Tuesday, 29 October 2024

Ministers statements: regional housing

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (12:47): I rise today in my capacity as Minister for Housing. We are addressing the housing crisis for every single Victorian – young people, older people, couples, individuals, families, First Nations Victorians, survivors and victims of family violence, our LGBTIQA+ communities – not just in the city but in our regional and rural communities as well. Last week I visited a social housing construction site in Bendigo – one home that will be developed across one site to include 73 brand new homes for people on the housing waitlist. This was part of the announcement of the locations of over a thousand new and upgraded social and affordable homes across 30 local government areas in rural and regional Victoria under the $1 billion Regional Housing Fund.

This sits on top of the $1.25 billion in rural and regional Victoria that was announced as part of the Big Housing Build. Seven hundred of these 1000 homes with confirmed locations will be dedicated public housing homes, and at least 10 per cent of these homes will be allocated to First Nations Victorians. We will also prioritise other vulnerable groups, as we should, including women and children escaping family violence, young people at risk of homelessness, key workers and displaced communities and those dealing with ongoing floods and the impact of natural disaster.

I also want to express my gratitude to the Minister for Regional Development, Minister Tierney, on the $150 million worker accommodation fund. A good government knows that this housing crisis was not created overnight. It has taken decades for us to get to this position, including as that relates to nine years of inaction from the former coalition federal government. A good government knows that we need record investment in housing, which is exactly what we are doing. It is about making sure we address outdated rules, reforming our infrastructure contribution system, unlocking greenfield sites, reforming our subdivision laws and providing stamp duty relief to homebuyers of off-the-plan units, apartments and townhouses. That is only the start. There are more things to come.