Stephen Jones (Throsby, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week I wrote to the New South Wales Minister for the Illawarra and Minister for Finance and Services, the Hon. Greg Pearce, regarding the non-completion of some public housing projects at Queens Street in Warilla. I am also aware of four other projects in the Illawarra area that have not been completed because of poor management by the New South Wales department of housing, which has left many local contractors high and dry with bills unpaid. These same contractors have written to the minister with proposals about how to kick-start the completion of these building projects.

I do not blame the minister for poor decisions in project management by the department prior to his taking up that role; however, I do have serious concerns about continued inaction on these projects by the New South Wales government, particularly when we consider the fact that they are currently spending in excess of $1,250 per day for 24-hour security on the incomplete sites, where not a brick is being laid. Given the lack of building activity going on in the Illawarra and the shortage of affordable housing, I call on the New South Wales government to do the right thing by local contractors and public housing tenants and get these projects completed so they can meet the need they were intended for.