Page 109 - Week 01 - Tuesday, 8 February 2022
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neighbourhoods. These are the people most in need in our community, and they were encouraging people to turn their backs on them in the suburbs.
I cannot help myself; I find it amusing when Mr Parton comes in here and talks about being the greatest champion of public housing and public housing tenants. Over the last four years, including the last 12 months, and well before he got here, the Canberra Liberals have had a history that says something entirely different to the position that he is trying to put to people here in the Assembly today.
With respect to public housing being a priority for the ACT Labor Party, with the support of the Greens political party we have absolutely put our money where our mouth is and we are delivering. We delivered 1,288 new public housing homes for people in the last government and now we will be building another 1,000 new homes, replacing old, unsustainable, unsuitable dwellings for public housing tenants and increasing our stock by another 400 dwellings.
The growth and renewal of public housing is not a linear process. Mr Parton knows that, and I think he understands it. First, when we are building new homes, you have to demolish the old home; you then build the new home. Sometimes, along the way, there will be a temporary reduction in public housing.
Mr Parton: For 10 years.
MS BERRY: A temporary reduction in public housing. Mr Parton knows that because I think he can do the maths himself and work out how that puzzle is being worked out. It is a puzzle that is being built along the way, and a lot of process goes into it. Front and centre of all of that is making sure that our tenants get a home that suits their needs so that they have the dignity of living in a beautiful new home in a suburb or area where they live—unless the Canberra Liberals write 15 letters to me and say, “Except here. Except in this particular area or this suburb.” That is when it becomes a problem. At a point in time, yes, there will be smaller numbers of public housing as we move through the renewal program.
We also saw a significant boost in the maintenance budget for public housing. $80 million is being committed to repairs and maintenance, upgrades to kitchens and bathroom modifications, and upgrades for homes needing disability modifications and security improvements. This has seen a significant uplift in the maintenance works across the portfolio—and, as part of that, supporting our local industries as well. In addition to growing Canberra’s public housing, this budget investment sees existing public housing maintained so that tenants can enjoy and live comfortably in their own homes.
The housing strategy is due for a review at the halfway point of its implementation. That is not anything new. It is not something that we would not have done along the way. It was never meant to be something that was merely ink on paper that we would tick off along the way. Of course, circumstances will change. We have seen the circumstances change around housing affordability within the last two years in this country, and the ACT is not immune to that. But we are continuing to do the work to deliver the strategy, and to achieve affordable housing outcomes. I will continue to
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