Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative – Adjournment

Ms ADDISON (Wendouree) 

My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Housing, and the action I seek is for the minister to meet with the Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative (BADAC) to discuss the $5.3 billion Big Housing Build.

BADAC is an Aboriginal founded and controlled co-operative who provide outstanding health, social, welfare and community development programs to our thriving Aboriginal community in Ballarat and surrounds.

CEO Karen Heap, COO Jon Kanoa and the BADAC team have provided excellent support to the local Aboriginal community throughout the pandemic.

The organisation has the capacity and the proven track record to increase the culturally appropriate wraparound services they provide to community members in the future.

I would also like to thank the minister for the funding that has already been allocated to Ballarat through the Andrews Labor government’s life-changing Big Housing Build.

This includes $50 million for the transformation of the Delacombe housing estate, which will construct at least 150 social housing homes including the replacement of 66 of the existing ageing social housing homes to seven-star energy-efficient homes.

I particularly look forward to seeing the creation of new green spaces within the estate, which will certainly make the area more open and welcoming for the many families who live in the area.

The Ballarat community was also very excited with the recent announcement of $20 million from the Social Housing Growth Fund to construct 89 new social housing homes across Ballarat. These new homes will be delivered in partnership with social housing organisations through nine different projects and will create more than 250 local jobs.

I look forward to hearing back from the minister regarding this request and am hopeful that the minister will welcome the opportunity to meet with BADAC.

 

Read the Minister’s response here – or for more of my contributions in Parliament, click here.