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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-03 Daily Xml
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HOUSING SA

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD (14:52): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Social Housing questions regarding a recent home invasion at a Housing SA home.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.G.E. HOOD: An article in last weekend's Sunday Mail and a report on the Channel 9 news of that evening concerned Housing SA tenants at a Walkley Heights house who were the subject of a home invasion at night while the family slept in the home. Thankfully, the offender has been arrested, but the tenants had very recently requested a front fence which they argue would have prevented or at least hindered the offender. My questions to the minister are:

1. Will Housing SA install a front fence at this property, if the minister is able to look at the details?

2. If so, will Housing SA pay for the cost of the fence in this case?

3. What after hours support, in general, does Housing SA provide for tenants in difficult circumstances?

4. Will the minister establish an after hours hotline for distressed tenants who need Housing SA support after a home invasion, arson attack or other very serious incident?

5. Are the injured tenants able to claim an interim payment on an urgent basis from the Victims of Crime Fund pursuant to section 27(4) of the Victims of Crime Act 2001?

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (Minister for Communities and Social Inclusion, Minister for Social Housing, Minister for Disabilities, Minister for Youth, Minister for Volunteers) (14:53): I thank the honourable member for his very important list of questions. I do not have the regulations of Housing SA's provision of fences to tenants in its properties with me but I understand it goes like this: Housing SA will provide fences for properties, if they are not already there, that are on main roads or perhaps front train lines and also for houses that are on corner sites, presumably to provide privacy for backyards. Additionally, I understand that tenants may apply to Housing SA to erect fences at their own expense. I assume that given due consideration of local council requirements that permission is usually granted.

I am aware of the situation the honourable member raised in his question in terms of the tenants at Walkley Heights. My understanding is that the tenant had previously requested they be allowed to erect a fence, but that request to Housing SA was not approved because Housing SA was aware there was a developer's encumbrance on the property which prevents a fence from being built. My understanding is that there are two Housing SA properties in that street. All of those properties in that street, and maybe further properties in other areas around and adjoining those properties, are all part of the same development. None of the properties in that street have fences, and I understand that there is a similar developer's encumbrance on those properties.

I have, however, asked my department to make some investigations about that encumbrance. We will respond to the tenant in due course. It is complicated, as these things often are. I understand that the original developer no longer trades under the name in which he applied for the encumbrance. We are trying to search down the records to see whether he is still currently trading. With regard to the questions about the Victims of Crime Fund, I will refer that part of the question to the Attorney in another place and bring back a response.

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