MATTHEW PANTELIS:
Well, we know the housing issue in not just South Australia, right around the country, but certainly here as well, there is a need for new homes. The federal government is, with the state government, funding 350 new social homes in SA around the Tonsley area. Let’s get some information from the Minister for Housing, the Federal Minister, Julie Collins, who joins me now. Minister, good morning.
JULIE COLLINS:
Good morning to you, Matthew, and to your listeners today.
PANTELIS:
What’s happening around Tonsley?
COLLINS:
Well, I’m with your State Minister, Nick Champion, and our great member for Boothby, Louise Miller‑Frost, to announce 350 new and improved social homes will be delivered to South Australia thanks to the federal government’s investment of $135 million from the $2 billion Social Housing Accelerator. This is just part of our $32 billion Homes for Australia plan. Since we’ve come to office, we’ve invested more than $32 billion in new investments in housing because we understand that far too many people are doing it tough. And at Tonsley today, we’ll be commencing the first project with 50 social homes that will provide housing for up to 70 people. So, this is terrific news for that area.
PANTELIS:
How long before they’re ready? When will people move in?
COLLINS:
Well, obviously we want to get the homes up and running as quickly as we can. Getting under construction today. We do have obviously some refurbished homes with that money that people will be able to move in much sooner. What we’re about is about getting the homes as quickly as we can. We are, right across the country, getting as many homes on the ground as fast as we can. Of course, we’ve got our $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund too. And we expect to be able to get more homes on the ground from the first round of that funding in the second half of this year also. So, this is really the beginning. We’ve already I’ve already in January this year announced another 50 homes in Bedford Park through the social housing accelerator. So, there are homes under construction today because of decisions taken by our government. But I would, of course, like to see them happen much faster.
PANTELIS:
Well, that’s the thing, isn’t it? Finding tradies especially is part of the issue here, isn’t it? I imagine, is getting people to work on the homes. But there have been a lot of state and federal announcements about blocks of land and redevelopments and housing to start and it takes forever for it to happen.
COLLINS:
Well, we’re getting underway and this will see people housed. I think the refurbishments are around 200 people be accommodated through the refurbishments. And of course they happen a bit faster. But we’re also looking at, you know, non‑traditional methods of construction for homes, including modular housing. And I understand that the Building Ministers, together with our Industry Minister, are actually in Adelaide today. They’ve been talking about how they can work better together to get more non‑traditional construction methods of getting more houses on the ground as well. So, we’re looking at everything available to us as a federal government. We announced in the federal Budget, of course, more funding for tradies as part of our $32 billion Homes for Australia plan because we also want to train more people. We also know that there are people in Australia today on visas who have these skills and what we want to do is make sure that their skills recognition comes to the top of the pile so we can get them out and about working on these homes as well.
PANTELIS:
All right. Now, in terms of services there, Tonsley an established area, I imagine all the– the services are running past the street. So, there’s no delays in that?
COLLINS:
Not that I’m aware of, no. But of course, as part of our $32 billion plan, we’re also providing funding for states and territories in terms of other infrastructure that’s required. There was a further billion dollars in the last federal Budget just a month or so ago, that will be given to states and territories to allow them to do some of that infrastructure. Also to be able to get the planning and the infrastructure around to get those homes built as quickly as they can.
PANTELIS:
Are there other areas around Adelaide or the state, indeed, where you have pockets earmarked for development like this?
COLLINS:
Yes, there are. There’s a whole range of them. There’s some in Eastwood, there’s some in Brompton, there’s some in Prospect. So, they are all over the place. We want to get as many homes on the ground as quickly as we can. The new public housing is in Seaton, Camden Park, Ceduna, so all around the state.
PANTELIS:
Okay, so a matter of time only and getting the trades up and running too, because again, important and without trades, people, you can’t get anything done. The shortage in that. Ok, you’ve put program in place, as you say, but it’s still a battle, isn’t it? Trying to find people, boots on the ground to do the work.
COLLINS:
Well, that’s right. That’s why we’re working with the construction industry and why we have the National Housing Accord and why we’re working with other tiers of government and why we’re working with the community housing sector. With all of us heading in the same direction with everybody’s shoulder to the wheel, we’ll get this done. We want to see it happen as quickly as we can and we’re pulling every lever available to us as a federal government with our $32 billion Homes for Australia plan.
PANTELIS:
All right, Housing Minister Julie Collins, appreciate your time this morning. Thank you.
COLLINS:
Thanks very much.