Page 2142 - Week 10 - Thursday, 26 October 1989
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been taken about the ultimate form of the project at this stage.
Housing Interest Rates
MR WOOD: To continue the welfare theme, I would like to direct a question to the Minister for Housing and Urban Services. Minister, has your department had many people applying for the safety net help for people who are in danger of losing their homes because of interest rates?
MRS GRASSBY: We have had about 10 applications. Members on the other side of the house and also Federal members will have received forms that they can give out to people with this problem. We have had 10 applications which are being processed - - -
Mr Kaine: Not so, Minister. I do not know what you are talking about.
MRS GRASSBY: I am sorry; they were to be sent out to you. I will check and find out what happened. I asked that they be sent to your offices.
Mr Kaine: Can I be number 11?
MRS GRASSBY: Whatever you like. Some serious things have come out of it. We had one application where the people concerned owe $176,000 on their house, their repayments are over $2,000 a month and their income is only $600 a week.
Mr Kaine: How did they get the loan in the first place?
MRS GRASSBY: Exactly, Mr Kaine; that is exactly what I said when I saw it. I thought that there was some irresponsibility by banks and building societies. Obviously it was in an area where houses were display houses and were being sold. I think the particular building company was pushing to sell the houses and was organising loans for people who obviously could not afford them. I think this is very serious and I would like to see this case looked into. People should not be put that far into debt if interest rates do go up. This was one of the most shocking cases that I looked at, because the people could not have afforded the house in the first place.
Reusable Containers
MR HUMPHRIES: My question is to the Minister for Industry, Employment and Education in his capacity as the Minister responsible for the Milk Authority. It concerns the authority's decision to introduce the one litre non-reusable milk bottles into supermarkets on a trial basis. I also note that 600ml bottles which can be recycled have
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