24 May 2023

Hon. MAJ SCANLON (Gaven—ALP) (Minister for Housing) (9.57 am): Dozens of
Queenslanders will soon call brand new social housing units in Mount Gravatt East home. This morning,
I joined our partners BHC and the member for Mansfield to check out the new units where tenants will
move in over the coming weeks. Construction is about to wrap up on the new complex, which includes
32 one-bedroom units for Queenslanders on the social housing register. These modern, high-quality
social and affordable units will provide long-term, stable rental housing—a place to call home. These
new social and affordable homes have been designed for single people and couples who need housing
assistance, including seniors and young people.


An important factor in social housing is accessibility to services, and these units are located close
to local shops, services and public transport. The over $12 million project was constructed in partnership
with the Brisbane Housing Company. I want to acknowledge its contribution with the Palaszczuk
government’s contribution of over $6 million. It is part of a record $3.9 billion investment in social and
affordable housing, the largest concentrated investment in Queensland’s history. As the Premier said
this morning, on average we have built more than 10 homes a week since coming to government. I am
keen to see more projects like this delivered as soon as possible.


I will continue working with housing providers, industry, councils, First Nations groups and the
federal government to deliver for our state’s most vulnerable. I am for building housing. Anyone who is
holding up funding needs to get out of the way. Just recently, the federal coalition and the Greens
teamed up to delay federal Labor’s vital housing legislation. They are standing in the way of thousands
of homes in Queensland. We are delivering housing; they are blocking it. We will always stand up for
more housing for Queenslanders, and every politician at every level of government should do the same.

 

To see the speech, click here: https://tv.parliament.qld.gov.au/?reference=0Mba20230524_095731