Annette Hurley (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness, Senator Arbib. Can the minister please advise the Senate about the progress of the government’s Social Housing Initiative investment under the Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan? Can the minister also inform the Senate about the improvements and upgrades to existing social housing stock as well as additional dwellings constructed? Can the minister inform the Senate as to how many people have been employed under the government’s Social Housing Initiative?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Hurley for her question. The Australian government’s $5.6 billion social housing program under the nation-building plan is on track and delivering much-needed homes for vulnerable people, such as people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Around 31,000 Australians will benefit from the Australian government’s investment in social housing under the stimulus plan.

The federal government initially committed to constructing a total of 17,460 dwellings. I am happy to report that we are exceeding our targets. The average price of an individual dwelling is about $272,000, well below the original target of $300,000. Because of that excellent value for money, we will build around 2,000 additional social housing dwellings for Australians in need.

Construction has commenced on 17,800 dwellings, and more than 5,100 dwellings have now been completed. With the high level of rainfall in the states, this is a good figure. Because of the rainfall we are experiencing, there will understandably be some delays in construction, but the states are overall delivering under the agreement. It is also good news for the regions, because four out of every 10 new social housing dwellings are being built in regional Australia.

With regard to repairs and maintenance, 12,000 dwellings that were uninhabitable have been repaired under the stimulus funding, further boosting social housing supply. Our initial target was 2,500 dwellings, so we have successfully surpassed that target in partnership with the states and territories. A total of more than 80,000 dwellings have benefited from repairs and maintenance which was completed in June this year, and that is a very good figure.

Annette Hurley (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister also advise the Senate if there has been any special recognition of the standards achieved under this program? Is the minister aware of any awards or honours received for the construction of these dwellings?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The states and territories are doing very well in terms of construction and also in terms of receiving awards. I was very pleased to hear that Hadcon Constructions received the 2010 excellence in housing award from the Master Builders Association of New South Wales for their work on a project in Lurnea. Housing New South Wales won the major award and commendation for two nation-building properties from the Urban Development Institute of Australia at its prestigious awards for excellence. One of the awards was for excellence in concept design and was awarded for a 44-unit social housing development for seniors in south-west Sydney.

These awards mean a great deal for the architects and for the builders but they also mean a great deal for the people living in social housing. It is going to improve their everyday lifestyle and their quality of life. These are some of the most vulnerable Australians. We are talking about people with mental illness. We are talking about seniors. (Time expired)

Annette Hurley (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Given the success of the social housing program, could the minister tell us if there has there been any feedback from these tenants who have taken up the housing? How is the government’s investment in social housing helping to ease pressures on homelessness?

Mark Arbib (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

There have been numerous comments from social housing tenants. Here are a couple that I have pulled out. The first one is from a Ms Leverton from Bundaberg, Queensland, who said:

As the wife and full-time carer of my husband, who has disabilities, this housing has made a huge difference in both our lives. I am able to concentrate on caring for my husband without the worries of maintaining a yard and constantly moving from house to house when owners decide to sell.

Greg Widders, a New South Wales social housing tenant, is another person who is delighted with his new home:

It is wonderful. I was consulted during the building stage and, because I am on dialysis and dust is a problem, I asked for vinyl flooring throughout rather than carpet. I have room for my dialysis machine and associated supplies and hook up for 9½ hours each night. It means I can keep working.

The good news is that 99.8 per cent of the approximately 16,500 dwellings in stage 2 will meet universal design requirements and energy ratings of at least six stars for over— (Time expired)