MS PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) (16:45:36):
My matter this evening is important but probably not as interesting as Mr Finn’s. It is for the Minister for Planning, and the action I seek is an expansion of the Inclusionary Housing pilot program that has been going on, as well as an increase in the social housing percentages. It is sad; it is a disgrace that Victoria spends less than any other state on public and community housing. Just 3.5 per cent of all dwellings fall into this category. This is despite Melbourne boasting over 200 hectares of government-owned land that could host 30 000 homes—and this is according to the University of Melbourne. So I am joining with a number of organisations, being the Victorian Council of Social Service, the Council to Homeless Persons, the Community Housing Industry Association Victoria, Domestic Violence Victoria, Tenants Victoria and the Victorian Public Tenants Association, to work alongside them in building 3000 extra homes each year—effectively a new Whittlesea each year. Now, this can be done by expanding how we use public land, but it can also be expanded in lots of more novel ways like build-to-rent programs or by setting incentives for developers to introduce social housing into their developments. There is a whole range of tools and levers that we have. But we have to act now. At the moment the government has announced that it will build 100 new houses. That does not go anywhere near—that is a drop in the ocean—what we need. There were 80 000 people looking for housing over the last four years. Twenty thousand sought help from homelessness services just last year, and one in three of them was turned away. So we have an absolute crisis, and I know any of us who walk around the city can see that crisis firsthand. It is in our suburbs, but particularly we see it in our streets. So the action that I am seeking is for the government to extend the Inclusionary Housing pilot program and set up some ambitious social housing percentages in the surplus government residential land sales.
Fiona Patten MP
Leader of Reason
Member of Northern Metropolitan Region
Adjournment raised 6/3/19
Answer
Mr WYNNE (Richmond—Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing, Minister for Multicultural Affairs):
I thank the Member for the Northern Metropolitan region for her question.
The Government’s $2.6 billion commitment to increase and renew public housing and address homelessness is demonstrated through the Homes for Victorians package. The Inclusionary Housing Pilot (Pilot) is key part of this package.
The Pilot is utilising surplus government land for housing on six sites with good access to jobs and transport. The Pilot will provide a minimum of 100 new social housing homes across the six sites which will be delivered in partnership with registered community housing providers. In addition to social housing, there will be provision of affordable housing on each site.
The Government intends to use the findings of the Pilot to inform its future decision making around the sale of surplus government land and in developing its affordable housing policy.
I also note recent amendments to the Yarra Planning Scheme which require provision for 20 per cent of dwellings as affordable housing at the former Fitzroy Gasworks site and up to 10 per cent of affordable housing at 64 Alexandra Parade, Clifton Hill. In addition, recent changes to the Bayside Planning Scheme require provision of 10 per cent affordable housing on the former Highett Gas Works Site.
I acknowledge the Member’s ongoing interest in the Inclusionary Housing Pilot and her ongoing advocacy around social and community housing, if the Member would like to discuss any of these matters with me further, I encourage her to contact my office to organise a meeting.
