$1.7 MILLION SOCIAL HOUSING BOOST FOR MARYBOROUGH
Published Wednesday, 18 July, 2007 at 09:36 AM
Minister for Public Works, Housing and Information and Communication Technology
The Honourable Robert Schwarten
Housing Minister Robert Schwarten today announced that the State Government had purchased a former motel in Maryborough to boost the supply for social housing in the area.
Mr Schwarten said the purchase represented a $1.7 million investment in housing for low income earners.
“The Beattie Government’s record $719 million State Budget allocation for social housing is starting to flow and low income earners who have been forced out of the private rental market in Maryborough are benefiting,” Mr Schwarten said.
“The Department of Housing has purchased the former Diggers’ Rest Motor Inn, which consists of 22 studio units and a three-bedroom detached house, on Alice Street.
“The property will be upgraded and aligned to the department’s high standard for public housing before being tenanted to eligible applicants.”
Mr Schwarten said the purchase demonstrated the Beattie Government’s commitment to social housing in Maryborough, adding to the more than $31 million spent on housing and housing-related services in the region since 1998.
He said that as the Wide Bay-Burnett region continued to grow economically, rents in the private rental market had skyrocketed.
“Data released by the Residential Tenancies Authority recently show the median weekly rent for a three-bedroom house in Maryborough has increased more than 5% in the past 12 months and 48% in the past five years.
“The weekly median rent in June 2002 was $135 per week but this increased to $190 a week in June 2006 and $200 a week in June 2007.
“These increases are forcing more and more people out of the private rental market and they people are turning up on the doorstep of the Department of Housing.”
Mr Schwarten said the Howard Government was out of ideas when it came to helping low income earners in the housing market.
“John Howard and Peter Costello have raked more than $400 million out of public housing since the mid-1990s while spending billions on rent assistance,” he said.
“Rents have gone up $65 a week in five years yet Rent Assistance has only got up $7 in the same time period. How is this any assistance to low income earners?
“There isn’t even a Federal Minister for Housing and they can’t bring themselves to even utter the words “public housing.”
“All of a sudden, we’re approaching a Federal Election and they start giving the topic of affordable housing some lip service.
“They should be embarrassed that the Queensland Government now outspends them on housing, which was never the case under a Federal Labor Government.
“However Kevin Rudd has put some ideas forward and I certainly welcome that.”
Media contact: (07) 3237 1832
Mr Schwarten said the purchase represented a $1.7 million investment in housing for low income earners.
“The Beattie Government’s record $719 million State Budget allocation for social housing is starting to flow and low income earners who have been forced out of the private rental market in Maryborough are benefiting,” Mr Schwarten said.
“The Department of Housing has purchased the former Diggers’ Rest Motor Inn, which consists of 22 studio units and a three-bedroom detached house, on Alice Street.
“The property will be upgraded and aligned to the department’s high standard for public housing before being tenanted to eligible applicants.”
Mr Schwarten said the purchase demonstrated the Beattie Government’s commitment to social housing in Maryborough, adding to the more than $31 million spent on housing and housing-related services in the region since 1998.
He said that as the Wide Bay-Burnett region continued to grow economically, rents in the private rental market had skyrocketed.
“Data released by the Residential Tenancies Authority recently show the median weekly rent for a three-bedroom house in Maryborough has increased more than 5% in the past 12 months and 48% in the past five years.
“The weekly median rent in June 2002 was $135 per week but this increased to $190 a week in June 2006 and $200 a week in June 2007.
“These increases are forcing more and more people out of the private rental market and they people are turning up on the doorstep of the Department of Housing.”
Mr Schwarten said the Howard Government was out of ideas when it came to helping low income earners in the housing market.
“John Howard and Peter Costello have raked more than $400 million out of public housing since the mid-1990s while spending billions on rent assistance,” he said.
“Rents have gone up $65 a week in five years yet Rent Assistance has only got up $7 in the same time period. How is this any assistance to low income earners?
“There isn’t even a Federal Minister for Housing and they can’t bring themselves to even utter the words “public housing.”
“All of a sudden, we’re approaching a Federal Election and they start giving the topic of affordable housing some lip service.
“They should be embarrassed that the Queensland Government now outspends them on housing, which was never the case under a Federal Labor Government.
“However Kevin Rudd has put some ideas forward and I certainly welcome that.”
Media contact: (07) 3237 1832