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Original adjournment matter from Juliana Addison MP to Parliament –

My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Housing, and the action that I seek is that the minister provide me with an update about further opportunities for investment and job creation in my electorate of Wendouree as we deliver the $5.3 billion Big Housing Build.

I thank the minister for his strong and compassionate leadership and once again congratulate him on Victoria’s largest ever investment in social and affordable housing.

The Victorian government Big Housing Build is building thousands of new homes for Victorians in need and creating tens of thousands of new jobs to support Victoria’s post-COVID recovery.

I am so proud that the Andrews Labor government is investing over $20 million in Ballarat, delivering 89 new social housing homes across nine projects, creating more than 250 local jobs in my community.

This investment includes funding for 25 homes in two Delacombe locations to be delivered in partnership with Centacare Housing Services. These properties will provide long-term housing to support people on the Victorian Housing Register.

Other projects in Ballarat include 16 homes in Redan delivered in partnership with the Haven Foundation; four homes in Brown Hill delivered in partnership with Aboriginal Housing Victoria; 18 homes in Canadian delivered in partnership with Community Housing (Vic) Ltd; 14 homes in Canadian delivered in partnership with Haven; Home, Safe; and 12 homes in Mount Pleasant delivered in partnership with Haven; Home, Safe.

Our $20 million investment into social housing across Ballarat provides desperately needed housing for our most vulnerable community members. As well as transforming lives, this investment will stimulate the local economy and create jobs. This is a great outcome for my community.

These nine projects are included in the 44 projects announced for regional Victoria worth $202.6 million, creating 583 social housing homes.

This investment is in addition to the $50 million the state government has already announced for the Delacombe housing estate revitalisation, which will construct at least 150 social housing homes, including the replacement of 66 of the existing ageing social housing homes to 7-star energy-efficient homes.

I look forward to receiving the update from the Minister for Housing and the Victorian government continuing to invest in social and affordable housing in Ballarat.

Response from the Hon Richard Wynne MP, Minister for Housing (23rd Jan 2022) –

I thank Ms Addison, Member for Wendouree, for her question on further opportunities for investment and job creation in the electorate of Wendouree.

The $5.3 billion Big Housing Build is the largest investment in social and affordable housing this State has ever seen, delivering more than 12,000 new homes. Through the Big Housing Build, the Local Government Area of Ballarat is receiving a Minimum Investment Guarantee of $80 million.

The $1.38 billion addition to the Social Housing Growth Fund under the Big Housing Build increases the funding available to community housing agencies for the construction of new social housing dwellings.

Community housing agencies, as part of their proposals, are required to submit a social procurement commitment proposal outlining how the agency intends to support outcomes including job readiness and employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Victorians, employment of people living with a disability and to encourage more women into trades and the construction industry.

The Big Housing Build is providing more jobs in critical areas and supports inclusion and access to jobs and training by a broad range of people who may otherwise have been disadvantaged in the labour market.

As mentioned, the Victorian Government is investing over $20 million in Ballarat, delivering 89 new social housing homes over nine projects with expected completion dates schedule between late 2022 to late 2023 and creating more than 250 local jobs. The Social Housing Growth Fund is providing funding to deliver 29 of these new 89 homes over four projectsbeing delivered by two Community Housing Agencies, creating 76 local jobs and with expected completion dates schedule in late 2022.

I was delighted to only recently attend the opening of a new nine-apartment social housing development in Ballarat with the Member for Wendouree and the Member for Buninyong, as well as announcing a further two developments in Delacombe that will begin construction early 2022.

Over the next 12 months, the Victorian Government will provide further grants to community housing agencies to develop housing specifically in regional areas for people in need, homes for Aboriginal Victorians and supported housing projects for people living with mental health issues.

Currently there is an open Regional Round of the Social Housing Growth Fund, which closes on 24 February 2022. Grants from this round will support community housing agencies to deliver new social housing in regional Victoria, that can commence construction by the middle of 2023. I encourage interested community housing agencies and other organisations who can partner with them to submit proposals they have to this grant round.

I again thank the Member for her question and for her continuous work to provide better housing outcomes in the Wendouree area to reduce the number of people who find themselves in housing stress, homeless or sleeping rough.