Ministers statements: housing
Gabrielle WILLIAMS (Dandenong – Minister for Government Services, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Public and Active Transport) (14:32): It is no secret that regional Victoria is booming, but across our regional and rural areas it is getting harder to find a place to live. We know one of the biggest barriers for renters right now is supply. That is why our housing statement will boost the number of rental options available to Victorians as well as boosting the protections Victorians so desperately need. Only Labor will ensure renters get a fairer deal. In 2018 we made over 130 reforms to improve renter protections. We lead the nation on this. Now we are going to build on that again. As part of the housing statement, we will deliver a raft of new reforms, including making rental applications easier, stopping unfair rent increases between successive fixed-term rents, better protecting the personal information of renters, banning all types of rental bidding, introducing a portable bond scheme, delivering a rental stress support package, establishing a new dispute resolution body, extending the notice of rent increase and notice to vacate and introducing mandatory training and licensing for real estate professionals, property managers, owners corporations and conveyancers. We know these reforms will make a meaningful difference to the lives of Victorian renters, but it is certainly no thanks to those opposite. They stood in the way of 130 rental reforms in 2018. They are standing against renters again in 2023. While they focus on making life harder for Victorian renters, the Allan Labor government will get on and deliver for Victorians by increasing housing supply first and foremost and also increasing protections for Victorian renters.