Thursday, 16 November 2023

Southern Metropolitan Region housing

John BERGER (Southern Metropolitan) incorporated the following (614):

• President, my adjournment is for the Minister for Housing, Minister Shing & relates to the innovative ground lease model.

• I was excited to learn in this chamber two weeks ago from the Minister that around 500 pre-existing dwellings on four housing estates in Southern Metro will be replaced with 1370 new homes – thanks to a new round of Ground Lease Model projects.

• And of these, 650 will be social housing, 180 affordable homes, 470 market rentals and 55 specialist disability homes.

• Thank you to the Minister for the great news.

• I’m the co-chair of the Bangs Street Community Committee that is guiding the re-development at one of first round of ground lease model sites in the Electorate of Prahran, just around the corner from my office in Southern Metro.

• And it’s almost complete.

• Just south of Prahran at New Street in Brighton, there’s another site being redeveloped under the Ground Lease Model.

• This Brighton project is vital to my community – it will deliver 291 new homes, including 151 social housing homes.

• And will increase the social housing at the site by more than 18 percent, on top of the 140 new market homes that boost Melbourne’s housing supply.

• In Brighton, like at Bangs Street, the homes will be modern, energy efficient, and include important amenities like a new café, community pavilion, and a garden for all to enjoy.

• As part of the model to deliver the project, the Allan Labor Government will lease the land to Building Communities to build, operate and maintain for 40 years.

• And after that, they will return to public ownership.

• President, the Ground Lease Model will deliver more than a thousand homes by early next year across three sites, two of which are in Southern Metro.

• And I’m proud that the Allan Labor Government recently announced that we’re delivering a new round of these ground lease model projects.

• Our nation leading 5.3-billion-dollar Big Housing Build is on.

• More than 7600 homes have already been completed or are underway – more than 3 thousand households have either:

• Moved in or are getting ready to move into brand new homes.

• We’re on track for 12 thousand vital social & affordable homes.

• And we’re on track to create 40 thousand construction jobs.

• I’ve seen first-hand how this will change peoples’ lives.

• Building the homes of the 21st century.

• I was pleased to hear the Minister speak on this very topic today during Question Time.

• As Minister Shing said today:

• Without the iPads, without the sneakers, we are getting it done – despite the howls from those opposite.

• So, my adjournment to the Minister is this – can the Minister explain what will the new round of the ground lease model mean for my community of Southern Metro?