Page 2022 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 5 June 1990
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sector rental housing trust. Over a five-year period we estimate that this will increase the supply of private sector rental dwellings by up to 500. We have also moved to review appeal avenues for public housing clients; we have looked at administrative arrangements throughout that area of the housing trust; we have established task forces to deal with rental arrears and counselling and to look carefully and compassionately at debt recovery.
We have compiled a comprehensive list of potential public housing redevelopment sites as part of our strategy of attending to the aged persons accommodation imperatives of any responsible government. Since we came into government we have engaged a consultant to develop a long-term strategy for the future management and improvement of public housing flat complexes, many of which have been neglected over recent years of Federal Labor governments. No initiative in that area was taken, to my knowledge, by the Follett Labor Government. We are finishing a review of rents charged for public housing, and we have employed an independent commercial valuer to look at the comparable market rent structure of the entire stock of rental dwellings to ensure that there is equity and access. (Quorum formed)
I am indebted to my colleague Dr Kinloch for making up the numbers for a depleted Opposition bench.
Mr Speaker, I am sure people have noted the sincere and impressive work being done by the Alliance Government in the public housing area. I do not believe we have sustained any significant criticism or attacks in the community sector or otherwise on those issues.
I now move to a number of community program areas. I refer to initiatives where we have started to look at a whole range of things. We have accepted that the Narrabundah child-care centre should achieve a viable enrolment. It has done that, and it has remained open with the direct assistance of my bureau. A 25-place occasional child-care service commenced operation at the Majura Community Centre in April 1990, and a considerable emphasis within my portfolio has been put on child-care requirements.
We have given significant funding packages in a number of areas. Not the least was my personal decision to increase funding by over 24 per cent in the areas of youth homelessness, youth health, youth workers, and supporting food programs such the soup kitchen run by the Hari Krishnas for homeless youth.
They are decisions across a whole range of issues - youth mediation services; crisis resolution services; refits in a number of centres; community centres; youth centres; funds given to the Havelock House community to refurbish the dining hall and to make it truly a community meeting place; endorsements of funding under the home and community care scheme; extension of funding in a whole variety of areas;
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