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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2008-09-24 Daily Xml
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AFFORDABLE HOUSING

The Hon. P.L. WHITE (Taylor) (14:43): My question is to the Minister for Housing. What is the government doing to ensure that affordable house and land packages are available to low-income South Australians?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Families and Communities, Minister for Northern Suburbs, Minister for Housing, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Disability) (14:43): I thank the member for Taylor for her question. It probably would have been more timely to have asked this question yesterday, had we the opportunity. Unlike those opposite, we believe that providing affordable housing should be a priority for government. That is why this state government was the first in Australia to set an affordable housing target of 15 per cent for significant new developments, supported in legislation and delivering on-the-ground success.

The Affordable Homes Program was established by this government in September 2005, and there are already firm commitments for more than 700 new homes for low to moderate income earners, with many more properties in the planning stage or coming online soon. The Affordable Homes Program is designed to increase the supply of low-cost homes and ensure that 15 per cent of major residential developments will consist of homes valued at no more than $249,000.

Today, and particularly after the performance by the Leader of the Opposition yesterday, I am pleased to advise the house about an exciting new development in Hawkesbury Park at Salisbury North that will provide affordable housing options for eligible South Australians. As a result of our Affordable Homes Program, 15 per cent of this development has been reserved for homebuyers on low to moderate incomes. I am particularly pleased to advise the house of the Hawkesbury Park site, Salisbury North, as this development will not only provide affordable housing but it will also provide low maintenance, environmentally-sustainable housing. Eligible buyers will be able to choose from a range of attractive, high quality, environmentally sustainable and affordable homes for their allotment, and this will ensure that the ongoing costs of maintaining the home remain low whilst minimising the impact on the environment.

Today's announcement will result in 12 house and land packages for eligible buyers, priced between $217,000 and $249,000. Hawkesbury Park is the first of many affordable housing developments, and the house and land packages are available right now for eligible buyers on the property locator. This property locator, which has been a tremendous success itself, is a catalogue of affordable homes for purchase by low income earners, and it is helping people to find a home to purchase. Something like 200 affordable properties have been purchased through this website, and it is just one part of the Rann government's commitment to improving affordable housing outcomes for South Australians.

Possibly to the opposition's dismay, we have many other initiatives to assist low income earners into home ownership that have been equally successful. More than 55,000 people have been helped by HomeStart to enter into home ownership. Currently, almost 22,000 households have a HomeStart loan of one kind or another. Since its inception in 2005, HomeStart EquityStart has assisted over 860 social housing tenants into home ownership, through the home loan program, and more than 370 indigenous South Australians have been assisted into home ownership through the HomeStart Nunga program.

I want the Leader of the Opposition to listen to some examples of the impact the Nunga and HomeStart programs have had. Josephine Leyden became a HomeStart customer in 1998 and later refinanced in 2003. She said:

As a single mum, I have stability and my kids have a place to call home that will always be familiar.

Another customer the leader obviously believes should never have owned a home is Albert Hayward, a Seniors Equity client. He said:

HomeStart has changed my life—by letting me have a loan at my age it means that I can continue to stay in my home.

Then there is the former athlete Paul Vandenbergh, a Nunga—

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Do you want me to go through the list of things that you got wrong? Do you want a list?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: I'll finish this one, and then we'll go into your list.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Do you want a list of what you got wrong?

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: It is very big, but I've got it and—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: —if we've got time, I can go through it for you.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The deputy leader will come to order.

Ms Chapman interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! The deputy leader has been called to order.

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE: Paul Vandenbergh, a Nunga Loan customer, admits 'There were times when home ownership was out of my reach.' He said:

I guess the feeling that I had when I did purchase it was relief 'cause it did take some time, but I just had a smile on my face the whole day. I thought 'Wow, I own a property now, you know? I've got something that is actually mine. You get a feeling of satisfaction that you've got something that belongs to you and no-one can take that away.

These are the stories from the people the Leader of the Opposition says the state government should not help.

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