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House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, First Session (53-1)
2014-06-19 Daily Xml
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Affordable Housing

Mr HUGHES (Giles) (14:49): My question is to the Minister for Social Housing. Can the minister update the house on the status of housing projects that are being delivered to both metropolitan and regional South Australia?

The Hon. Z.L. BETTISON (Ramsay—Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Ageing, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:49): In June 2013, the Premier announced the state government's $220 million Affordable Housing Stimulus Package (AHSP), which involved the acceleration of Housing SA's existing social housing projects and the delivery of additional properties in both metropolitan and regional areas over the 18 months that followed.

Included in the package are 16 housing projects that have been fast-tracked. The stimulus package includes $50 million in new funding redirected towards the construction of social housing and $20 million for a community housing capital grant program for providers to deliver 130 new rental properties, of which $5 million is dedicated to regional based projects and $30 million to constructing 104 new social housing properties on already existing service land allotments owned by the South Australian Housing Trust, which will mainly be targeted to category 1 applicants of Housing SA's waiting list, meaning that they are either homeless or at risk of homelessness.

The AHSP has set a total target of 660 properties and to date tenders have been completed for 609 dwellings, including 344 where construction has commenced and 57 that have achieved practical completion. A total of 182 contracts have been released to the market for 609 tenders, and a total of 85 builders have been invited to tender.

It should be noted that some builders have been provided with more than one opportunity to tender, due to their capacity to achieve the building requirements of multiple projects within specific time frames and their willingness to work in certain geographical areas. Of these dwellings released to tender, 490 have so far been awarded to 26 individual builders and close to 141 of the 182 contracts.

The community housing capital grant program, which I mentioned earlier, is also progressing at a similarly impressive rate, and I can confirm to the house that land has now been secured for 130 of the dwellings that will be constructed under the program. In addition, nine legal agreements have been finalised with the community housing providers who have been approved for funding. Two of the dwellings have been completed, 31 are under construction, 74 are contract and the remaining 23 have progressed to tender stage.

An additional 135 homes are being constructed in a partnership between the state government and the Unity Housing Company. Again, this program is split between metropolitan and regional areas. Of these, 80 affordable homes are being constructed in regional South Australia, including Whyalla, Port Pirie, Port Augusta, Booleroo Centre, Peterborough, Gladstone, Melrose, Laura, Jamestown, Saddleworth and Burra. These are very exciting projects for the community housing sector, which will assist our more vulnerable communities in both metropolitan and regional South Australia to acquire access to more affordable housing options.

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