HOUSING SA

In reply to the Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (5 March 2009).

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for State/Local Government Relations, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Government Enterprises, Minister Assisting the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Energy): The Minister for Families and Communities has provided the following information:

The tenant in question occupied her property on 26 June 1993 and currently has a Category 4 transfer registered. Should the tenant wish to be reassessed for Category 1, she will be in line with all other Category 1 applicants and will need to supply documentation such as support letters which will enable her application to be considered for Category 1.

This situation is not symptomatic of an endemic problem. Housing SA responds to all maintenance queries based on priority. The timeframes are:

Priority One (urgent) within 4 hours;

Priority Two within 24 hours;

Priority Three within 14 days (non urgent).

An appointment was made in consultation with the tenant for late March 2009 where a Works Manager and a Housing Officer would visit the house and action any necessary repairs. The tenant called and cancelled this appointment as she would not be home. It was rescheduled for 1 April 2009.

The Works Manager was again contacted by the tenant on the morning of 1 April 2009 who cancelled the appointment. The tenant then advised they would contact Housing SA during the school holidays where a friend would be able to provide support to her through the maintenance inspection. As at 29 April 2009, this had not occurred. Housing SA can only respond to requests for maintenance through cooperation with the tenant.

Of the 1872 properties that were vacant at 28 January 2009, 707 were undergoing routine maintenance (ie cleaning, redecoration, minor repairs etc) prior to being relet to other households and 135 were undergoing more extensive repairs prior to being returned for letting. The remaining 1030 were not lettable because they were either being prepared for sale through the property locator or the open market, or, were substandard and awaiting major refurbishment or demolition as part of an urban renewal project.