Public Housing

Mrs POWER (Elder) (14:54): My question is to the minister representing the Minister for Human Services. Can the Attorney-General please update the house about how the Marshall Liberal government is upgrading public housing and supporting jobs in South Australia?

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Planning and Local Government) (14:54): It is with great pleasure that, on behalf of the Minister for Human Services, I respond to the member's question, who has taken a very active interest in relation to very important matters in her electorate, including the accommodation of her residents in areas such as Colonel Light Gardens and the like. She has been a passionate advocate and I thank her for that.

I must say that, in opposition, empty houses of the South Australian Housing Trust were left with no tenants, with an explanation that maintenance needed to be done on them. There would be more than one sometimes—half a dozen in a street or an area were empty. It fitted in with a previous approach of selling off $1.5 billion worth of Housing Trust stock instead of fixing it up.

It's really important for two reasons that maintenance is invested in the stock that is owned: to increase the amenity of the tenant and, secondly, and very importantly as well, to provide jobs in that local community for undertaking those properties. There are 7½ thousand fewer properties as a result of the fire sale under the previous government and the ruin that was left in relation to the state of that stock. This is the change.

As part of the very significant commitment, we have developed an additional $115 million maintenance budget for the year. The government has specifically identified $21.1 million through the 2019-20 state budget for the preventative maintenance and upgrade of three walk-up flat sites and 250 individual homes. There is an additional $75 million under the Our Housing Future program to address the capital maintenance backlog and improve sustainability and energy efficiency. Another $10 million of funding was fast-tracked to provide immediate stimulus as a result of COVID-19. A big maintenance blitz has been what is called for. It has been necessary. We are doing it.

Ms Cook interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hurtle Vale is called to order.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Almost 1,900 properties, including new kitchens and bathrooms and improvements to their common area, lighting, security, paving, painting and horticultural works—

Ms Cook: So why has work stopped on Glengowrie?

The SPEAKER: The member for Hurtle Vale is warned.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: Well, we are doing them: they didn't. There is an additional maintenance budget now underway for the state budget stimulus package: $10.5 million to upgrade a total of 198 units in three walk-up flats at Mellor Court at Gilberton, Yeomans Court at Henley Beach South and Bonython Court at Hawthorn, which is underway and expected to be completed by mid-2021.

There is another $9.5 million on preventative maintenance and upgrade to 250 properties, otherwise across the metropolitan area, expected again to be completed by mid-2021, and another $1 million upgrading 40 properties on Kangaroo Island, which is expected to be completed in the next few weeks. So it's all happening. They are on their way to completion. These will be a great amenity for the tenants who are in them.

Of the $10 million COVID stimulus, we have fast-tracked that $10 million to upgrade 1,400 properties, which is almost complete, supporting another 160 jobs, and that includes upgrades in walk-up flats in Parkside, Glengowrie, Christie Downs, Fullarton, Elizabeth, Oaklands Park and Brooklyn Park. There are upgrades in addition at 105 individual properties. I'm pleased to report that the spending program is not only underway but it's nearly all finished, and that is very, very important.

Ms Cook interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Hurtle Vale is on two warnings.

The Hon. V.A. CHAPMAN: It shows so far that more than $8.4 million of our deliberate and targeted $10 million COVID-19 maintenance blitz has been completed since March and it will help sustain 160 extra jobs across South Australia.