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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-05-16 Daily Xml
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AFFORDABLE LIVING

Ms BETTISON (Ramsay) (14:12): My question is to the Premier. Will the Premier update the house on what the government is doing to help make South Australia a more affordable place to live?

Mr Venning: Resign.

The SPEAKER: I call the member for Schubert to order. The Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Treasurer, Minister for State Development, Minister for the Public Sector, Minister for the Arts) (14:12): I thank the honourable member for her question. I know this is a matter of vital interest to the electors of Ramsay. Over the past decade, the South Australian economy has experienced significant growth. That has meant that incomes for many South Australians have risen considerably over that period. That is a very substantial way in which we make a contribution to affordability: keeping people in employment.

Yet we do know that there are some people who are struggling to make ends meet and, while incomes in a general sense have outpaced price rises, many South Australians on low incomes or those who have suffered sudden changes in circumstances have been under pressure. That's why making South Australia a more affordable place to live is one of the government's seven priorities for action. That is why in March I launched a consultation paper that asked South Australians for their views on what more could be done in this important area.

So far, we have received more than 300 responses. On 7 May 2013, I was pleased to open the An Affordable Place to Live workshop, with a range of community organisations, government representatives and people struggling with cost of living pressures. The feedback from this workshop, like all of the responses, will be used to inform the development of the An Affordable Place to Live strategy. As a result of this forum and the feedback we have received, we have decided to extend the consultation period until 23 June.

Of the feedback we have received, the majority relates to housing, and that is as it should be, because housing costs are the single biggest expense in any household budget. Recently, we announced in this space that South Australia would deliver an additional 500 properties as part of the National Rental Affordability Scheme to assist South Australians who might otherwise find it difficult to enter into the private rental market, offering rents at 20 per cent below market value. This brings the total number of new, affordable homes delivered by this Labor government to more than 10,000, which will rise to almost 13,000 by the end of next year. This is in stark contrast to the late nineties, when those opposite were last in government, when they built just 38 homes in one year.

The next two biggest groups of responses received as a result of the consultation process related to transport and utility costs. On utilities, we moved to deregulate the energy markets earlier this year, providing discounts of around $180 a year to South Australian consumers. On transport, as we have heard earlier, the typical South Australian motorist will save more than $100 in cheaper motor vehicle insurance premiums from July as a result of the changes to third-party insurance. Mr Speaker, in the past 100 days since the now opposition leader (then the loyal deputy) replaced his own leader, this government—

Mrs Redmond interjecting:

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Sorry, what was that, member for Heysen?

Mrs Redmond: It's been the last 18 months since the new Premier.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Well, yes. This government has got on with the job of supporting South Australian households. We have made it easier to pay registration bills by introducing monthly billing and direct debit options; we have ensured that petrol prices are certain and true by eliminating misleading discounted advertising at petrol stations; and we have provided a pay rise for some of our lowest-paid workers—45 per cent increases for members who work in the community sector. Mr Speaker, we know that many South Australians are struggling with cost-of-living pressures; that is why we have taken these actions, that is why we are working in partnership with non-government organisations, and that is why we are consulting to learn what more we can do. People can have their say by visiting www—

The SPEAKER: The Premier's time has expired. The member for Unley.

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