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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2020-10-14 Daily Xml
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Public Housing

The Hon. J.S. LEE (15:02): My question is to the Minister for Human Services regarding public housing. Can the minister please provide an update to the council about how the Marshall Liberal government is supporting jobs through maintenance of public housing?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (15:02): I thank the honourable member for her question, and I do need to correct myself in response to a previous question. I think I stated that the Labor Party had sold a billion dollars' worth of public housing in 15 years, but it was actually $1½ billion.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: It happens to be—

The Hon. K.J. Maher interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order, the honourable Leader of the Opposition! The minister has the call.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Members on my right are not assisting. Order on both sides!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Thank you, Mr President. There happens to be a news article dated 4 July 2018 with the title 'Officials milked "cash cow" homes', which is an article that I happen to have with me in the chamber this afternoon.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister is on her feet.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Ms Bourke and the leader are out of order. The minister will be heard in silence.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Yes, it is with great pleasure that I do get to talk about the maintenance that we are doing on our public housing stock. We have an annual program with a budget of $115 million for the 2020-21 financial year, which is for a range of services, whether it's immediate maintenance, responsive maintenance or the programs for when somebody leaves a property, the house is vacant and is to be re-tenanted. That's the general program that we operate on an annual basis.

In addition to this, there is some $21.1 million that was allocated through the 2019-20 state budget for a preventive maintenance and upgrade program for walk-up flat sites, which has been progressing. So the amenity of those properties has been greatly improved. In addition, through Our Housing Future 2020-2030, we have provided an additional $75 million to address the capital maintenance backlog, which means that we are able to provide a much more responsive and proactive approach to improving sustainability in energy efficiency. Through the stimulus COVID funding, $10 million of this was brought forward to provide immediate stimulus.

We have done a range of works in this space. I would like to advise the house in relation to some of the properties that have been completed—if not, almost completed—through what we believe is 160 jobs and upgrades of 1,400 properties. I think we have talked about the Rosslyn Court site at Parkside. Rellum Court at Glengowrie had internalising of laundries, lighting and horticulture, and demolishing outbuildings. Anne Close in Christie Downs had improvements to public areas, including lighting, horticulture and common driveways. Stow Court at Fullarton had lots of work to common areas, lighting and the like. Avondale at Elizabeth had very similar upgrades, as did Drew Court at Oaklands Park and the Holbrook at Brooklyn Park.

This is in addition to maintenance work, which is $10.5 million to upgrade 198 units in those three walk-up flats; $9.5 million on preventive maintenance and upgrades to 250 properties across metropolitan Adelaide, which is expected to be completed by mid-2021; and $1 million towards upgrading 40 properties on Kangaroo Island, due to be completed this month. So that's a great deal of improvement works that the South Australian government is providing to existing South Australian Housing Authority tenants.

The PRESIDENT: Supplementary, the Hon. Ms Scriven.

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