Media release
9 November 2011
More affordable housing for students
in Geelong and Warrnambool is now a step
closer with 400 studio apartments to be
built under a Gillard Government scheme
to provide more properties for rent below
the market rate.
Sustainability and Communities
Minister Tony Burke and Member for Corangamite
Darren Cheeseman today visited Deakin University’s
Waurn Ponds campus where new student accommodation
will be built under round four of the Government’s
National Rental Affordability Scheme.
“Before Labor came to
office there were no programs aimed at improving
the availability of affordable rental properties,”
Mr Burke said.
“The National Rental
Affordability Scheme is about addressing
the shortfall of affordable rental properties
across Australia and helping families afford
to rent a home.
“While there are many
issues affecting underlying housing affordability,
the Gillard Government is making an unprecedented
investment to increase the supply of affordable
housing across the nation – and families
are saving thousands of dollars every year
in rent as a result.
“Providing access to
affordable housing for students in suburbs
surrounding universities can help ease the
strain on the local rental market. This
program is an important way to free up the
rental market and put downward pressure
on rents.”
The National Rental
Affordability Scheme is being delivered
in partnership with state and territory
governments.
It works by providing
annual financial incentive payments to the
business sector and community organisations
to construct and rent new dwellings to eligible
low and moderate income households at a
rate that is at least 20 per cent below
the prevailing market rates over 10 years.
The Gillard Government,
in partnership with the Victorian Government,
will support the construction of more than
400 studio apartments for students – over
300 Geelong and 100 in Warrnambool.
The projects will be
delivered by Deakin University and are expected
to be available for students to move into
at the start of the 2013 academic year.
Mr Cheeseman said the
new rental properties would assist in making
it more attractive for young people to study
and then stay on to work in the region.
“There is significant
unmet demand for accommodation in areas
surrounding the university in Geelong and
Warrnambool,” Mr Cheeseman said.
“This extra accommodation
will provide better access to university
courses and support services through the
provision of affordable accommodation.
“It will help address
housing supply by providing more quality
and affordable homes for students who come
to our region to study.”
The Gillard Government
has committed to support 50,000 NRAS properties,
with up to 35,000 dwellings across the country
by 30 June 2014, and the remaining 15,000
by 30 June 2016.
The privately-owned
developments range from studio apartments
right through to large family homes, and
are located in areas identified by state
and territory government partners where
affordable rental accommodation is most
needed, particularly in areas with employment,
transport, schools and other services available
nearby.
Mr Burke also inspected
work underway to redevelop a high rise public
estate in Fitzroy as part of the Gillard
Government’s $450 million Housing Affordability
Fund, which is providing more affordable
homes for many Australians and supporting
new housing supply.
The Gillard Government
is providing $159.4 million from the Housing
Affordability Fund to redevelop three of
Victoria’s inner city high rise public estates
in Prahran, Richmond and Fitzroy.
“The Housing Affordability
Fund aims to lower the cost of building
new homes by tackling the critical supply
side issues of the length of time taken
to bring new houses to sale and the impact
of infrastructure charges,” Mr Burke said.
“This project is an
enormous project that is a focal point for
changing the face of affordable and social
housing in inner city Melbourne.”
The funding, to be used
in Stage One of the projects, will act as
a catalyst for future stages and facilitate
the delivery of 7,364 dwellings across the
three sites by 2028.
The total project cost
is expected to be over $2.4 billion, with
the Australian Government contributing eight
per cent ($159.4 million) and the Victorian
Government 33 per cent (around $800 million).
The balance will come from private developers
(just under $1.3 billion or 54 per cent)
and Housing Associations (nearly $100 million
or 4 per cent).
+ More
Recycling regulations
for televisions and computers
Media release
8 November 2011
A national recycling scheme for televisions
and computers came a step closer today with
the making of regulations under the new
Product Stewardship Act.
The Product Stewardship (Televisions and
Computers) Regulations come into effect
from today.
Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability
and Urban Water, Senator Don Farrell, said
the regulations were an important step towards
implementing the industry-led scheme, which
aims to boost the recycling rate for televisions
and computer to 80 per cent by 2020-21.
"We've reached a significant milestone
with these regulations and it's fitting
that they commence this week, which is National
Recycling Week," Senator Farrell said.
"The commencement of these regulations
means that the television and computer industry
can now apply for approval of their recycling
arrangements, which will be responsible
for the roll-out of collection services
across Australia and for delivering on the
scheme's recycling targets.
"The television and computer industry
will also be able to get credit for early
recycling action from 8 November 2011 towards
their first recycling target of 30 per cent.
Senator Farrell said the making of the regulations
follows nearly two years of extensive consultations
with industry, NGOs, consumer groups, local
and state governments.
"Industry, states and territory and
local governments have been working closely
with the Australian Government on a scheme
to reduce television and computer waste
to landfill and increase the recovery of
valuable resources from these products,"
he said.
"TVs and computers contain valuable
materials like gold, glass and plastics
that can be re-used. They also contain hazardous
materials like lead, bromine, mercury and
zinc that are better kept out of the environment."
The scheme will be implemented by the television
and computer industry and regulated by the
Government.
Households and small businesses will be
able to drop off their unwanted televisions
or computers at a designated service point,
free of charge. Collection services will
be progressively rolled out by industry
across Australia over the next two years
and will start being available in 2012.
The Product Stewardship Act commenced on
8 August 2011 and is a key element of the
National Waste Policy.
