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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.E. HANSON (15:12): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking a question of the Minister for Human Services regarding housing.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.E. HANSON: In the 2019-20 budget, there was $42.5 million announced for the SA Housing Authority to undertake maintenance upgrades and construction. It states that under this initiative SAHA will undertake:

A $21.1 million preventative maintenance and upgrade programme in 2019-20…

And:

A $21.4 million housing construction programme in 2019-20 and 2020-21…

Further to this, on 21 May this year, the minister put out a press release talking about a separate $10 million, mentioned also as part of previous answers today, that is maintenance stimulus that was 'in addition to the $21 million maintenance budget announced as part of the 2019-20 State Budget'. Now, that's been announced today as being reannounced money.

Last month, the minister's chief financial officer revealed that only $5.8 million of the $42.5 million was spent by 30 June 2020. That is less than 14 per cent of the approved funding being spent in the year following the budget. Last sitting week, further to that, the minister said in this place:

…in terms of there being reasons why things might take longer than we hoped. Particularly within government, there are probity issues that need to be dealt with, particular policies which—

have to be applied. My questions are:

1. Minister, do you not ask, or does your agency not tell you, about project delays which mean that funds that you think are being spent are not being spent and funds that you think need to be brought forward are being brought forward and not spent?

2. Were you aware of the probity issues and policies referred to last sitting week, and indeed today, when preparing for the last state budget, that said clearly that all the maintenance work and some construction work would happen within the following 12 months and there would be no delays?

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (15:15): I thank the honourable member for his question and appreciate his congratulations for the large number of programs this government has engaged in. In relation to the housing construction program of $21.4 million, the Housing Authority is constructing 100 new homes which is aiming to help South Australians get a foot in the door of home ownership while supporting jobs and local construction business. They are scheduled to be built by mid-2021, with the majority (70) to be sold as affordable.

South Australians who are eligible can also take advantage of a range of government grants, including the First Home Owner Grant and the HomeBuilder scheme. In relation to the preventative maintenance and upgrade program, I think I have already referred to that, and the upgrading works, that $21.1 million program, they are significantly completed. They are expected to be fully completed by the end of this month. That relates to that one as well. I am not sure what the other questions were—

The Hon. I.K. Hunter: An extra 10 million bucks.

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I think I've been quite clear that we had $10 million which was brought forward to be spent sooner rather than later—press the accelerator, get going with the programs. I have already responded to that particular question.

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