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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 14 Hansard (10 December) . . Page.. 5063 ..

MRS BURKE (continuing):

It should be noted that shortly I shall be in a position to circulate a brief explanatory statement. I apologise to members that it is not available at this time. I will circulate it out of session.

The bill's primary objective is to provide for an early intervention scheme for assisted tenants who have difficulties in meeting their obligations under tenancy agreements. It is envisaged that this outcome will be achieved through numerous potential pathways, but primarily by way of three distinct mechanisms.

They are, firstly, by providing opportunities for assisted tenants who may be in breach of their tenancy agreements to meet their obligations under the agreements; secondly, by enabling assisted tenants who have difficulties meeting their obligations under tenancy agreements to obtain help and to help themselves; and, thirdly, by adopting a case management approach that recognises the need for housing assistance to be given to those most in need, has regard to the needs of all assisted tenants, and involves community service providers. It is anticipated that the bill will apply to residential agreements under which the commissioner is the lessor.

As far as debt is concerned, let me say at the outset to put part-I stress part-of this matter in perspective that I have put my hands on an answer to a question on notice asked by my colleague Mr Cornwell in February last year concerning occupancy debt. There may be more recent figures available, but the answer by Minister Wood on 21 February 2002 to question No 25, as recorded in Hansard at page 533, reads:

The total amount of occupant debt in ACT Housing properties at 31 December 2001 was $1,095,505.30.

Mr Cornwell: How much?

MRS BURKE: It was $1,095,505.30. What about evictions? In answer to the next question on notice-question No 26-from Mr Stefaniak, we were told that there were 128 evictions in 1997-98, 50 in 1998-99, 38 in 1999-2000 and 56 in 2000-01 and that there had already been 68 evictions in 2001-02, which was in the 51/2 months to 18 December 2001. As to the specific reasons given for eviction, the answer was debt. Other reasons included excessive noise, property damage, refusal to allow justifiable property inspections, abandonment of property, and illegal subletting. But it is relevant to quote that debt is the most frequent reason for seeking an eviction.

Debt management and eviction are critical, no doubt, but are they being handled in the right way? Are there other ways or perhaps additional ways of going about it? I think so. Since returning to the Assembly in mid-February this year, I have been inundated on literally a daily basis with telephone calls from resident tenants within our housing system who have for one reason or another, but invariably for a combination of reasons, factors, events or circumstances, some quite often beyond their control and not through developments of their making-for example, when a spouse or cohabitating partner suddenly shoots through, leaving them to survive and pick up the pieces, including the financial pieces-received correspondence from ACT Housing indicating, effectively, and I paraphrase here, "You're in arrears. Unless you do X, Y and Z within 14 days, you'll be evicted."

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