HOUSING SA

The Hon. S.G. WADE (14:34): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Social Housing a question relating to Housing Trust rental properties.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.G. WADE: In reply to a question taken on notice during estimates, the minister advised that there were 44,698 Housing Trust rental properties and that, and I quote, 'as at 30 June 2012 there were 1,769 South Australian Housing Trust properties not currently tenanted, which included 993 untenantable properties'. My questions relate to the untenantable properties. I ask:

1. What is the average length of time these properties have been categorised as untenantable?

2. How many of these untenantable properties are scheduled to receive maintenance with a view to them becoming tenanted again?

3. If properties can be classified as 'untenantable' for a reason other than maintenance towards retenanting, what are the other categories and what number of properties are in each category?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:35): I thank the honourable member for his most important questions. As at 31 July 2012 Housing SA managed 43,694 tenantable properties, including public and Aboriginal rental housing programs and specialised housing program properties. This figure excludes community housing and properties that are listed for sale, demolition and those which are currently undergoing major upgrades for maintenance.

Of these, 788 were lettable vacancies, which includes properties on which minor maintenance is being undertaken prior to reallocation. Housing SA places a range of signs on vacant properties that outline the intended use for each house in order to assist the public in understanding why particular houses need to be vacant.

Housing SA has a target to relet tenantable properties within 22 days of the previous tenant moving out. I am advised that the average turnaround time as at 30 July 2012 was 16.6 days. South Australia compares favourably to the national average turnaround time of 30 days for public housing properties during 2010-11. In most cases the work required to prepare houses for reletting is relatively minor, with some older houses requiring more extensive repairs that can result in a longer vacancy time.

The Report on Government Services 2012 shows that, based on the 2010-11 data, South Australia's average turnaround time for public housing is 27.6 days, which was the second lowest in the country and well below the national average of 30 days. There are a number of vacant dwellings awaiting refurbishment, demolition or sale to facilitate large urban renewal projects and smaller redevelopment projects to renew older stocks of public housing.