Hon. MAJ SCANLON (Gaven—ALP) (Minister for Housing, Local Government and Planning and Minister for Public Works) (9.59 am): Last week I joined the member for Bundaberg to meet Amy. She told us about her challenges trying to find a safe place to call home. Between balancing her and her husband’s work and raising children, through no fault of their own they found themselves homeless. Thankfully our amazing RentConnect officers were able to help them find a new home in Bundaberg. She said, ‘Before we were living day to day, whereas now we can see the future.’ One-third of Queenslanders are renters—many of them women—and we know many are facing the challenges of national cost-of-living pressures: people like Kim who was renting her home for 15 years but after her rent increased she faced the prospect of having to leave and compete in a really tight rental market.
That is why, as part of the Homes for Queenslanders plan, we are backing renters with a $160 million rent relief package plus better rights and protections to make it fairer and easier to find, get and keep a rental because this government knows that you cannot have safety and economic security without a home. This will see more funding for services such as grants and subsidies to help people pay rent, with eligibility to be expanded to help even more Queensland renters. We are also increasing funding to help women and children fleeing domestic and family violence to buy whitegoods and beds and pay for removalist trucks so they can move into a new home. Our plan will double the number of RentConnect officers to help more Queenslanders. The reform is welcomed by Q Shelter which said that it will be quicker for people to get the help they need to access the rental market. We know how valuable this support is because it works. For Kim, whom I mentioned earlier, our support meant that she was able to stay in her home, cover bills and top up her bond.
Stories such as those of Kim and Amy are why we are bolstering our support for Queensland renters through our Homes for Queenslanders plan. It is about giving renters a fair go and providing cost-of-living relief while introducing tough legislation to make it fairer, safer and easier for renters. Whether it is housing or health care, supporting women is a priority of our Labor government, not a distraction.
