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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-06-05 Daily Xml
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HOUSING SA

Ms CHAPMAN (Bragg—Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (15:02): My question is to the Minister for Housing. Will the minister explain why an 80-year-old resident who has lived in her Blair Athol Housing Trust home for 55 years has had notice that she is to be relocated? The resident has received notice from Housing SA that she is to be moved to alternative accommodation after 55 years in her Blair Athol home. The member for Enfield has written to the minister concerned about the relocation notice that she has received, and I thank him for that. The opposition has received letters from the concerned family highlighting the close proximity to transport and other family to support her in her current home. An appointment with the department to review this matter was cancelled, notwithstanding assurances from the minister's electorate office.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Minister for Families and Communities, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Minister for Housing, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Disability, Minister Assisting the Premier in Cabinet Business and Public Sector Management) (15:03): The question of how we deal with the necessary issues of relocation when we embark upon a renewal of some of our neighbourhoods is obviously a delicate one. The Housing Trust (now Housing SA), over the years, has built up an extraordinary amount of expertise in how to handle this. I think it is regarded as one of the pre-eminent authorities across Australia in dealing with these questions. It consistently comes out at the top of every list in terms of satisfaction about its performance, and this is one of the areas on which it concentrates.

It is a delicate matter. Obviously, the mere fact that someone has been in a place for 55 years does tell you something about the age of this housing estate. Obviously, we try to handle those matters with sensitivity. Often it involves lengthy processes of talking with the affected resident and lots of notice. We try to ensure that the notice is appropriate so that we are not worrying people unduly for too long, but we do need to be clear with people about when the immediate date of relocation is necessary. We try to relocate people very close to where they live. We try to relocate them near family and friends. Sometimes we relocate whole streets together so that we can retain the relationships.

We do take these matters very seriously. I will look carefully and sensitively at the matter involving this elderly person to ensure that we take every possible step to ensure that this relocation and the circumstances around it are handled sensitively.

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