Housing rental market - racial discrimination

Extract from Hansard
[COUNCIL — Thursday, 24 March 2011]
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Hon Lynn MacLaren; Hon Simon O'Brien

HOUSING RENTAL MARKET — RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the Minister for Commerce:

I refer to the recent Equal Opportunity Commission’s “Report of Outcomes of the Recommendations of
Accommodating Everyone”.

(1) Is the minister aware the commission found substantial evidence of racial discrimination in the private
housing rental market?

(2) Will the minister act on the report’s recommendation that the Department of Commerce work with the
Equal Opportunity Commission to develop equal opportunity law guidelines for owners who operate in
the private residential tenancy market?

(3) Will the minister act on the report’s recommendation that the government increase funding for
community groups to support culturally and linguistically diverse and Aboriginal people to access and
maintain a tenancy?

(4) Will the minister act on the report’s recommendation that the Department of Commerce investigate
ways to improve the handling of tenants’ complaints?

Hon SIMON O’BRIEN replied:

I thank the honourable member for notice of this question.

(1) The Equal Opportunity Commission released its report titled “Accommodating Everyone” in June 2009.
The latest report, titled “Report of Outcomes of the Recommendations of Accommodating Everyone”,
is a summary of the work that has been achieved since the 2009 report was released. I have been
advised that the 2009 report found substantial evidence of racial discrimination in the private housing
rental market.

(2) The Office of Multicultural Interests established an Accommodating Everyone Working Group to work
on the implementation of the commission’s recommendations. The Department of Commerce has been
an active member of that working group since its establishment and has acted on each of the
commission’s recommendations. Details of the work that the Department of Commerce has undertaken
to implement the commission’s recommendations are set out in the commission’s latest report. The
Department of Commerce and the commission have worked together to produce guidelines for
landlords and tenants on the requirements of the Equal Opportunity Act and the Residential Tenancies
Act. Copies of the relevant brochures are included in the commission’s report.

(3) The Department of Commerce provides funding from the rental accommodation account to 16
community-based metropolitan and regional organisations to provide tenant education and advocacy
services. Although these services are not specifically targeted to culturally and linguistically diverse and
Aboriginal communities, a significant proportion of the work the organisations undertake is focused on
these client groups. The department also supports community groups through the provision of tenancy
information within its community education and Indigenous community education programs.

(4) The commission’s report notes the work done by the Department of Commerce on this
recommendation. In addition, the department has, in consultation with the commission, committed to
undertake a substantive equality needs and impact assessment of its tenancy complaints services in
2011–12.