Coober Pedy Housing

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (14:32): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Human Services regarding housing and poverty.

Leave granted.

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN: In February 2020, Shelter SA published a report highlighting the poverty and hardship experienced by vulnerable people in Coober Pedy. On 18 May 2020, the ABC published a story under the headline 'Coober Pedy calls on SA government for help to solve housing crisis'. This story highlighted low quality housing, a shortage of public housing, discrimination and massive utility bills linked to poor housing design.

On 5 June 2020, the Coober Pedy council wrote to the Minister for Human Services asking for a range of specific actions to address the crisis. On 8 July, the minister wrote back and just provided a phone number to call while referencing her 10-year housing strategy, which, incidentally, says absolutely nothing—zero—about Coober Pedy.

On 16 November this year, SBS published a further article about extreme hardship and poverty in the town, with residents saying, 'I go and ask family for food, because of how much I’m paying. I don’t have breakfast or lunch I just have dinner’. An Aboriginal financial counsellor spoke about whether things have improved in Coober Pedy and said, 'There does not seem to be much change, as yet.' The council administrator spoke about above-ground housing that is most commonly occupied by those on the lowest incomes, and again I quote, 'They're not built for the climate so as a consequence people have quite large bills.' My questions to the minister are:

1. Why hasn't the minister done anything about Coober Pedy's request for changes to the Private Rental Assistance Program?

2. Why hasn't the minister done anything about Coober Pedy's request for a private rental liaison officer?

3. Exactly how many additional public housing properties have been built in Coober Pedy since the town requested help with their housing crisis?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:34): I thank the honourable member for her question. The matter of people on lower incomes and the provision of housing support is something which has been of concern across South Australia, particularly during this pandemic period. I think it's worth recounting the range of measures which have been provided to people throughout this pandemic, not just in the housing portfolio space but also through the Department of Human Services. In terms of meals, we have had additional support to organisations that provide that support. We have also had additional emergency relief payments which have been available statewide.

In the Housing Authority space, any of the additional payments that people received through Centrelink were not included as part of their rental income, so the government has been very mindful, generally speaking, to assist people with all of their cost of income needs. The honourable member has also referred to electricity. Clearly, under this government electricity prices have reduced, and we know that if Labor were to be elected next year they would increase—go back to the bad old days. And the Department of Human Services provides a range of concessions to people who are on lower incomes, which people can avail themselves of as well. So there is a suite of measures which is available statewide to people across the board.

In terms of each of the regions, I often receive calls from various regions for additional housing in those regions, so for that reason the Housing Authority has developed a local housing toolkit. That has been sent, I understand, to all councils, and that helps them to identify what their needs are, because it's not just requests for public or social housing, it's often worker housing as well.

We want to work in partnership with local councils, economic development boards and the like so that everybody understands what the needs are, what the gaps are and, potentially, what land may be held by councils which could contribute to some of those programs. The Local Government Association has been briefed, and I think also the regional network, or whatever the correct title is. Where local regions identify that there is a particular need, we are encouraging them to come up with a local housing plan so that all of those elements are considered.