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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-03-14 Daily Xml
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HOUSING SA

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:19): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Social Housing a question about Housing SA and the recent fires in Semaphore Park.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: Reported on FIVEaa yesterday morning (which everyone will be interested in) with Leon Byner, Julie MacDonald, spokesperson for the Housing Trust Tenants Association, stated:

There have been 15 fires deliberately lit in a public housing area in Semaphore Park in a short period recently, two of them serious house fires, several attempted house fires, a car, furniture, bins, outdoor blinds. One family of six were victims of this arson and have fled the property in fear, almost losing their lives.

It was also reported that Housing SA has added to the distress of the family of six by telling them that they must clean up by Tuesday or be charged for the cleanup. The poor mother involved in this incident was exhausted, traumatised, has four young children to care for and her partner in hospital has asthma, and she is expected to clean, move, and repair the house on her own to Housing SA's satisfaction. She has paid for the movers and the skip for the cleanup.

Another victim of a house fire has not been supported either, and is living in a smoke-damaged house with severe health problems. Miss MacDonald continued to say, 'Housing SA should not be making a victim with asthma to clean up a smoke-damaged house.' My questions to the minister are:

1. Does the minister expect the tenants to live in properties that are badly damaged by smoke and fire?

2. Can the minister explain what duty of care, support and compensation Housing SA will provide to the poor tenants who are facing tragedy and crime?

3. Can the minister confirm whether Housing SA will reimburse the victims to cover the cost of the movers and cleanup arising out of the malicious act?

4. Can the minister advise whether any actions have been taken to advocate better support from SAPOL?

5. What measures will the government put in place to prevent such a horrible act in the future so that tenants relying on social housing are not put further at risk or living in fear?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (15:21): I thank the honourable member for her most important question, and I should take this opportunity to point out to her that a very salutary lesson in this regard is not relying on what is also reported in the media, because you can sometimes get it very wrong if you rely on those reports for the basis of your factual information.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER: I know. It will shock many of you, but sometimes the media don't actually have the facts right and, when honourable members trot in here regurgitating those issues as facts, they can sometimes get it very wrong. I am very pleased that the Hon. Ms Lee put in quotation marks 'it was also reported', because that was very important to get her story right.

She is right in one respect, that there has been a spate of vandalism attacks and fires in the Semaphore Park area. The perpetrator or perpetrators are, as yet, unknown. Two Housing SA properties have sustained damage, with one family having to move due to significant damage. Housing SA became aware of the fires on 3 and 4 March and acted very quickly to provide support to both households.

A household in Ibis Court sustained only minor damage, and tenants are able to continue to live in the property while repairs are being carried out. I understand that the tenants requested to remain in the property during this repair period. The Hon. Ms Lee did not acknowledge that in her preamble, and it is very important to note it.

Another household in Plover Grove in Semaphore Park suffered quite significant damage. The tenants were given temporary motel accommodation on the night of the fire, I am advised, and their children stayed with grandparents close by. The very next day the family was offered, and accepted, an alternative Housing SA property in the same area—the very next day, is my advice.

Housing SA has requested that the tenants remove a considerable amount of rubbish that was not fire damaged, because they had been asked to remove it previously (I understand there had been quite a bit of rubbish that had collected at the house prior to the fire) and has since agreed to reimburse the cost of a mini skip which they had arranged for that purpose. Housing SA has negotiated with the tenants an extension of an extra week (until 19 March, is my advice) to clear the property of their personal items.

Housing SA has also spoken with local agencies and support services to assist them in getting back on their feet. The premise of the Hon. Ms Lee's question is completely wrong. She has relied on reports in the media which do not have the facts. She has relied on those reported issues to attack Housing SA when Housing SA has been exemplary in its actions in this regard.

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