Tuesday, 1 April 2025

Housing

Aiv PUGLIELLI (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:38): (874) My question today is to the minister for housing. It is my understanding that the North Melbourne housing office at 33 Alfred Street will be demolished later this year. Residents in North Melbourne have voiced concerns that Footscray will become their closest housing office, which some have expressed is too far and for some would be hard to reach. Can you please confirm what the plans are for the North Melbourne housing office?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:39): Thank you, Mr Puglielli, for that question. What I want to do at the outset is make it clear that there will be questions that I get in this place that involve a level of detail that I do not have available to me right then. What I am happy to do is speak in the general in referring to the impact of change and of relocation, and I am really happy to come back to you with some additional information, just because I would rather do that. What I will say in general terms is that we are working really hard as that change continues to be felt across people within the social housing system, all parts of the social housing system, whether it is in the middle of Melbourne or right out to the edges of the state, so that there is proximity to housing support office resources and people, inreach and outreach, as the case may be. There are flexible methods of delivery of services.

I do not have detail on the way in which they may be deployed in this particular instance, but I do know that there is a concerted effort going into making sure that services continue to be able to be provided and that there are a range of ways by which this can occur. We also know, for example, in the delivery of upgraded maintenance systems and the reporting framework – there was $13 million I think put into an upgraded maintenance reporting system – we are trying to overcome the tyranny of distance by making it easier for people to notify issues and to get action or assistance from a housing office. So, Mr Puglielli, as it relates to the actual geographic distance and what that configuration looks like, I am very happy to perhaps get you some further information on that to the extent that I am able.

Aiv PUGLIELLI (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:41): Thank you, Minister, for that response. Aspects of this supplementary may also need to be on notice. Will the housing office return to the North Melbourne estate once the site is redeveloped?

Harriet SHING (Eastern Victoria – Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, Minister for Housing and Building, Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts) (12:41): Mr Puglielli, I will take you to the announcements that have been made recently in relation to the ground lease model and the work that we are doing across the development of key sites. That is about making sure that resources are available to people in close proximity to the places that they call home, but why don’t I take that on notice and give you some additional detail around what that will look like in light of the announcements that we have made and the principles that I have just outlined about proximity to services, to support and to assistance, again whether that is in combination with an electronic method of seeking assistance, whether it is an in-person visit to an office or whether it is outreach.