Wednesday, 15 May 2024

Housing

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:28): (530) My question is to the Minister for Housing. Yesterday the Age reported on the state government’s inability to clarify whether rules around rooming houses meet new national standards. As a result, hundreds of rooming house tenants across Melbourne are facing having basic amenities, such as sinks and hotplates, removed from their homes. Rooming house developer Frank Days has said he has been fighting this for the past 11 months. He has reached out to the current housing minister and the previous housing minister, he has reached out to the current Premier and previous Premier and he has never received a response. Minister, as we are in a housing crisis, why won’t you talk to Mr Days and fix this problem?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (12:29): Mr Days has raised a number of concerns and questions about the way in which housing can be provided to people under the rooming house model. I am actually advised that a senior adviser from my office spoke directly with Mr Days about his concerns and provided him with a pathway for those concerns to be addressed. Again, it is actually really important that I put that on the record, because we do want to make sure that in responding to these concerns and to these questions we have got accurate information being incorporated into the questions that you ask. When the staff member from my office spoke with Mr Days, it was to refer him to Consumer Affairs Victoria and to discuss the way in which the rules around rooming houses apply and the standards which apply in the provision of accommodation to people under that particular model.

There are frameworks within which applications can be made for determination of particular facilities as rooming houses, and in that regard I also note that my office has discussed these very issues with a range of your colleagues, including your housing spokesperson in the other place Mr Riordan, and to that end I would suggest that perhaps you have a chat with him. But I also want to make it clear that we want to work alongside councils around the way in which rooming houses and planning decisions are taken. I would welcome an opportunity for you, Mr Mulholland, to address that question to the ministers for planning, consumer affairs or local government.

I just want to address any misconceptions that might apply across the chamber. When we talk to housing, it is across a number of different portfolios. When I was first appointed to this role, I did take the time to set out the numerous portfolios which have responsibility for this area. Housing, as we know, is a continuum. It ranges from private ownership and that side of the spectrum, which we have obviously supported through first home buyer funds and other matters that I discussed yesterday with Ms Payne, right through to homelessness and crisis support and accommodation. Rooming houses sit within that spectrum, and I would be really pleased to seek some answers for you from the relevant minister in accordance with the standing orders.

Again, just to be really clear: when it comes to homelessness supports, transitional housing, crisis accommodation and the interface there between social housing, which is the umbrella under which public and community housing applies, and options such as the ground lease model, I am very happy to take those questions but otherwise to refer them in accordance with the standing orders.

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (12:32): That was a pretty astonishing answer. I understand that Mr Riordan said he has not spoken to or heard from the housing minister about this particular case, and also it is a social housing collective which Mr Days runs. There is inconsistency between the planning law and the Residential Tenancies Act, which means that people’s kitchen sinks are being pulled out. The Victorian Planning Authority says that this is an easy fix, but it must be done at a state level. To date your government says this is a local issue rather than at a state level. Mr Days says that no-one takes responsibility for making these decisions, and he is considering investing in other states. Minister, at the end of the day the buck stops with you. Why does your government continue to pass the buck when we are in a housing crisis?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (12:33): Mr Mulholland, I will take you through it again. The housing –

Members interjecting.

Harriet SHING: I will take up that interjection. My office has spoken with Mr Days, my office has spoken with Mr Riordan. I would suggest perhaps you clarify your position on that.

Again, social housing is delivered by community housing providers alongside the work that we do within Homes Victoria, alongside the work within the affordable cohort and alongside the public housing framework as well. When we also talk to private operators who are looking to provide rooming house opportunities, that is a matter which requires planning approval and requires council endorsement and those frameworks for decision-making that exist at that level of government.

Again, Mr Days was referred to Consumer Affairs Victoria. I am very, very happy to make sure that you understand what the process for that referral is and what the work is that Consumer Affairs Vic does. That is also where the taskforce comes in handy. Minister Williams in the other place I suspect will be able to provide you with further information should you wish it.