Legislative Council Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2) 54 2 Parliament of South Australia Legislative Council published Question Time Affordable Housing Affordable Housing The Hon. J.S. LEE Legislative Council Affordable Housing The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:17): My question is to the Minister for Human Services regarding housing development. Can the minister please provide an update to the council on the progress of new social and affordable housing being built in South Australia? The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK Legislative Council Minister for Human Services Affordable Housing The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (15:17): I thank the honourable member for her question and for her interest in this area. We know that the Marshall Liberal government is building what matters in South Australia, creating thousands of local jobs and better lives for South Australians through our record— The Hon. E.S. Bourke interjecting: The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Order, the Hon. Ms Bourke! The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK Legislative Council The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —$12.9 billion investment in roads, hospitals, schools, housing and regional infrastructure. We are proud to be part of a government that is creating more jobs and better lives for South Australians, building what matters. Members interjecting: The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK Legislative Council The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: In addition to roads, schools and hospitals, which are— Members interjecting: The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK Legislative Council The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Mr President, they are baiting me. The President Legislative Council The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister is on her feet and will be heard in silence. She will continue. The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK Legislative Council The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Thank you, Mr President. We are also building new affordable homes, both on our own behalf and in partnership with the non-government sector. It was with great pleasure that, with the member for Colton, I was recently able to attend Unity Housing's particular site at Henley Beach South, which is estimated to support some 270 jobs, to develop a combination of housing for that particular prime location. The site was formerly walk-up flats that were from the Housing Authority. That land has been provided for this project and is going to provide 22 affordable townhouses, 20 market-sale townhouses and 28 social housing apartments in a blend, if you like. I have spoken in this place before about the need for builds, as we are going forward, to have a blend of ownership types and with particular design and amenity to improve the social mix. My understanding is that the 22 affordable housing townhouses will actually be disability friendly for either younger people with disabilities or older people who are ageing and have age-related disabilities. We will have all those features, including widened doors, no lintels—a range of things—and a ground floor site. There's also a range of other rental and private ownership types that will be incorporated in that site. Feedback via the local member and from the community is that they are welcoming the redevelopment of that particular site, which has remained vacant for a couple of years. It's to commence either later this year or early next year and is expected to be finished by 2023.