Mr ALEX GREENWICH (Sydney) (13:19): My question is directed to the Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading. How will the Government protect residents in boarding houses, including those long‑term residents the Minister and I met with on a recent visit to the Selwyn Street boarding houses in Paddington?

Mr ANOULACK CHANTHIVONG (Macquarie Fields—Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Minister for Building, and Minister for Corrections) (13:19): I thank the member for Sydney for that very important question, for his continued advocacy for the residents of Selwyn Street in Paddington, and for inviting me to meet with those residents and the broader community to talk about the importance of boarding houses to the people of Sydney. Boarding houses make up an important part of New South Wales' affordable housing supply. That is why the Minns Labor Government is committed to improving fairness and access to housing for all, including the members of our communities who currently live in boarding houses.

There are over 1,400 boarding houses registered on the New South Wales boarding house register, including 324 located in the City of Sydney local government area. No doubt that is the reason the member for Sydney is such a strong advocate for his constituents who live in boarding houses. Boarding houses play a very important role not only in the supply of affordable housing in New South Wales but also in the diversity of our neighbourhoods. The boarders I met with, like Steve, Barry, Ray, Rod, Brian, Richard, Manny, Alfie, and the rest of the residents of the boarding house on Selwyn Street are great examples of residents of this type of affordable housing, and they make a valuable contribution to the community. The boarding house at Selwyn Street has been operational for almost 100 years. I understand how disappointed the residents are that the house is to be closed and that they have received their eviction notices. I have been working very closely with my colleague the Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness, Minister Jackson, on that very important matter.

I assure members that the Government is working tirelessly to ensure that all residents are supported and relocated to safe, secure and suitable accommodation. I am advised that my colleague Minister Jackson has contacted Homes NSW to provide residents with weekly onsite meetings to help them connect with available support services. Let me be clear that the Government will ensure those residents are given the help they need, including help to find suitable accommodation for each resident by February 2025. While I acknowledge that may not be the preferred outcome for Selwyn Street residents, the situation further highlights the importance of stable and low-cost housing. That is why the Minns Labor Government is investing $5.1 billion in more than 8,400 new public homes, $1 billion to upgrade 30,000 existing homes and $528 million to address homelessness. That is a $6.6 billion package to address that very important issue. [Extension of time]

Our social housing program is the largest investment ever made by any New South Wales government in public housing. That will provide greater stability and an improved quality of life for our society's most vulnerable. On top of supply, we are also working towards enabling residents to live better in boarding houses. That is why we are exploring the sensible recommendations for reform to the Boarding Houses Act 2012, which will provide greater protections and clarity for residents of boarding houses. A statutory review of the Act was conducted by the former Government in 2020. It made 21 recommendations to provide more protections for boarding house residents and clearer responsibilities for boarding house owners. Recommendations include establishing what constitutes "reasonable notice" for eviction, broadening the application of the Act, ensuring fire safety and overcrowding protections, providing new minimum standards, and introducing a greater role for NSW Fair Trading and Fire and Rescue NSW.

I have instructed the Department of Customer Service to continue to work with the Department of Communities and Justice to better implement the recommendations of the statutory review. Again, I thank the member for Sydney for his continued advocacy on this very important issue to him and his constituents and for his commitment to working with the Government as it considers the recommendations of the statutory review. The Government recognises the unique and essential nature of shared accommodation in our changing housing landscape and acknowledges that there is more work to be done to reform that particular area of the housing sector. We are working to strike the right balance between the rights and responsibilities of boarding house residents and owners as we consider the recommendations of the statutory review. I thank the member for Sydney for his advocacy on behalf of those residents and his commitment to working with the Government on this issue.