Page 1491 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 17 April 1991
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There is another issue related to the sale of Housing Trust properties that must also be mentioned. It is a little unclear at the moment just how many properties the Housing Trust is looking to make available to its tenants. I have heard the figure of 200 thrown around on a few occasions, but I believe that the number of expressions of interest in this program is much more than 200.
I think it needs to be pointed out that there are potentially significant budgetary implications for the Housing Trust if a large number of full rent paying tenants move to buy their homes and the Housing Trust finds itself in the position of housing a largely increased percentage of subsidised tenants. This we do not want to see. We have a healthy Housing Trust that has done a very good job over the years and we would like to see that continue.
Of course, this is dependent on the number of properties the Housing Trust makes available to its tenants, and then in turn on how many of these full rent paying tenants are replaced by subsidised tenants. But the point remains a substantial one which I hope the Minister takes note of. May I also add on this point that, if the scenario I have just mentioned occurs, we will find the Housing Trust becoming a government agency dealing with welfare housing rather than public housing, and this is not what the Housing Trust exists for. Housing trusts in many States have become nothing more than welfare housing agencies. I have always been proud of the fact that the Housing Trust in Canberra has not been just a welfare department. It has been a trust for housing members of the Canberra community.
The administrative arrangements which underwrite the proposals to sell Housing Trust properties have another major flaw which should be highlighted. This is the so-called "lag time" between the sale of current properties and the purchase and/or construction of new properties to maintain the Housing Trust rental stock. As it exists, the lag time between sale and new purchase is going to be at least four months. Moreover, this lag time is going to be greatly increased if the Housing Trust, through the Minister, decides to construct new properties rather than purchase existing properties.
Indeed, if a large-scale construction program is entered into by the Housing Trust, we could find a diminished rental stock for close to 18 months. This all goes to highlight the lack of an effective stock management policy on the part of the Housing Trust - and I do not put this on the Housing Trust. After all, the buck stops with the Minister, and he should realise that. May I suggest to the Minister that what is needed to get over the inevitable lag time problem is for the Housing Trust to implement some sort of forward estimation system with its stock. Such a system would allow the Housing Trust to estimate housing demands based on demographic projections and other information. Along these lines, it would be good for the Housing Trust to take note of the policy direction outlined
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