Ms VAGHELA (Western Metropolitan) (18:44): My adjournment matter is directed to the Minister for Planning and Minister for Housing, the Honourable Richard Wynne. The Andrews Labor government has announced the biggest ever investment in public and community housing to ensure Victorians have the security and stability of a home. The Victorian Budget 2020–21 will deliver an historic $5.3 billion Big Housing Build to construct more than 12 000 new homes throughout metro and regional Victoria as well as supporting around 10 000 jobs per year over the next four years to supercharge Victoria’s economic recovery through the pandemic and beyond. This package will boost our state’s social housing supply by 10 per cent in just four years, providing a stable foundation for thousands of Victorians to build their lives. The investment will deliver 9300 new social housing homes, including replacing 1100 old public housing units. This investment will help Aboriginal Victorians, pensioners, Victorians with disabilities, family violence victims and single-parent families find their feet. Of these new homes, 2000 will be for Victorians living with mental illness, reflecting our commitment to mental health and fixing a broken system. A further 2900 new affordable and low-cost homes will be built to help low-to-moderate income earners live closer to where they work and provide options for private rental.
The program will deliver secure, modern and affordable homes throughout Victoria, with 25 per cent of funding to be allocated to regional Victoria. The new homes will meet 7-star energy efficiency standards, making them more comfortable during summer and winter and making savings for tenants on their power bills. The unprecedented investment will boost Victoria’s economic recovery, generating an estimated $6.7 billion in economic activity and supporting a peak of more than 18 000 jobs, with 10 per cent of the work on major projects to be done by apprentices, cadets and trainees. Combined with new housing from existing investments such as the public housing renewal program and the Victorian Social Housing Growth Fund, construction of more than 15 800 new homes will begin over the next four years. The action I seek from the minister is to provide my office with an update on which suburbs in my area of Western Metropolitan Region will benefit from this Big Housing Build.
RESPONSE
In reply to Ms VAGHELA (Western Metropolitan) (26 November 2020)
Mr WYNNE (Richmond—Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing):
I thank Ms Vaghela, Member for Western Metropolitan Region for her question and acknowledge her support for improving housing outcomes for the community in the Western Metropolitan area.
As you have indicated, the 2020–21 Budget has committed record investment for new social and affordable housing. The $5.3 billion Big Housing Build will deliver 12,000 new homes across the state. It will also help Victoria’s building and construction industry recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Big Housing Build is starting straight away, and I am pleased to advise that the Cities of Maribyrnong, Brimbank, Hume and Wyndham, which all overlap the Western Metropolitan Region, have been identified as priority Local Government Areas for investment. This includes a spot purchase program to acquire social and affordable housing.
New modern homes will also be constructed and will met 7-star NatHERS energy efficiency standards to ensure a comfortable living environment and low energy costs. This means the Western Metropolitan area will not only see the benefits of much-needed social housing, but also investment and jobs that support the local community.
The Big Housing Build comes on top of the $498 million for refurbishment and maintenance of existing social housing dwellings, $209 million to build 1,000 new public housing dwellings, $150 million for the Homelessness to Home program, $112 million package for energy efficient upgrades to social housing and the $185 million Public Housing Renewal Program.
I trust this information is of assistance and I once again thank the Member for Western Metropolitan region for her ongoing support for social and affordable housing.