Jordon Steele-John (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate take note of the final report of the committee entitled The worsening rental crisis in Australia.

What I'll seek to do here is outline for the Senate the realities of the cost-of-living crisis in regional Western Australia and highlight some of the double standards that are at work, particularly those double standards practised by the WA and federal Labor Party.

Last weekend I had the privilege of visiting the beautiful community of Margaret River in the south-west of WA. Visitors to the town want to live there, and locals who have called it home find it to be a dream. But, for so many, it will only ever be a dream to call Margaret River home. Indeed, for many, calling their beloved town home has become a nightmare. The rental crisis is hitting regional WA hard. Last week alone, there were only three rental properties available in the entirety of Margaret River. Similar to other regional centres across the state, rents are increasing seriously and doubling down on the impact of the housing and living crisis. It is already expensive enough to try to buy basics like fresh food and fuel in rural and remote towns, but now we are seeing, for instance, in Busselton, a reality where so much of the community is being thrown over the 30 per cent rental stress line where we are now seeing rents of over $700 a week. How are you meant to make that work? On top of all of this, we're seeing the WA state government fail to fund vital community groups like Just Home in Margaret River. Just Home is a fantastic organisation that does so much to support those struggling with the housing crisis and housing insecurity in Margaret River, yet they are months away from having to shut their doors, because the WA government refuses to fund them to continue to do vital work.

In Perth, we are seeing a record-long stretch of rent increases and record high increases in weekly rent. One tenant reached out to me to share the reality that they have been hit with a $250 a week rent increase. For that person, their fuel and food money has gone straight into the back pocket of their landlord. In WA, the state government has truly demonstrated an eel-like level of spinelessness. WA currently has some of the worst rental laws in the country. We still allow no-fault evictions in Western Australia, with the result that people are simply tossed out onto the street.

For the disability community the situation is even more dire. Less than five per cent of housing stock in Western Australia is suitable for a disabled person, yet the WA Labor government will not commit to universal access housing standards. This is an absolute outrage and locks disabled people out of accessible housing for another generation.

I recently heard from a WA couple who are disability pensioners facing a $100 a week rent rise. They are currently compromising their medical treatment to pay for their rent even though the property they are living in is outdated, lacks basic maintenance and is inaccessible for their disabilities. This situation is not rare. In fact, two-thirds of WA renters report that they are too scared to ask for the repairs or maintenance they need, in case they are evicted. This means they are living with leaks, dampness, mould or houses that are more like pressure cookers in the summer, because they are scared to ask for the repairs that are needed.

On the other side of the coin, I hear from constituents who are disabled people who do have a place to call home that is somewhere they can make work, and yet they have been issued with a no-fault eviction notice, and so they are out and don't know where to go next. This is unacceptable. I seek leave to continue my remarks later.

Leave granted.