Millicent Spencer
The people of Banksia Gardens have once again been left off the “radar” as the state government announces a pilot program for public housing tenants to report issues, of which the estate in Broadmeadows is not included.
Five local maintenance repair crews will be piloted across public housing estates in North Melbourne, Flemington, North Richmond, Sale, and Wodonga, giving renters the opportunity to report maintenance issues in a more timely way.
Public housing residents will be invited to apply to become a renter liaison officer at each pilot site creating local jobs. Renter liaison officers will assist fellow renters by providing feedback directly to the Department of Housing on maintenance issues.
Hume councillor Naim Kurt said unfortunately he wasn’t very shocked that Banksia Gardens was not included as one of the five sites the program will be piloted in.
“Banksia Gardens doesn’t get picked up on the radar,” he said.
“Over the past six years since I have been in council there doesn’t seem to be any prioritisation on a needs basis.
“Maintenance issues and the quality of housing in Banksia Gardens is one of the top issues raised by residents with me.
“With that in mind, the estate should have been a priority for the pilot.”
Cr Kurt said a concerted approach from both levels of government is needed to clean up the “Broady Bronx”.
“We need to change that nickname and to do that we need a concerted approach from both levels of government,” he said.
“We at council are ready to work with the government.”
Housing Minister Colin Brooks said Banksia Gardens was not discussed as a pilot location for the maintenance program.
“I’m aware of Banksia Gardens because [when] I was sworn in about a month ago and a half ago and the first phone call I got was from the local member of parliament advocating for improvements at Banksia Gardens,” he said.
“The announcement yesterday was announcing pilot programs so limited in scope, so not the answer to all the maintenance issues we have across the state.
“I want to be completely honest, I’m not entirely happy with the maintenance of public housing stock we have across the state.
“I think the answer for maintenance and more broadly for locations across the state is will be overhaul of the maintenance contracts [which are up for review this year].”
A Homes Victoria spokesperson said maintenance contracts for public housing are due for renewal in 2023-24.
Opposition housing spokesperson Richard Riordan said he was concerned about the lack of transparency over the dwellings already awaiting maintenance.
“I would have to say that starting a trial programme on something as straightforward as basic maintenance to get thousands of public homes back into service seems a waste,” he said.
As reported by Star Weekly, Banksia Gardens residents, such as Marie, are concerned about the conditions of their homes.
“I’ve got a great big crack through the floor from the last earthquake,” she said.
“I haven’t got carpet because we made an agreement that the carpet would go in after the renovations that have not been done, so I still have not got carpet.”
“Then there’s the taps that are leaking, which is causing a gas bill, and that’s been over eight months.”
A spokesperson from VincentCare Community Housing, who manage nine properties in the Banksia Gardens estate, said last quarter they received six standard job requests raised from renters.
“[These included] two internal doors ‘sticking’, three leaking taps and a missing TV aerial, and four lots of vacant property maintenance which typically involved rubbish removal, cleaning, patching and repairing holes, flyscreen replacements and lock changes.”
Homes Victoria’s spokesperson said they were committed to improving the quality of housing in Broadmeadows.
“By June this year Homes Victoria will have completed maintenance of more than 140 households in Banksia Gardens,” the spokesperson said.
Homes Victoria will complete a maintenance program for 143 units in Banksia Gardens to improve the conditions. The program includes, façade painting and exterior cladding works, new fencing and letterboxes where needed, addressing trip hazards around paved areas, and
smaller maintenance works addressing issues like clothes lines, sheds, security screen doors, gutter cleaning and some external electrical maintenance.
