HOUSING Minister Wendy Lovell has denied Opposition claims that public housing applications increased in Melton and Moorabool in the past quarter.
Ms Lovell said the Sunshine office, which covers Melton, recorded a fall of 178 applications in the June quarter, while the Ballarat office, covering Moorabool, had a decrease of 45.
Ms Lovell said the Sunshine office received applications from about 30 suburbs, while the Ballarat office covers about 20 suburbs and towns.
“The government acquired 1600 new properties last financial year, and 1150 new properties are to be acquired this financial year.
“Total figures for the Sunshine office waiting list have fallen by 8.5per cent since the government was elected, while figures for the Ballarat office have fallen by 9.1per cent.”
Ms Lovell said that before Melton Labor MP Don Nardella played “political games” with public housing tenants, he should reflect on his own party’s “poor record.”
Mr Nardella said the fact was that public housing investment had collapsed under the Liberals.
“Wendy Lovell needs to come clean,” he said.
“Will she engage in a wholesale privatisation of public housing? Will she limit the time people can stay in public housing? Will she make them pay more than 25per cent of their income in rent?”
Mr Nardella said that any reduction in public housing waiting list figures was due only to record federal investment.
He said the past two state budgets had not provided any funding for new public housing.
