Beyer Georgina: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Beyer Georgina: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:620;Page:15530] 
4.  
GEORGINA BEYER (Labour—Wairarapa) 
 to the  
Minister of Housing 
: What reports has he received on vacancy levels in State housing? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister of Housing) 
: 
 Yesterday I read a report from the Hon David Carter claiming that having 1200 vacant State houses demonstrated that the Government’s housing policy was not working. The facts are that Housing New Zealand Corporation has 63855 State houses throughout New Zealand. Of those 424 houses are undergoing modernisation 336 houses are under repair 36 houses are for sale because they are in areas of low demand and 438 houses that are scattered around the country often in areas of low demand are vacant and ready to let as soon as we can let them. In total those ready to let are equivalent to 0.6 of the waiting list. That demonstrates that Mr Carter knows nothing about housing. 
Georgina Beyer 
: What other reports has the Minister received on State housing vacancies? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I have received reports comparing the current State housing stock and vacancy rates with the situation in earlier periods. The State housing stock has risen to 63855 and in the last financial year 9450 New Zealand households—representing some 28350 people—were newly housed by Housing New Zealand Corporation. In 1999 there were just over 57000 State houses and 1381 of them were vacant. Of the 1381 vacant houses the majority—738—were on the market for sale. They were there because the previous Government sold 13000 properties and was planning to sell even more if it had been returned to Government. 
Hon David Carter 
: Can the Minister confirm that while 12000 families languish on waiting lists and while those 1200 houses remain empty one State house tenancy in Otara has an annual income of $117000 net; is that an example of Labour’s housing policy working very well? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Because of this Government no one languishes on waiting lists. We improve our stock and unlike the previous Government of which Mr Carter was a member which sold 13000 houses and was intending to sell the whole stock of State houses we are now returning people to proper homes which is as it should be. 
Hon David Carter 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was quite specific. It referred to a State house tenancy earning $117000 net and asked whether that was an example of Labour’s housing policy working well. The Minister did not answer that. 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Speaking to the point of order— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: There is no need to speak to the point of order. If that had been the only thing the Minister had been asked he would have had to answer that particular part. There was a piece before that particular question was asked. 
Sue Bradford 
: Why is he embracing an expanded accommodation supplement while building only a thousand new State houses when good research like that of the Australian Industries Commission in 1993 shows that creating more social housing is far more cost-effective than continuing with more and more taxpayer-funded cash handouts to landlords? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I am happy to give the member the figures for State housing expenditure but I will just go back to the original statement I made. In 1999 57000 State houses existed. Today 63855 State houses exist. That is not just an additional 1000 houses; that is a lot more than that. And as the member knows we are already planning to build 3000 more on top of that. 
Paul Adams 
: Does the Government have a policy of selling State houses that are vacant for extended periods due to either their location or their suitability and size; if so how long do houses need to be vacant before that decision is made? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: We do have a policy of selling houses if they are in areas where there is such low demand that we cannot possibly expect to be able to rent them. There are 36 houses currently on the market for that reason. There is no set period of time for us to say that we will sell a house because it has been vacant for a while. It is the level of demand that we are interested in.