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.