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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-02-04 Daily Xml
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Public Housing

The Hon. J.S. LEE (14:53): My question is to the Minister for Human Services regarding public housing. Can the minister please provide an update to the council on how additional maintenance funding is being spent to improve public housing for tenants in South Australia?

The Hon. I.K. Hunter interjecting:

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK (Minister for Human Services) (14:53): I thank the honourable member for her question.

The PRESIDENT: I could say the Hon. Mr Hunter might need to take a cold shower.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: I know that she was listening intently and wanted to know more information, which is why she has asked this specific question.

If I could return briefly to a question I was asked earlier in question time in relation to the case raised by the Leader of the Opposition—and I thank him for not naming, as Labor members have done in this place, a particular client—I am advised that she has been in touch with my office by telephone. The reason for the eviction is that the property is a safety risk due to hoarding and clutter. This particular tenant has been offered alternative accommodation, which she has refused. On eviction she will be offered emergency accommodation. So once again we have an example of the Labor Party omitting facts—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —fabricating facts—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister has the call and will be heard in silence.

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: Thank you, Mr President. Indeed, in relation to maintenance it is also worth reminding the house that I didn't talk about the asset condition inspection program, which commenced in 2018, because the Auditor-General had, in the previous year, identified that the South Australian Housing Trust properties had not had asset condition inspection reports since 2003.

That made it very difficult for asset management to be done in any sort of coordinated way, because the Housing Authority didn't have records of the condition of particular properties and therefore which property should be prioritised in terms of progressive maintenance and the like, which we are rectifying. I am expecting that report to be provided fairly soon, which will advise our comprehensive asset management program going forward in a comprehensive way.

As I stated earlier, we have actually increased the maintenance in the last 12 months. The maintenance budget was something that the Labor Party, when they needed cash for other pet projects and the like, would regularly raid. We have committed the full amount of the budget, and indeed have increased it by $30 million in recent times, to work through things in a much more strategic way.

Of course, we had the COVID stimulus that has now been completed; $10 million was allocated and has gone to the walk-up flat sites and to enable improvements to shed areas. This involves a range of sites including Parkside, Glengowrie, Christie Downs, Fullarton, Elizabeth, Oaklands Park and the like. We have also had a number of other properties that have required new kitchens, bathrooms and roofs in the Riverland, Mount Gambier and Port Augusta.

That is consistent with an additional commitment we brought through in our housing strategy, Our Housing Future 2020-2030. In addition, there is $21 million worth of maintenance stimulus, which will be completed by mid this year. That includes upgrades to properties in metropolitan Adelaide and Kangaroo Island.

In addition to addressing the needs of our tenants who have properties that need to be upgraded, we are able to do things in a more strategic way. Fixing a roof in a timely manner prevents leaks that cause all sorts of other problems; as they say, a stitch in time saves nine. We have been cracking through for the benefit of our tenants—

The Hon. C.M. Scriven interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. J.M.A. LENSINK: —and also for the benefit of tradies in South Australia.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The Hon. Mr Darley has the call.

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