TOPICS: social Housing Accelerator delivering more homes in Newcastle
SCOTT BEVAN, JOURNALIST: Sharon Claydon thanks so much for your time.
SHARON CLAYDON, FEDERAL MEMBER FOR NEWCASTLE: Thank you. It's exciting day for Newcastle and getting new housing.
BEVAN: Tell us what the announcement is.
CLAYDON: Well, today's announcement is there are at new and refurbished social dwellings that are now going to be funded by the Commonwealth social housing accelerated funds that we'll be announcing today. And there are dozens more to come across the region. But this is a partnership where the Commonwealth has invested $2 billion into some social housing acceleration. We partner up with the New South Wales government and local governments where where there's a collaborative effort really to try and get an increase in the supply of all types of housing that are required across our region. And you know, there's probably no greater task for any level of government indeed any community to bend to ensure a safe roof over people's heads,
SCOTT BEVAN: Nine new houses, nine refurbished homes that is but a drop in the ocean of demand for social housing.
CLAYDON: Absolutely, it's the start. We've all got to start somewhere we inherited a massive backlog of public housing in not just in New South Wales, but across Australia. The former coalition government said not our responsibility, nothing to see here, this amount of for state and territory. So finally got to a Commonwealth Government that says, yes, we need to direct we've got to massively increase housing supply in Australia. This is the start of that fund. There's a much much larger investment into housing from the Commonwealth that we'll be rolling out. But this is the beginning. We released this money last year, we're getting 80 new homes built in Newcastle, that will go some way to delivering for people who have priority needs in our region. There's dozens more to come and much more work to do. No one would say otherwise.
BEVAN: But Sharon Claydon for a government that came into power talking a lot about housing policy. People have been hearing a lot of talk for more than two years now. And here we are more than two years later. And just nine new dwellings nine refurbished dwellings This isn't even a finger in the dam of what is a torrent is it.
CLAYDON: This is a Commonwealth contribution, the state's also making additional contributions, they'll talk for themselves, but we have investing billions and billions of dollars now into housing across Australia. What we're announcing today is a very tangible outcome for Newcastle right now. But there's much more to come. We've got a cup today. You know, nine dwellings in Wallsend which are replacing what was a site with just three dwellings we're making reconfiguring that to have for one bedroom dwellings and five two bedroom dwellings, that's going to where the need is now. There's construction planned for areas across in across our region. So there is a lot of work to do. I don't think anyone would dispute that. And what is required is a collaborative effort from all levels of government, from all communities across Australia. We're up against labor shortages, supply chain issues, our construction is delayed. These are all things that are confronting all of us now. But just because the problem is hard, doesn't mean it should be beyond us. And that's a steadfast commitment of this government, Albanese local government to invest in social and affordable housing. It's a critical need. It is the crisis in our region. There is no more serious task before any government that to ensure that People have a safe roof over their heads.
BEVAN Sure, including, as of last year at least. And this may well have grown this number, there were 17 170 households on the social housing waiting list. And they'd been waiting for years. In some cases, if they're listening to this, what hope does this give them that anytime soon, they will have a roof over their heads.
CLAYDON: Well, I would say to those people, you have a government that is listening. We are not saying this is not our problem. And we don't want anything to do with that this is just a problem for states and local governments to fix. We know this is a huge problem. It goes from decades of neglect. That, you know, the time has come to an end where governments say, this is not our problem. We need to work collaboratively. What we're, what we're announcing today is the result of collaborative efforts across all levels of government, we need to accelerate that we absolutely need to build more housing. I don't think there's a single person in the Commonwealth government that would say otherwise, we've got a minister for housing. Julie Collins is joining me here in Newcastle today, who brings with her her lived experience of growing up in social housing. She knows more than most people the benefits of having a safe, secure place to call home. And we've got a lot of work to do. And but this is the start. And I hope that those people listening today, realize that this is a tangible delivery of a, you know, a first installment of some housing in our region. This is something that every level of government has to work at the Commonwealth is able to bring some dollars to that. But let's also not pretend that this is a something that gets fixed overnight. Constructing housing right now is a huge task. As I said, we've got supply chain issues. We've got labor skill shortages, but it's not beyond our governments to pull all their resources together to do something to try and address what is the crisis in our communities.
BEVAN: Sure, including with the labor shortages that you just mentioned, who was going to build these new places? And when will they be?
CLAYDON: Oh, they are underway, the construction now but the the there is also a massive investment into our tape. You might recall we've invested more than 630 fee free places into tape as soon as we released them in the Hunter region that was snapped up immediately. Many of those, isn't it, there's 20,000 of those places that are absolutely dedicated to construction. Knowing full well we have this labor shortage and we have a pipeline to rebuild. So this is you know, the Albanese Labor government is looking at this from all different angles here where we are investing in the training and apprenticeships that are required for the construction industry. We are seeking to address the supply chain issues reclaimed sovereignty and manufacturing where it's required to ensure that we can build these places on time, within budget, and, and with a great sense of urgency
BEVAN: when will these be built and when confirmed was moving to them?
CLAYDON: They building the construction for the ones at walls end to be completed by June 2025. So June next year, let's hope that we will be seeing people walking through with the set of keys for their own home place that they can call home. As I said, it's just the beginning. But it's a very good tangible start. The people can see there's concrete action taking place. And there have been housing that sort of that the New South Wales Government has already delivered. I don't know that we're looking at it as well today. But this Commonwealth investment of housing that will be completed by June 2025.
BEVAN: I didn't know time the pressure grows on so many families here we just heard earlier from the organization prop track who has been looking at the ever growing rental squeeze that is going on and the pressures including in the hunter, and therefore the potential of that social housing, waitlist growing and growing and growing, putting more pressure on demand continues. What can be done at that end, if you are looking at all perspectives here to ease, for example, the pressure on those who are renting so they don't end up on a social waiting list because they simply can't afford to put a roof over their heads.
CLAYDON: Yeah, it is heartbreaking watching the rental crisis for people that you know, really across Australia there isn't anywhere that is being spared of that at all. Again, it is an issue ensuring we've got more supply into the market. So building homes is actually the big fundamental answer here. We've increased the Commonwealth rent assistance that is available for those people on any form of income support. This is the first time the government has done we've done back to back increases on that one to help with Rental Affordability. But you know, nobody is suggesting that unless we can build more homes and get more supply into the market. There is there is no relief for people who wish to rent, go into social housing or even indeed buy their own home if we cannot fix supply. So that is really where we're focused at right now.
BEVAN: Sharon Claydon I better let you get to that media conference to make the announcement but I do appreciate you letting us know here to ABC, Newcastle and ABC upper Hunter.
CLAYDON: Thanks very much for your time.
