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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2011-11-29 Daily Xml
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HOUSING SA ANNUAL REPORT

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE (14:48): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Social Housing a question regarding the annual report.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.L. BROKENSHIRE: Minister, looking at your annual report (which was tabled last week) some of the highlights for concern include the fact that customer debt is $19.726 million and receipt of 6,996 disruptive tenancy complaints, as well as issues in the report about no commitment to the introduction of water meters and charges, as the former minister and now Premier (Hon. Jay Weatherill) promised several years ago would be fixed. I ask the minister:

1. Is the minister concerned about the enormous amount of customer debt and the number of disruptive tenancy complaints?

2. What initiatives is the minister putting in place to address these matters?

3. When does the minister intend to have water meters for all individual properties within Housing SA property stock?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:50): I thank the honourable member for his important questions in relation to the annual report and the three topics relating to customer debt, disruptive tenants and individualised water meters. I will take the last issue first, that is, individual water meters in Housing Trust properties with multiple tenants.

This relates mainly to the issue that some tenants would like to have individualised meters. They feel that they may be paying an average cost which is higher than their actual use. Housing SA takes that into account by paying the first 30 per cent of the water bill. That is to cover costs of, for example, watering common areas and common gardens, but it also takes into account the issue of subsidising tenants who feel they are paying more than they should because they use less water than their neighbour who may have children.

In that instance, it is highly likely that, if tenants did go to individualised water meters, they would pay more than they currently do now. Of course, they currently do not pay a connection fee for an individual meter, nor do they pay sewerage and water rates on top of that. Whilst there is a concern amongst some Housing SA tenants, they actually will be paying less now because of the 30 per cent deduction off their bill than they probably would if they had an individual water meter.

In relation to disruptive tenants, Housing SA takes the issue very seriously and has a dedicated unit that deals with these issues and works very carefully with the local community, neighbours and Housing Trust tenants to minimise the disruption to local life. Most disruptive tenancy complaints deal with noise, and usually that is to do with loud music, and these issues are managed on a case-by-case basis, face to face, and usually with a positive outcome.

In terms of customer debt, we are aware that we have a rising customer debt, but in recent times Housing SA has put in place a policy of carefully managing customer debt, as opposed to tenant debt. They are two different things. Customer debt applies to Housing Trust tenants who may once have been Housing Trust tenants but have moved on; and it also applies to current tenants. In recent times, the rise in customer debt has slowed quite a lot and we are rolling out across the whole Housing Trust system a rigorous program of debt recovery.

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