Latest news with #SamOConnor
ABC News
5 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Queensland government announces more than half a billion dollars for homeless services
The Queensland government will allocate almost $600 million in new funding for the homeless sector in next week's state budget. It includes a 20 per cent uplift in funding for specialist homelessness services, locked in for the next four years, an increase of $209 million. Housing Minister Sam O'Connor said it was the "biggest increase in funding for homelessness services and accommodation in Queensland's history". "This is a really important funding boost for these services because they've never had higher demand than what they're dealing with right now," he said. "For too long, they've had to deal with a housing system where their funding would run out every June, where their workers, who are on the front line helping people experiencing homelessness find somewhere to stay, weren't sure whether they could pay their own bills." The funding will also deliver an extra $365 million for crisis accommodation and to support the head leasing of properties. Head leasing involves the government taking on a private rental until a more permanent solution can be found, and is often used for women and children fleeing domestic violence. "It's a more sustainable solution for us. Our hotels and motels are costing us, on average, around $1,100 a week. But head leasing is a lot lower at around $400 a week," Mr O'Connor said. Stephen Simpson, chief executive of Homelessness Queensland, while welcoming the announcement, pointed to the lack of available rentals. "Increasing that [head leasing] is fantastic, but securing those properties within the private rental market and getting properties to come onto the market will be a big challenge," he said. Mr Simpson also highlighted the disparity in homelessness services available in regional areas compared to metropolitan areas. "We welcome place-based responses where government can sit with local councils and local services to really understand what it is that they need in their community to respond to the population, versus a Brisbane cookie-cutter approach where we just roll out programs across the state," he said. The announcement follows several by the government aimed at freeing up low socio-economic accommodation. From July, public housing tenants in Queensland who are issued three warnings for serious behaviour in a year could be evicted. Those evicted for committing illegal offences will be banned from reapplying for two years. Mr Simpson echoed the concerns of other advocacy groups about the policy. "We need to adapt what we're doing to be able to respond to a person who might be showing signs of behavioural issues. "There's a long history of trauma and other things that person is dealing with, so appropriate support is required, versus evicting." Last week, the government announced it would implement annual income reviews for social housing tenants, with reports of some recipients earning well above the income limit. More than 52,000 people are on the waitlist for social housing. Opposition Leader Steven Miles reiterated his calls for the income limits to be reviewed, something not done since 2006. "I think it's outrageous that the LNP think a single mother earning $46,000 is too wealthy to be provided with housing," he said. "It shows how out of touch they are. It's time they revisit those thresholds to make sure that we're delivering housing to people who really need it." The LNP government will next Tuesday hand down its first budget since its October state election win.
ABC News
14-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Queensland public housing tenants to be evicted after three warnings for serious behaviour in a year
Public housing tenants in Queensland who are issued three warnings for serious behaviour in a year could be evicted under a new government policy. The new policy, which will come into effect in July, will also see tenants who are evicted for committing illegal offences banned from reapplying for two years. Housing Minister Sam O'Connor said the new approach would allow housing officers to record warnings against tenancies and take action if the behaviour continued. "It is all about making sure our tenants are as safe as they possibly can be and that the overwhelming majority who do the right thing are protected in their homes and in their communities that they love," he said. He said officers would have the ability to apply discretion to tenants with complex needs, including disability, mental illness, and those experiencing domestic violence. Karyn Walsh, chief executive of non-profit organisation Micah Projects, said she was disappointed in the new approach believing it would "not do anything to reduce homelessness". "I understand the issues that social housing is facing, but I think there are other ways that we need to be addressing it because it disproportionately is going to affect the most vulnerable in our community," she said. "There is a ripple effect if people aren't eligible for social housing with bans, and then there are other things they are not eligible for when they come to a homeless service." Under the changes tenants who engage in severe or illegal activities, including assault, drug manufacturing or dangerous behaviour, will be exited immediately and banned from accessing social housing for two years. Tenants who engage in serious behaviour, including deliberate and persistent damage and aggressive language to others, will be evicted from public housing on their third breach within a year and banned from accessing public housing for 12 months. Under the changes no verbal warnings will be issued and after receiving a written warning tenants must commit to improving their conduct or they will face formal action to end their tenancy. More than 12,000 social housing properties were damaged last financial year, according to the government, costing more than $20 million in repairs. When asked what options were available to those who were evicted, Mr O'Connor told ABC Radio Brisbane there was "a range of products available that the department offers to support them to transition to another option". "We have got 52,031 people on our wait list who are eligible for social housing and it is not acceptable to have people in the system who abuse that and who deliberately damage and cause significant amounts of destruction to our properties." The government announced this week from July 1 it would conduct annual rent reviews to determine if social housing recipients were still within the income limit. At a press conference on Tuesday, Mr O'Connor said changing the income caps for social housing tenants was not on the government's agenda.
