes located within 10 kilometres of the city by 2020. I can advise that as of the end of October, 769 development opportunities have been released, which will deliver approximately 1,100 new dwellings.

Further, the $208 million 1000 Homes in 1000 Days program, announced in the now not so recent Mid-Year Budget Review, is also progressing well. This initiative will see us build energy-efficient, better designed new public housing that will support not only tenants but also approximately 400 jobs this year and about 500 jobs a year in 2017 and 2018. As at the end of October, 143 had been completed or are under construction, with tenders issued for another 183, and Renewal SA plans to issue more tenders prior to Christmas for the construction of approximately a further 150 homes. The majority of the materials being used to build these new homes are either sourced, value-added, or manufactured in South Australia, with builders subcontracting local tradespeople for the work required.

We are also committed to improving existing homes, and in the 2015-16 state budget the government committed an extra $5 million towards upgrades and capital improvements to Housing Trust homes in the northern suburbs. The works include both internal and external works, such as kitchen and bathroom upgrades, new roofs, structural repairs, internal and external painting, and improvements to common areas. The upgrades and improvements were determined on a property-by-property basis, with 317 Housing Trust homes covered by the work.

Twenty groups of Housing Trust homes and two walk-up flat sites are also receiving external common area upgrades. The sites were located across the City of Salisbury and the City of Playford, and include homes in Elizabeth East, Elizabeth Park, Elizabeth South and Elizabeth Vale in the member for Little Para's electorate. The upgrades averaged about $13,500 per site and were carried out by South Australian based companies, including Doherty Trade Services (a proud South Australian owned multitrade services company, established in 1988), and Glynde-based Bettio Building Contractors, who said that the work that they are doing with Renewal SA to upgrade Housing Trust homes in Adelaide's northern suburbs created employment on site and also in their head office.

I am pleased to advise that most of the work has been completed, with approximately $340,000 remaining in the budget for refurbishment work, which will be completed by the end of this current financial year. By investing in programs like 1000 Homes in 1000 Days, and the wider Renewing Our Streets and Suburbs Initiative, we are reducing the age of our public housing stock with properties that better suit tenants' needs, while also generating a pipeline of work for local builders, local subcontractors and tradespeople.