Wednesday, 7 February 2024

Ministers statements: housing

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (12:20): Last Wednesday I was in Flemington with passionate local member for Essendon Danny Pearson to celebrate 359 new homes being delivered at Victoria Street. The site has been transformed from a site of just under 200 homes to 359. That is 240 social homes and 119 affordable homes. That is a 21 per cent increase in housing at the site. This is part of our nation-leading ground lease model. It is a partnership with the community housing sector, a crucial sector in delivering social housing to Victoria, and it is bringing thousands of new homes on line to families and communities who need them most.

It was so wonderful to walk through the new development with Rose, who is a renter there who has moved in after being relocated to Deer Park. She and her children, who range in age from three to 18, now have a bright, modern, beautiful energy-efficient and well-connected home to call their own. This is a far cry from the outdated infrastructure at the towers which Rose used to call home and which can still be seen from the development. These new homes comply with design standards for accessibility, noise attenuation, flood, fire and seismic risk, and they are about making sure that while we move people from that outdated housing, which is no longer fit for purpose and which no longer meets needs as far as disability, accessibility and amenity are concerned, we are doing that in a way that means that now and into the future we are giving people just like Rose those homes that meet design standards and provide wonderful proximity to their communities and really a place to call home that they are truly proud of.