Ms Catherine King (Ballarat, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently I was presented with a petition on homelessness in the Ballarat region. The petition was gathered by the social justice ministry of the Our Lady Help of Christians in Wendouree. This committee has done a terrific job in collecting 140 signatures from residents who are concerned about the level of homelessness in our region. The signatures from members across the Wendouree community are from residents who are seeking further action on the homelessness crisis.

It is with an increasing sense of unease that we, a nation of prosperity and wealth, have witnessed a growing number of homeless over recent decades. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare produced a report on Victoria’s homeless from the 2006 census. The Counting the Homeless report found the rate of homeless in Ballarat was 47 per 10,000, compared with 29 per 10,000 in Geelong and 37 per 10,000 in Warrnambool. This equated to 399 homeless people in Ballarat.

No Australians should find themselves forced into homelessness. It is, frankly, unacceptable. The Rudd government has put this issue at the forefront of the public agenda. Following our white paper on homelessness the federal government released a national plan on reducing homelessness by 2020. We have committed to halving the rate of homelessness by that time. This is a crucial target and we must meet this objective. The white paper, The Road Home, outlined a number of important steps in our approach to achieving this target. One of the overarching messages in this report was the importance of the entire community accepting and taking responsibility for our nation’s homeless. Since being elected we have seen a dramatic boost in funding towards the homeless. As part of the nation-building economic stimulus plan the Rudd government is investing $5.7 billion in social housing. The social housing program will deliver over 19,000 new homes, with the assistance of the not-for-profit sector, and refurbish more than 60,000 existing properties. Over 10,000 of the repaired homes would have been lost to stock within two years were it not for the Rudd government’s investment.

Across my electorate of Ballarat we have seen a number of announcements. At present the Ballarat electorate has seen 65 social housing dwellings approved, to the tune of $14.2 million. Additionally we are undertaking the repair and maintenance of a number of dwellings across the region. The funding provided for social housing under the Nation Building and Jobs Plan aims to reduce the public housing waiting list and reduce homelessness across the region.

The Rudd government is also delivering on its election commitment with the implementation of the National Rental Affordability Scheme, now well underway. The Ballarat electorate is seeing a significant surge in affordable rental housing with the approval of 119 homes. Rent for these properties is charged at 20 per cent below the market rate for eligible recipients. This is great news for families in the region that are struggling to pay their bills. The National Rental Affordability Scheme is contributing to affordable housing being built in Wendouree, Soldiers Hill, Golden Point, Sebastopol, Mount Pleasant, Brown Hill, Canadian and Delacombe. Two areas that will see a significant growth in affordable private rental housing include Sebastopol, with 24 homes being built, and Bacchus Marsh, with 78 homes being built.

Only a few weeks ago I visited a family in Bacchus Marsh who are now living in a new home built as part of the National Rental Affordability Scheme. Julia and their three boys moved in a few weeks ago now. Tanya Plibersek and I were absolutely delighted to meet with that family and see that having that rental accommodation provided at that rate was providing them an opportunity to, at some point, regain a foot into the housing market themselves. The Minister for Housing, Tanya Plibersek, and I were delighted to visit the region and discuss the importance and value of the initiative to families. It is a perfect example of the impact the Rudd government’s program is having on electorates around the nation.

In our nation’s era of relative prosperity, we have an opportunity to bring about real change to those in our community who need it most. It is a wonderful tribute to the Wendouree community that they have come together to speak out on this important issue. I take their concerns seriously. This is a serious issue. I look forward to working with all communities, including those involved with this petition, as we move towards achieving our 2020 targets. I seek leave to table the petition.

Leave granted.

Harry Jenkins (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The document will be forwarded to the Standing Committee on Petitions for its consideration. It will be accepted subject to confirmation by the committee that it conforms to the standing orders.