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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-04-29 Daily Xml
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AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Ms BREUER (Giles) (14:44): Can the Minister for Housing advise the house how the government is ensuring an affordable housing supply to vulnerable members of our regional communities?

The Hon. J.M. RANKINE (Wright—Minister for Families and Communities, Minister for Northern Suburbs, Minister for Housing, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Disability) (14:45): I thank the member for Giles for her question. Indeed, the government is very keen to ensure affordable housing options are available in rural areas in South Australia. Last week I had the pleasure of opening a completed affordable housing initiative in Balaklava and launching another in Mount Gambier.

As members know, the Affordable Housing Innovations Program was designed in 2005 to trial new and innovative ways to increase the supply of affordable rental housing. Through the state government partnering with groups such as the Balaklava Church of Christ, we are directing our collective ideas and skills to find news ways to provide affordable housing options that meet local community needs.

The CornerStone Cottages in Balaklava—and the member for Goyder joined me at this particular function—are providing three affordable homes for low income people and they are accessible for people with a disability, as well as older people who use wheelchairs. The properties are close to shops and the local school and have the strong support of Balaklava Church of Christ Community Care.

The state government provided $233,000 for the project from the Affordable Housing Innovations Fund, adding to the $120,000 raised by Balaklava Church of Christ Community Care and $36,000 raised by volunteers in the local swap shop. These wonderful homes will provide long-term affordable accommodation. A home is much more than a roof over one's head. A home comes with a sense of identity, a sense of family and a feeling of belonging, and the CornerStone project is providing just that to three lucky families.

In addition to the CornerStone project, I also had the pleasure of joining the member for Mount Gambier and the Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Association of South Australia in launching the Corriedale Park project in Mount Gambier, which will allow people who have suffered terrible accidents to return and live in their community as they get their lives back on track.

The Corriedale project will see the construction of five wheelchair accessible houses for people who have suffered spinal cord injury and who live in the south-eastern region of South Australia. Three two-bedroom units will provide short to medium term accommodation while long-term housing is sourced or people have their own properties modified, and two three-bedroom units will be used to accommodate two residents in each with high needs, and the provision of staff facilities are planned for these units.

The state government provided $680,000 for this project, with the assistance of the City of Mount Gambier, who gifted the land to ParaQuad SA. It is also important to note that the Motor Accident Commission and the Australian Hotels Association are among the sponsors of this project, and I should thank the Minister for Industrial Relations, minister Caica, for the WorkCover donation of $25,000 for this project.

So far commitments from the Affordable Housing Innovations Fund have been made to 29 capital projects. These 29 projects will generate the construction of 450 affordable rental properties in metropolitan and regional areas, totalling a commitment of some $47 million. I had the pleasure of meeting members of the James Brown Memorial Trust two weeks ago as they begin work on another major redevelopment project made possible through this fund.

All these projects, the James Brown Memorial Trust, the Corriedale and CornerStone projects, represent the sort of outcomes that can be achieved when the government (including local government), the private sector, home builders and not-for-profit organisations work together with local communities with a common goal.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

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