Housing Improvement Bill

Second Reading

Adjourned debate on second reading.

(Continued from 19 May 2016.)

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (16:42): We in Dignity for Disability will be supporting the Housing Improvement Bill and certainly thank, once again, the government members who have briefed us on this. We appreciate the sentiment and the thoughts behind the amendments moved by the opposition via the member for Adelaide (Ms Rachel Sanderson) in the other place, but unfortunately we have reached a position where we cannot agree with the opposition's perspective and cannot support the amendments that she has put forward.

We understand what she is trying to achieve in terms of allowing people to have some autonomy about the style in which they live. Unfortunately, given the examples that have been provided to us by the government through their briefing, where a person's particular choice might lead to neighbours being unsafe—for example, where a chimney might be about to fall off a house onto another property potentially, an example that was given to us in photographic evidence—we think it is appropriate that the government should have the power to step in and intervene in those sorts of circumstances where not altering the house could lead to significant wellbeing concerns, not only for the occupants of that house but for surrounding neighbours as well, as I have said.

For those reasons, unfortunately, although we appreciate and understand the spirit, if you like, in which the amendments have been moved by the opposition, given the information that we have been presented with by government we cannot support them at this stage and will be supporting the bill without amendment from the opposition.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Employment, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Science and Information Economy) (16:44): I understand that there are no further speakers on this bill. I thank all those who have contributed to the second reading debate. In response to some of the issues that have been raised, the role of the regulator is to ensure that all residential accommodation is safe and suitable. The opposition amendments seek to reduce the application of the legislation from its current ambit of all residential properties to only rental properties. The government will not be supporting the amendments and is not willing to water down the existing rights within the current act, and it will not accept the amendments to restrict the ambit of this legislation to apply to only private rental properties.

There are a number of reasons for that, which I will just put on the record now as we sum up the second reading. There are situations where walls are at risk of collapse, raw sewage is evident in backyards where children play, and unscrupulous landlords partition tiny rooms to house vulnerable individuals. It is not envisaged that any person in our community would oppose legislation that seeks to protect people from these situations. As was a case where a young child sadly died from the collapse of a fence, the regulator must have the power to intervene in cases where public safety is at risk.

Property owners, whether occupying their dwelling or renting it, who abide by minimum standards, have no reason to be concerned by this legislation. This bill is concerned with the safety and suitability of all housing. Health and safety protection from risks that may be present in poorly maintained residential dwellings are important for all members of our community, whether owner, tenant, neighbour or service provider attending the property.

I am advised that the bill now provides the ability, first, to liaise and negotiate with owners without issuing formal orders. While the majority of owners are compliant, some owners continue to ignore their obligations to provide safe and suitable accommodation. Where there is no meaningful response, the issue of orders (or enforcement of those orders) is for the benefit of the community. The Minister for Social Housing has had the opportunity to meet with key industry representatives in roundtable discussion, before introducing the bill before introducing the bill before parliament, to hear directly their views on the Housing Improvement Bill 2015.

This bill now includes amendments as a result of feedback received during early consultation, and I place on the record the government's thanks to all stakeholders for their contribution. In closing, I thank members for their constructive comments, and I look forward to this bill progressing in future quickly through the committee stage.

Bill read a second time.