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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-08-20 Daily Xml
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Regional Housing

In reply to the Hon. R.A. SIMMS ().30 April 2025).

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries): The Minister for Housing has advised:

1. The Malinauskas government has scheduled to build 184 'Housing Trust' public rental homes in regional SA; 99 have been completed.

In addition to this, Renewal SA has delivered 19 new homes through the Office for Regional Housing's Regional Key Worker Housing Scheme pilot project, with a further 11 homes under construction for completion in the third quarter of 2025. These houses are used to attract, retain and accommodate key service workers in the regions.

2. There are 85 new public rental homes under construction in the regions, which are expected to be completed prior to March 2026.

The remainder of houses delivered under the Regional Key Worker Housing Scheme pilot project are scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2025.

A further 14 projects to be delivered or part funded by the Office for Regional Housing will target the delivery of over 400 housing outcomes (a mixture of serviced allotments, rental housing (both market priced and affordable) and short stay accommodation). These projects will deliver outcomes over the next 12-24 months.

The 2024-25 state budget allocated an additional $20 million to deliver further regional housing projects through the Office for Regional Housing. Initiatives to be delivered using this funding will be announced as they are approved.

3. This government is concerned about housing affordability for all South Australians, in particular for moderate and lower income South Australians. The HomeSeeker SA affordable homes program and the government-backed home loan lender, HomeStart Finance, are two effective and popular government initiatives that are helping thousands of South Australians, who would have normally been unable to purchase a home and realise their dream of home-ownership. Whilst housing in regional South Australia is generally available at lower market prices than metropolitan Adelaide, there remains a shortage of housing supply, and housing can still be unaffordable due to lower average incomes.

By increasing housing supply across a spectrum of typologies and uses, the Malinauskas government is increasing housing availability more broadly, including at an affordable price point.

4. The Malinauskas Labor government recently reviewed South Australia's rental laws in order to better meet the needs of today's rental housing market, improve protections for renters and ensure landlords can manage properties effectively.

As part of this 2023 review, the Minister for Consumer Affairs hosted a Residential Tenancies Forum for key stakeholders in relation to a range of issues affecting the residential tenancies sector. The issue of rent increases was discussed at the forum with representatives on behalf of both tenants and landlords.

It was apparent from the discussion at the forum that a rent freeze or rent capping measures may cause unintended hardship for renters. While a rent freeze could provide some relief for tenants, there are also concerns that a rent freeze may cause an upsurge in rental prices prior to commencement of any such measures. Further, imposing a rent freeze may result in some landlords electing to exit the market, which may in turn worsen current availability issues. I will not be advocating for a rent freeze, due to the adverse effects that a rent freeze could bring.

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