States and territories are working together to develop a nationally regulated not-for-profit community housing provider system. This new national approach will replace each state’s own regulations for community housing.
Linda Apelt, Director-General of the Department of Communities, said that the new system would secure the reputation of the community housing sector as a well-governed, well-managed sector delivering quality outcomes.
“Benefits of the system include protecting government investment and providing partner confidence, including attracting private investment to the not-for-profit housing sector,” she said.
Ms Apelt also said that system administration would become much simpler by enabling housing providers to operate across state and territory borders and it would be easier to ensure that registered providers consistently met high standards.
Public consultation forums to discuss the national approach were held across Australia in late 2011. In Queensland, over 150 people attended forums in Brisbane, Rockhampton and Townsville and provided valuable feedback on the proposed key elements of the new system.
The final proposal for the new system will be presented to Housing Ministers in the near future. If Housing Ministers approve the proposal, all states and territories will introduce legislation to their Parliaments to apply the National Law across Australia in 2013.
The forum reports are on the department’s website, and a national consultation report will be publicly released on the web at www.nrsch.gov.au in March 2012.
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