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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-09-07 Daily Xml
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Future Mount Gambier

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (15:59): I rise to talk about Future Mount Gambier and district, a plan that has been put together with consultation from industry experts and locals who understand the challenges and the unique opportunities of their sector and our region as a whole. Mount Gambier is the second largest city in South Australia and the centre of the Limestone Coast region, with its own unique character, assets and geographic challenges.

With a population of nearly 30,000 and a catchment of over 85,000, this city deserves its own strategic direction and plan for the state government to focus on that is independent of other South Australian regions. The plan encompasses 17 initiatives, totalling $85 million, and includes:

forestry future;

housing for all;

infrastructure investment fund;

community investment fund;

tourism;

freight action plan;

business attraction and retention;

drug and alcohol services;

mobile connect;

mental health;

on-demand public transport;

skilled workforce attraction package;

waste and recycling initiatives;

family violence;

cross-border commissioner;

regional TAFE board; and

creative activation fund.

Today, I just want to talk about one of the 17: the housing for all initiative. One of the biggest concerns facing our region is a lack of affordable housing. A housing boom has seen real estate prices skyrocket, pushing homes out of the reach of first-home buyers and making rental properties scarce and unaffordable for many in our region.

Research is required to determine the backlog of maintenance on SA housing properties and steps taken to address this continuing issue. Service agencies are reporting the lack of affordable housing as their number one issue, forcing many into homelessness or insecure situations, and, as a result, a demand for crisis and emergency housing. This is affecting a wide demographic, including older single residents, young people attempting to buy their first home, women in domestic and family violence situations, skilled professionals attempting to relocate to the region, pet owners and residents affected by unemployment and other factors.

Resolving this issue requires a coordinated approach from agencies and all levels of government. It is multifaceted and includes stamp duty incentives, low-cost housing inclusion for new housing estates, maintenance for public housing, emergency and crisis accommodation, and short-term and contract housing for skilled workers.

One of the challenges we face in attracting workers to Mount Gambier and district is housing. I know of teachers who have relocated to Mount Gambier who are staying in a caravan park because they cannot not find rental accommodation. Sir Thomas Playford had a very good scheme where, if you worked for the government, he would provide housing for you at an artificially low rate, and that made working for the Public Service or the government a very attractive option. We need to get back to that type of thinking, where there could be industry incentives for large employers who want to build and put their money into housing for their workers with some type of government assistance, very similar to the Sir Thomas Playford scheme many years ago.

In terms of professional housing, I would like to see a dedicated set of newly developed houses for our nurses, teachers and police, in very close proximity to each other, so it generates that professional development, ongoing bonding and acceptance within the community and attracts those professionals to our region. Of course, there are many incentives we need to look at and pathways forward, but the future Mount Gambier and district road map certainly lays out the starting point for some of that discussion.

Time expired.

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