Premier Jacinta Allan has admitted her own Government needs to do more to help homeless people living in the bush near Bendigo.
Ms Allan was interviewed on ABC Radio this week regarding families living in the Ironbark forest – including one family of nine with seven children. Many have little more than a tent to camp in, no fresh water and limited phone reception.
Ms Allan told the ABC the families were receiving support – ‘but we need to do more. We need to do better…’
The Nationals Member for Northern Victoria Gaelle Broad said the situation was totally unacceptable.
“This Government has created a vicious cycle of unaffordable housing and this is the result – people living in tents in the bush near one of our major regional cities,” Ms Broad said.
“They are setting up tents in the bush because they simply have nowhere else to go.
“It’s very disturbing that young children are bearing the brunt of this housing crisis.”
“As we move into the heat of summer, the risk of fire is also a major concern.
Ms Broad said her office had provided some assistance during the week but major structural change needed to happen at a State Government level.
“Recently I met with a roundtable of Bendigo real estate agents who told me a raft of new State Government taxes, red tape and regulations have sparked major problems in the housing market.
“In this unfolding disaster, landlords are leaving the market in droves and their houses are being purchased by first home buyers who now cannot afford to build new homes.
“A large number of houses have been ‘lost’ to the rental market.
“Labor’s policies have forced people out of rental properties onto the already overburdened social housing waitlist – and into tents in the bush. Clearly the system is not coping.
“Ms Allan is correct in saying her Government needs to be doing much more to help these people.
“Labor cannot manage money, cannot manage projects and cannot manage to help people with the most basic of human needs – a roof over their heads.”
Media Contact: Linda Barrow 0484 303 764 linda.barrow@parliament.vic.gov.au