17 November 2015
The number of families waiting for public housing in Swan Hill has already increased under the Melbourne Labor Government with 328 people now on the waiting list.
Leader of The Nationals and Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said quarterly figures silently put online by the government showed a disturbing trend with the state-wide waiting list almost hitting 35 000 people.
Mr Walsh said he was concerned the public housing waiting list was going to blow out like it did under the last Labor government when it reached around 41 000 people.
“History is repeating itself under the Melbourne Labor Government “ Mr Walsh said.
“The public waiting list had been decreasing steadily under the Coalition but it’s taken just six months for Labor to undo everything that had been achieved.
“Despite Daniel Andrews’ promise to reduce the waiting list for public housing it has now increased by almost 800 people across the state in the past six months alone “
Mr Walsh said the Melbourne Labor Government’s 2015/2016 Budget forecasts a net loss in public housing residences which will only force more people onto the waiting list.
“With a budget now in deficit it is hard to see how Daniel Andrews will be able to afford to reverse this concerning trend “ Mr Walsh said.
“Daniel Andrews should explain to local families and children waiting for public housing why they will wait even longer now for a home.”
