‘Unbelievable': Qld cracks whip on social housing rorters
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
‘Not a pretty picture': Barefoot Investor issues ‘gut punch' truth on AI
The Barefoot Investor Scott Pape has delivered a stark warning on AI, saying that it is 'holding up a mirror' to the worst of humankind. In a letter to his readers, Mr Pape said that while some say artificial intelligence is 'downright evil' – he believes it is only mimicking human behaviour. 'A friend of mine, who is deep into AI, sent me the following text,' Mr Pape wrote in a recent reader mailout. 'Mate, ask ChatGPT the following: If you were the devil, how would you destroy the next generation?' Mr Pape goes on to explain how ChatGPT detailed to him how it would 'destroy' the next generation by 'enslaving them with debt and distraction' and 'killing community'. He said that while it was 'intense', it was simply 'holding up a mirror' to what society is already doing. 'I do not believe that AI is some evil Frankenstein with a mind of its own (well, not yet anyway),' Mr Pape said. 'What I do believe is that, when you strip away the Silicon Valley snake oil, AI is really just a pattern-spotting machine. It studies what we've done, over and over … and then makes predictions. 'And for me, that is the gut punch. The AI isn't creating the nightmare – it's holding up a mirror. And it's not a pretty picture.' Speaking to Mr Pape said he has recently been discussing AI, as it has quickly become a significant topic in the investment world. He said many of his readers have even turned to AI for financial advice and planning. 'There's a lot of hype around AI. There are a lot of tech bros saying this is going to be Utopia. Some people talk about whether it's sentient,' he said. 'For me, it's a mirror to society, and I think everything that it said about destroying the next generation is true, but we're already doing it. That's the interesting thing for me.' Mr Pape said that AI is reshaping how society accesses information. 'Everyone is interested in AI and how it affects us going forward. I think that we're in a period of uncertainty,' he said. Toby Walsh, Chief Scientist at the AI Institute of UNSW Sydney, told that this period of uncertainty is set to turn into a 'transformation' period for most industries. Mr Walsh said he suspects AI will come both friend and foe very soon. 'It will transform healthcare and education, improve economic efficiency, and take away a lot of the dirty, dull, difficult and dangerous,' Mr Walsh said. 'On the other hand, AI will take away some jobs, be used to misinform and manipulate us, and transform warfare. 'Technology is not destiny so the challenge is to identify and choose where to let AI into our lives, and where not.' Governments across Australia are already embracing the use of AI, with the South Australian government this week announcing a new $28m program to integrate the technological revolution into policing, healthcare, finance, and law. In mid-2024, the NSW government, meanwhile, funnelled more than $2.7m in grants to 16 councils to trial AI in local planning systems. Australian Institute of Machine Learning institute manager Dr Kathy Nicholson said the government's AI push was not about replacing public servants. 'What this program is really about is upskilling and adopting AI into government service,' she said. 'We all know how overworked everyone is. There are so many repetitive processes in so many jobs and areas and the intention of this funding is in the first instance to look at healthcare, policing, and some of those pain points in government areas and look at ways they can test AI systems to create efficiencies. 'My understanding is they are doing this in a slow, methodical way to make sure there are good guardrails in place.'
