Thursday, 16 November 2023

Northern Victoria Region housing

Gaelle BROAD (Northern Victoria) (17:57): (601) My adjournment is to the Minister for Housing in relation to public housing, or the lack of it, across Northern Victoria. Recent data shows that the Premier’s Big Housing Build is more like a tiny housing build. In 2020 Labor pledged $5.3 billion to build 12,000 new homes by 2024. To date they have spent more than $3 billion, but public housing stock has only increased by 395 homes, while the total number of bedrooms has actually gone backwards – 2700 less bedrooms than in 2018. Victoria’s public housing waitlist has continued to grow by close to 20,000 more families. Now more than 65,000 people are on the list. Over the last five years more families have been displaced than have been given a home. Families fleeing domestic violence are now waiting close to two years to relocate to a public housing property. A lady in Echuca fleeing domestic violence and in need of urgent access to public housing was told the best the state could offer was a tent at a local caravan park for six months.

With workforce shortages, shortages of building contractors and supplies, escalating costs and climbing interest rates, the state government’s plan to build 800,000 homes over the next 10 years looks more like a big dream than a big build. Labor’s latest promise is to build 220 homes per day every day for the next 10 years, but when you look at their track record, in 2020 only 12 extra homes a week were created. The Shadow Minister for Housing Richard Riordan is right when he says the Big Housing Build has been a big letdown.

The Premier promised to deliver the Commonwealth Games and much-needed housing to go with it but dropped the baton, cancelling the games, and regional Victoria has been left waiting on the blocks for the housing build to start. An athletes village was promised for Bendigo, located in Flora Hill, but the site remains vacant and surrounded by temporary fencing.

When it comes to public housing, it is important to consider a fair distribution of funds to address housing needs across rural and regional areas, because homes are needed right across the region. I remember driving into Castlemaine in the middle of winter and seeing tents set up on the side of the road due to the increasing number of people experiencing homelessness.

I note the state government says it welcomes local councils to identify opportunities for development. Mount Alexander shire has identified sites like Etty Street in Castlemaine. Early planning suggests that 80 to 90 homes could be built on the site, and they would welcome the opportunity to speak with the minister to progress this development. The Homes Victoria government website lists a number of projects underway that are a part of the Big Housing Build, but with limited detail. The action I seek is for the minister to provide a list of projects currently underway in Northern Victoria, outlining the locations, project costs and time frames for completion of these homes, including whether 1300 new, social and affordable homes will be built using the $1 billion allocated to regional housing following the cancellation of the Commonwealth Games.