Wednesday, 27 November 2024

Ministers statements: housing

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for Housing, Minister for Water, Minister for Equality) (12:17): In the last financial year the Allan Labor government has added nearly 3000 new social homes to the inventory across the state. That is the highest number in the last 10 years. As part of the $5.3 billion Big Housing Build, 10,000 homes are now completed or underway, with nearly 5000 households getting ready to move in or moved in already. We announced the regions where the first 1000 homes will also be built as part of the $1 billion Regional Housing Fund, and work has begun, with at least 180 new and upgraded homes already being completed, including 50 transitional housing homes to rapidly house people experiencing homelessness. We have also upgraded more than 130 homes.

But while we build, others block. It is the obligation of government at all levels to build more homes for those Victorians who need them most, and the Allan Labor government is holding up our end of the bargain. The Greens, however, in the Darebin, Merri-bek and Yarra councils are all on the record voting against social housing developments that now house thousands of vulnerable Victorians. The Greens-dominated council in Darebin led a vote against the development of new social housing at the Huttonham estate; we built 68 homes. They also delayed the Oakover Road development by 12 months; we built 99 social homes and 197 market homes. The Greens Merri-bek council opposed a development at Harvest Square, which has delivered 119 social homes, many for women and children at risk of homelessness, and 79 market homes. The member for Richmond, as the mayor, voted against building social and affordable homes in Yarra, declaring that the town hall precinct was not the site for it – in other words, ‘not in my backyard’. And let us not forget Markham estate in Ashburton. It went through the entire planning process, only for the Greens to team up with the Liberals to revoke it in Parliament. There we built 111 social homes and 67 affordable homes. Teaming up again at a federal level, the Greens and the coalition worked together to delay the Housing Australia Future Fund. It was happening, again, until just this week, when the Greens decided that suddenly housing was an important issue and decided to side with the Albanese government’s investment in – (Time expired)