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House of Assembly - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2023-11-02 Daily Xml
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Housing Authority

Mr COWDREY (Colton) (14:20): My question is to the Minister for Human Services. What personal involvement has the minister or her office had in the case of managing concerns that have been raised about antisocial behaviour occurring at a social housing property in Windsor Gardens? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: the member inserts facts into the question, sir, or purported facts. I would ask the shadow minister to rephrase the question.

The SPEAKER: I will give the member the opportunity to recast the question.

Mr COWDREY: Has the minister or her office had any involvement in managing concerns that were raised about antisocial behaviour occurring at a social housing property in Windsor Gardens? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order! Member for Colton, there is a point of order, which I am bound to hear under 134. The member for West Torrens.

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order: standing orders are quite clear. There can be no argument or debate in the question. He is purporting facts that the complaints were made about a particular property. I would ask the member to rephrase the question.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER: Point of order: the characterisation of standing order 97 by the minister would invite almost no question on anything that had ever been in the public domain if it was applied that strictly. The member for Colton was seeking leave to make an explanation, and that would be appropriate with the standard form to leave it as he has just rephrased it.

The SPEAKER: Very well. I am going to turn to the member for Colton.

Mr COWDREY: For approximately nine months, Carmen D'Angelo and Russell Bennett, tenants of a housing property in Windsor Gardens, have raised concerns with various authorities, including their MP and the South Australian Housing Authority, about antisocial behaviour at their complex. On 30 October 2023, these tenants spoke at a press conference about their concerns. Following the press conference, the tenants were visited by members of the South Australian police force, who cautioned them about filming over the fence which had been performed by the media.

The SPEAKER: I am going to deem that portion of the contribution a portion that otherwise might have been introduced by leave.

The Hon. N.F. COOK (Hurtle Vale—Minister for Human Services) (14:22): I thank the member for the question. The property in question is a community housing property. The neighbours did reach out to our office a couple of weeks ago, and we referred that particular issue back to the community housing provider. Of course, we stand ready to offer any assistance or advice if anything is required, but there is most definitely a process that needs to be followed in terms of houses that are managed by landlords. As those opposite would know—they have plenty of lived experience in that regard—you are actually unable just to enter property as a landlord and take action. You need to follow protocols.

I can't speak to anything that has happened as a result of media that happened the other day, but I personally have now reached out to the housing provider to see if they were okay following that story and whether there was any support required. I am unaware of any reports that were made to the Housing Authority at all. I am unaware that this has been occurring over a nine-month period also. I do know that we were reached out to two weeks ago.

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