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Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 702 asked in the Legislative Council on 25 June 2020 by Hon Peter Collier

Parliament: 40 Session: 1

RESIDENTIAL RENT RELIEF GRANT SCHEME

702. Hon PETER COLLIER to the minister representing the Minister for Commerce:

I thank the honourable member for some notice—no; it is the other way round!

Several members interjected.

Hon PETER COLLIER: It is only a matter of time.

The PRESIDENT: Do you need a minute, Leader of the Opposition?

Hon PETER COLLIER: No, I am fine, thank you. I apologise, Madam President.

I ask this question on behalf of Hon Tjorn Sibma, who is away on urgent parliamentary business.

I refer to the $30 million residential rent relief grant scheme.

(1) How many grant applications have been submitted?

(2) How many grant applications have been approved?

(3) Of those applications approved at (2), how many have resulted in the accounts of landlords being credited and how many remain outstanding?

(4) What is the current balance of the $30 million grant scheme?

Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN replied:

I thank the member for the question. The information has been provided by the Minister for Commerce.

(1) As at 10.00 am on Thursday, 25 June 2020, a total of 3 508 applications had been received.

(2) As at 10.00 am on Thursday, 25 June 2020, a total of 300 applications had been approved.

(3) As at 10.00 am on Thursday, 25 June 2020, a total of 74 grants had been paid to the landlords nominated and a further 226 were awaiting payment. I am advised that portions of applications are presently being handled manually. An automated system is being developed to process applications, with a greater degree of automation becoming active today. The final stage of automation is due for implementation, which will improve application processing and payment times. All tenants, landlords and property managers on the bond administrator database in Western Australia have been contacted by the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety about the availability of the grant and provided with contact details for application escalation should they be facing immediate extreme hardship.

(4) The current balance of the $30 million grant scheme is $29 891 180. However, this does not take into account the amount pertaining to the 226 awaiting payment.