Govt unveils $1.6b boost for public housing
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The New South Wales Government says a $1.6 billion upgrade and repair project for the state's public housing will overhaul the way maintenance work is carried out and create 250 new jobs for apprentices.
The money will be spent repairing and upgrading 127,000 of the state's public houses over the next five years.
The project will see more than 20,000 homes painted, 8,500 kitchens replaced, 130 kilometres of new fencing erected and enough floor covering laid to cover the Sydney Olympic Stadium 27 times.
Housing Minister Matt Brown says all public houses will be visited at least once a year, with old hinges, doors, taps and other items either repaired or replaced.
"Not only will there be preventative maintenance for the first time ever but we now have a way forward in addressing the backlog and this contract will eradicate a maintenance backlog in seven years," he said.
"That's something very good for our tenants and for the economic stability of this very large portfolio."
He says the upgrade was not one of the infrastructure projects in the budget that was dependent on the privatisation of the state's electricity generators.
"We've signed the contract with the contractors. They can be sure and secure that they're going out with the biggest maintenance contract in the Southern Hemisphere."
