Page 168 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 14 February 2018
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MS CHEYNE: Minister, what do the results of the report show about the provision of social housing in the ACT?
MS BERRY: It is important that this information is shared with members of the Assembly today. Ninety-nine per cent of new allocations of public housing were to households in greatest need. That compares with 74 per cent nationally. Again, the ACT government is leading the way in supporting people in our community who most need it. These are very strong results, particularly the ACT government’s commitment to helping those who need housing most, particularly those people who are experiencing homelessness, escaping domestic and family violence and living in unhealthy situations, and people for whom housing is simply unaffordable.
Seventy-five per cent of public housing tenants are satisfied with the assistance that they received from government. This was shown in the national social housing survey, which also had very good results for the ACT government. Compared to 80 per cent and 90 per cent respectively nationally, 89 per cent of people in public housing and 92 per cent of those living in community housing reported that their current location meets their needs. There was also a great improvement in tenant reports about the condition of their homes. This reflects on the effective work that the public housing renewal program is doing as well. The $600 million investment through the public housing renewal program is building 1,288 new homes. We are already past the halfway mark, which is on track for a 2019 completion.
Members will have noticed the display upstairs, a photographic exhibition done by photographer Hardy Lohse that tells the stories of public housing tenants who have bravely and courageously allowed him into their homes, to share their homes and their experiences as tenants who were part of the tenant relocation program. I encourage members to go up and have a look at the exhibition.
Mr Barr: I ask that all further questions be placed on the notice paper.
Health—investment and planning
Debate resumed.
MR STEEL (Murrumbidgee) (3.30): I would like to thank Ms Cheyne for bringing this motion forward. It is an inescapable fact that our city is growing, now by just under 7,000 people per year. To ensure that we are a livable city, we need to continue to make sure that we have access to good quality health care when it is needed.
As a Labor government, we are taking the responsible steps to plan, invest and build the hospitals, walk-in-centres and quality healthcare services that our city needs. We are doing so to meet current demand and the future growth of our city and our region. Looking after the good health of our growing city means modernising and expanding upon our quality health system. All across our city, we are doing exactly that, and this motion captures very well the really significant work that is being undertaken by our government in delivering our 10-year health plan that will accommodate the health needs of every Canberran in the future. Whether they were born today, whether they
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