Published Monday, 01 September, 2008 at 08:10 AM
Minister for Public Works, Housing and Information and Communication Technology
The Honourable Robert Schwarten
NEW SOCIAL HOUSING DWELLING NAMED AFTER MACKAY GREAT
Mackay South Sea Islander community leader Rowena Trieve has been honoured today at the opening of a new $2.75 million Department of Housing unit complex on Bridge Road.
Housing Minister Robert Schwarten, in Mackay for the Bligh Government’s latest Community Cabinet, joined Member for Mackay Tim Mulherin to officially open Rowena Trieve Place.
Mr Mulherin said naming the complex after Rowena was a great way to pay tribute to her years of service not only to Mackay’s South Sea Island community but the community-at-large.
“Rowena is a third generation descendant Australian South Sea Islander who was born in Mackay and has lived and worked here her entire life,” Mr Mulherin said.
“However it was after her retirement that Rowena truly came into her own and, through her full time voluntary work, firmly established her reputation as a resourceful and effective civic leader and advocate for the Australian South Sea Islander community.
“She has devoted her life to improvements for South Sea Islanders and in building bridges across the wider community.”
Mr Mulherin said the Mackay region was home to the largest population of Australian South Sea Islanders in the country.
“Rowena was one of the key activists that lobbied State and Federal Governments for recognition of Australian South Sea Islanders as a distinct ethnic group,” he said.
“The carrying of Recognition Statements in both the Federal and State Parliaments have gone a long way in improving their social and economic standing.
“Rowena has tirelessly worked with government agencies to have the Recognition Statement implemented across whole of Government at Federal, State and Local levels.”
Mr Schwarten said the nine, one-bedroom units in the complex would be used to house people off the Department of Housing’s waitlist.
“This complex is another tangible demonstration of the Bligh Government’s commitment to providing social housing for Queensland battlers,” Mr Schwarten said.
“This financial year a massive $510 million will be spent building and buying more units of accommodation to add to the government’s stock.
“In Mackay, more than $6 million will be spent on housing and housing-related services including completing construction of 11 units of accommodation and starting construction on a further 38 dwellings.
“This will push the total number of Department of Housing owned and funded dwellings in Mackay to close to 1650.”
Mr Schwarten said Mackay was seeing some of the biggest increases in the cost of renting in the state.
“The cost of renting a two-bedroom unit in Mackay has skyrocketed a massive 107% in the past five years from $130 in June 2003 to $270 in June 2008,” Mr Schwarten said.
“There are a number of factors contributing to this upward pressure on rents but mainly it’s the increased demand for properties from workers looking for employment in the mining industry.
“There are currently around 720 applications for housing in Mackay on the waitlist.”
Mr Schwarten said the Bligh Government was also working to boost the supply of affordable housing in the private rental market by working with the Rudd Government on its National Rental Affordability Scheme.
Media contact: Scott Chandler on (07) 3237 1832
Housing Minister Robert Schwarten, in Mackay for the Bligh Government’s latest Community Cabinet, joined Member for Mackay Tim Mulherin to officially open Rowena Trieve Place.
Mr Mulherin said naming the complex after Rowena was a great way to pay tribute to her years of service not only to Mackay’s South Sea Island community but the community-at-large.
“Rowena is a third generation descendant Australian South Sea Islander who was born in Mackay and has lived and worked here her entire life,” Mr Mulherin said.
“However it was after her retirement that Rowena truly came into her own and, through her full time voluntary work, firmly established her reputation as a resourceful and effective civic leader and advocate for the Australian South Sea Islander community.
“She has devoted her life to improvements for South Sea Islanders and in building bridges across the wider community.”
Mr Mulherin said the Mackay region was home to the largest population of Australian South Sea Islanders in the country.
“Rowena was one of the key activists that lobbied State and Federal Governments for recognition of Australian South Sea Islanders as a distinct ethnic group,” he said.
“The carrying of Recognition Statements in both the Federal and State Parliaments have gone a long way in improving their social and economic standing.
“Rowena has tirelessly worked with government agencies to have the Recognition Statement implemented across whole of Government at Federal, State and Local levels.”
Mr Schwarten said the nine, one-bedroom units in the complex would be used to house people off the Department of Housing’s waitlist.
“This complex is another tangible demonstration of the Bligh Government’s commitment to providing social housing for Queensland battlers,” Mr Schwarten said.
“This financial year a massive $510 million will be spent building and buying more units of accommodation to add to the government’s stock.
“In Mackay, more than $6 million will be spent on housing and housing-related services including completing construction of 11 units of accommodation and starting construction on a further 38 dwellings.
“This will push the total number of Department of Housing owned and funded dwellings in Mackay to close to 1650.”
Mr Schwarten said Mackay was seeing some of the biggest increases in the cost of renting in the state.
“The cost of renting a two-bedroom unit in Mackay has skyrocketed a massive 107% in the past five years from $130 in June 2003 to $270 in June 2008,” Mr Schwarten said.
“There are a number of factors contributing to this upward pressure on rents but mainly it’s the increased demand for properties from workers looking for employment in the mining industry.
“There are currently around 720 applications for housing in Mackay on the waitlist.”
Mr Schwarten said the Bligh Government was also working to boost the supply of affordable housing in the private rental market by working with the Rudd Government on its National Rental Affordability Scheme.
Media contact: Scott Chandler on (07) 3237 1832