"Finding a place report" - implementation of recommendations

Extract from Hansard
[COUNCIL — Wednesday, 9 November 2011]
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Hon Lynn MacLaren; Hon Simon O'Brien

“FINDING A PLACE” REPORT — IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS

1007. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the minister representing the Minister for Housing:

I refer to the implementation status of the 165 recommendations of the Equal Opportunity Commission’s 2005
report titled “Finding a Place”.

(1) As per recommendation 5, have all Homeswest policies been reviewed to ensure that they do not
directly or indirectly disadvantage Aboriginal tenants or prospective tenants in their content or in their
practice?

(2) To implement recommendation 22, does Homeswest plan to amend its policy on eligibility relating to
an applicant with a poor tenancy history with Homeswest on issues such as debt, antisocial behaviour
and poor property standards?

(3) Has the department implemented recommendation 34, which states —
Where the reason for decline of the offer relates to the condition of the property, the matter to
be referred to the building inspection unit for an inspection to be carried out and a report
prepared.

(4) If no to (3), why not?

(5) Which recommendations not currently addressed or only partially implemented would be implemented
by the passage of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill 2011?

Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied:

I thank the honourable member for notice of this question.

(1) The Equal Opportunity Commission released “Finding a Place: Final Report” in 2011 with revised
recommendations that supersede the 2004 “Finding a Place” report. The Department of Housing is in
the process of preparing an implementation plan in line with a number of the current recommendations.
In accordance with the substantive equality policy framework, the department is working with the Equal
Opportunity Commission on an ongoing basis to review policies and identify any inequitable impact on
culturally and linguistically diverse groups, including Aboriginal clients.

(2) The policy is currently being reviewed.

(3)–(4) The department has practices in place to ensure that when an offer of a property is declined on the basis
of an applicant’s concern about the condition of the property, the situation is investigated and the
appropriate action taken.

(5) The department has not assessed the impact of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill 2011 in the
context of the recommendations of the 2004 “Finding a Place” report.