ABC News
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- ABC News
Queensland government dumps zero-emissions vehicle goal set by Labor, introduces new target
Queensland's LNP government is dumping a Labor-era mandate that required certain vehicles driven by public servants to transition to zero emission alternatives. Public Works Minister Sam O'Connor will today unveil a new emissions reduction strategy for QFleet, which manages more than 11,000 vehicles for the government. Under the former Labor administration, a target was introduced to transition all "eligible" passenger vehicles in the fleet to zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) by 2026. This would have impacted around 3,600 vehicles in the fleet. In the new strategy, the ZEV push will be scrapped and a new target will be introduced, aimed at lowering the entirety of QFleet's tailpipe emissions by 10 per cent by 2030. The plan will allow for other vehicles beyond electric vehicles to be used, such as hybrids and plug-in hybrids. Mr O'Connor said every government agency would be held accountable to reduce their emissions, rather than buying a particular type of car. "We've laid out a genuine pathway to reduce tailpipe emissions and better support the hardworking public servants who rely on QFleet to get them to where they need to be." The new strategy would see the fleet's tailpipe emissions lowered from 33.19 kilotonnes as of June 2024 to 29.86 kilotonnes by 2030. Over the same period, the government wants to grow the fleet of vehicles by about 9 per cent. The strategy notes the plan was put together in response to "significant" feedback from government agencies, particularly public servants in regional areas. "The [emissions reduction] strategy will mean for the first time the progress of total fleet emissions reduction is being monitored rather than just the number of EVs introduced," it said. "This expansion of scope will provide the government with a more accurate account of its progress towards net zero emission targets." The Queensland government has a target for the state to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The previous strategy rolled out by the former Labor government, which included the ZEV mandate, projected the fleet's emissions would drop to 26.7 kilotonnes by 2025-26. It also argued a transition to electric vehicles would result in "significant savings" for taxpayers through running costs, such as fuel. Another aim of the plan was to increase the availability of second-hand electric vehicles in the used car market. The ZEV mandate meant that as a vehicle lease expired, a zero-emission vehicle had to be taken up as long as there was a ZEV alternative and sufficient charging infrastructure was available. The government's new QFleet strategy points out the fleet already has more than 2,000 active EVs. "Thoughtful vehicle selection" and "responsible driving behaviour" are among the measures it lists in its bid to cut vehicle emissions.
Daily Mail
10-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Brisbane couple earning $200,000 are living in social housing as over 50,000 desperate Aussies wait for a home
Australians earning six-figure salaries are benefitting from social housing despite not being eligible as others in desperate need are forced to join a long waitlist. The Queensland government on Monday revealed a small number of tenants in social housing were earning far above the income thresholds. It revealed multiple incidences of people rorting the system, including a Brisbane couple earning $200,000 a year before tax and paying just $200-a-week in rent. A household in Moreton Bay taking home almost $3,500 a week before tax was paying $270-a-week for a property that would normally rent for $650-a-week. A Townsville family who earned more than $160,000 a year before tax were paying less than $190-a-week on rent in a city where average rents are $500-a-week. Queensland's Housing Minister Sam O'Connor accused the previous Labor government of letting 'rent reviews fall by the wayside' in a statement. 'Labor turned a blind eye for years,' the minister said. 'It's unbelievable they let people on six-figure incomes stay in social homes for years while others in urgent need were left on the social housing waitlist.' The government has since announced a crackdown on social housing tenants, who will be once again be subject to annual rent reviews paused during the pandemic. Social housing tenants who are not paying up to 25 per cent of their income on rent will have their annual rent hike capped at $15. Those who can't verify their income will have to pay market rent and be evicted. The crackdown will also focus on households with spare bedrooms. Figures provided by O'Connor showed that 8,000 social housing households were 'under-occupying' their homes by two or more bedrooms. O'Connor said those people would not be forced to downsize but removalist costs or rent-free periods would be offered as incentives. To qualify for social housing in Queensland a single person with no kids can't bring home more than $610 a week. A couple with two kids cannot be earning more than $1,000 a week. 'We're empowering our housing officers to do what they do best – support the Queenslanders who most need a roof over their heads,' O'Connor said. 'These are long overdue changes to fix the system so it's better targeted to help the people who need housing most.' There are currently more than 52,000 people on Queensland's social housing waitlist.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Unbelievable': Crackdown on housing rort
The Queensland government is cracking down on the income of social housing tenants, as figures reveal people earning far above income thresholds are benefiting from subsidised housing. 'Labor turned a blind eye for years,' Housing Minister Sam O'Connor said on Monday. 'They stopped checking if people still qualified for social housing, and they let rent reviews fall by the wayside. 'It's unbelievable they let people on six-figure incomes stay in social homes for years while others in urgent need were left on the social housing waitlist.' Information released by the state government on Monday showed a small number of notable rorts were being carried out by social housing tenants. A Brisbane couple who earnt $200,000 (before tax) were living in a subsidised rental paying $200 a week, Mr O'Connor said in a statement. The government says it has identified a household in Moreton Bay, being paid almost $3500 a week (before tax), occupying a large social housing property and paying $270 a week – this property would rent for $650 a week on the open market. In another example, a Townsville family earning more than $160,000 a year (pre-tax) paid less than $190 a week in rent when Townsville median rents were $500 per week. A statement from the minister said these tenants were 'earning' these salaries – NewsWire has confirmed with his office that the figures are pre-tax. In Queensland, a single person with no kids must take home less than $610 a week to qualify for social housing. A couple with two kids cannot be earning more than $1000. As it stands, social housing tenants must pay 25 per cent of their income on rent; this will remain under the new shake-up. However, under the crackdown, all social housing tenants will be subject to annual rent reviews. If someone is paying less than 25 per cent, annual rent hikes will be capped at $15. Any tenant who cannot verify their income will then have to pay market rent and then will be evicted. The crackdown has a focus on households with spare bedrooms. Figures provided by the minister say 8000 social housing households are 'under-occupying' their homes by two or more bedrooms. People would not be forced to downsize, Mr O'Connor said. Instead, removalist costs or rent-free periods would be offered as incentives. 'We're empowering our housing officers to do what they do best – support the Queenslanders who most need a roof over their heads,' Mr O'Connor said. 'These are long overdue changes to fix the system so it's better targeted to help the people who need housing most.' There are more than 52,000 people on Queensland's social housing waitlist. The previous state government paused social housing evictions and yearly rent reviews during the pandemic. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