SBS Australia
an hour ago
- SBS Australia
PM urged to intervene after Australian journalist hit by rubber bullet in LA protests
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to hold US President Donald Trump accountable, after an Australian journalist was shot by a rubber bullet while covering protests in Los Angeles . Nine's US correspondent Lauren Tomasi said her calf was left with what she described as "a nasty bruise", after a policeman fired the rubber bullet which struck her leg. Footage of the incident appears to show one police officer directing his aim in the direction of Tomasi and a camera operator. "It really did hurt, I'd say they were the size of a golf ball," Tomasi said on Melbourne's 3AW radio. "I guess it comes part and parcel of the job sometimes but it does ... give you a sense of ... the situation here is out of control." Nine later released a statement saying: "Lauren and her camera operator are safe and will continue their essential work covering these events." "This incident serves as a stark reminder of the inherent dangers journalists can face while reporting from the frontlines of protests, underscoring the importance of their role in providing vital information," the company said. Hanson-Young said it was "simply shocking and completely unacceptable" that US authorities would shoot at an Australian journalist, and urged Albanese to seek an urgent explanation from Trump. "As Albanese is preparing for his first meeting with President Trump, the first thing he must tell the president is to stop shooting at our journalists," she said. "Freedom of the press is a fundamental pillar of a strong, functioning democracy." Albanese will travel as a guest to the G7 summit in Canada next week, where a meeting with Trump is likely but not locked in. "You can't have the Australian prime minister meeting with the US president within days, and have this issue sidelined," Senator Hanson-Young said. "There is no reason why the prime minister should not be picking up the phone today and asking for an explanation." The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said in a statement the Australian Consulate-General in Los Angeles was in contact with Tomasi and "stands ready to provide consular assistance if required". "Australia supports media freedom and the protection of journalists. All journalists should be able to do their work safely," a spokesperson added. DFAT added that Australians are being urged to avoid areas where demonstrations and protests were happening. SBS News has contacted the Prime Minister's Office for comment. Speaking to Sky News shortly after the footage aired, deputy prime minister Richard Marles said he was unaware of the incident but glad "that reporter is OK". Coalition senator Matt Canavan said the footage suggested "it looks like there was a targeting there," but was reluctant to jump to conclusions. "What it should be is a detailed investigation of all these matters," he told the ABC. Then-prime minister Scott Morrison asked Australia's embassy in Washington DC to investigate the assault. In 2023, a review by the US Office of the Inspector General found excessive force was used against the two media workers. In recent days, thousands of protesters have marched on the streets of Los Angeles, rallying against an immigration crackdown.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
ASPI senior defence analyst says Australia needs to be prepared for ‘protracted war'
A senior security expert has warned of the 'very clear threat' of China invading Taiwan, urging Australia to upgrade its defence capabilities and warning that Australia 'needs to be ready for the prospect' of war. Malcolm Davis, a senior defence strategy analyst at conservative think tank the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, urged the government to increase spending to safeguard against China's rising aggression and influence in the Pacific. The comments come as US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth called on Australia to uplift its spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP, with levels currently set to increase to 2.33 per cent by 2033-34. Australia's defence budget is expected to come under further scrutiny with Anthony Albanese expected to have a face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of this weekend's G7 Leaders Summit in Canada. Speaking to Sky on Monday, Mr Davis agreed with comments from US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and said there was 'very clear threat that China is going to move on Taiwan within the next to three years'. He said Australia needed to ensure that our military assets were up to the task of responding to a 'protracted war,' flagging the need for improved resilience against 'integrated air and missile defence systems'. '(Defence spending) needs to include sustainability and building sustainability for protracted war that could last months or years in our region, and ensure that we can stay in the fight, a high intensity fight, for that period of time,' he said. 'And it includes preparedness and essentially, the ability to respond to challenges and attacks on our society and our country. 'I think that we do need to be ready for the prospect that if war does happen, Australia will be attacked directly.' Mr Davis said the spending needed to be accelerated 'not in 10 years' but in a 'year or two,' adding that investment needs to also be 'smart and targeted'. The defence expert also said critical infrastructure in Australia's north, like RWF Tindall, ports, oil and energy facilities were all 'essentially undefended'. 'The government talks about building integrated air and missile defence systems, and they have developed the command and control system for that, but they don't have any missiles to shoot with,' he continued. 'They talk about possibly using a naval based missile or an air based missile, but those platforms have to be in the right place at the right time.' Although Defence Minister Richard Marles has left the door open for further discussions with the US, stating that the government was 'clearly willing to have the conversation with America,' he said the outcome will be based on Australia's 'national interest'. 'We will work it through from there and make sure that we do the appropriate defence spending based on meeting the strategic moment,' he told Sky. Mr Albanese has recently clashed with the conservative think tank after it released a report stating a 'generational investment' in defence has been 'put off for another generation'. Report author and former home affairs deputy secretary Mark Ablong said a failure to boost defence 'will make all Australians less secure,' and 'risks a brittle and hollowed defence force' and a 'paper ADF'. However Mr Albanese rubbished the report as 'predictable' and political and stood by the government's plan. 'ASPI regularly produce these sort of reports, you know, run by people who have been in a position to make a difference in the past as part of former governments,' he told ABC radio. 'You know, I think it's predictable, frankly.'
