Ms JENNY LEONG ( Newtown ) ( 15:19 ): I direct my question to the Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation.
The SPEAKER: Order! The member for Newtown will be heard in silence. The behaviour of the member for Rockdale is disrespectful.
Ms JENNY LEONG: Given that one-third of people in New South Wales rent their home and that renters are three times more likely than homeowners to have moved in the past year, what is the New South Wales Government doing to address the significant insecurity and costs associated with the constant moves facing renters?
Mr MATT KEAN ( Hornsby—Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation) (15:20): I thank the member for Newtown for her advocacy on behalf of renters not only in Newtown but also across New South Wales. I appreciate her efforts on this important issue. The Government knows that housing affordability is an issue affecting residents in not only Newtown but also across the State. Traditionally, Australia has been a nation of homeowners. However, as the member for Newtown knows, that great dream is increasingly becoming a nightmare.
According to the 2015 Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, 31 per cent of Australians now live in rented accommodation, which represents about 824,000 people in New South Wales. As the Minister responsible for administering the Residential Tenancies Act, I am one of the many Australians who rent a property and I want to ensure that renters get a fair go in this State. Historically, renting has been viewed as a short-term housing option and a steppingstone to home ownership, but people now rent for longer. According to figures from the Rental Bond Board, in the past 10 years there has been a 7.2 per cent increase in the number of tenancies of more than three years and a corresponding decrease of about 5.2 per cent in tenancies of less than six months.
We know that renters in New South Wales, and particularly younger renters, are being locked into the rental market. That is why I am now examining options to provide greater protection for renters not only in Newtown but also across the State. Our legislation must keep up with the changes in this growing sector of our community. The Government has already made some changes in this space with regard to the Residential Tenancies Act to make life better for renters. Those measures include requiring agents and self-managing landlords to register on the Rental Bond Board's online system. That will make it easier for renters to pay a bond and to retrieve it at the end of their lease. The Government has also provided for email service of notices and other documents. It has also made rental bond data available online, which will provide more transparency with regard to that data in the marketplace. I note the great work of the Minister for Finance in making that possible.
Despite those measures, there is much more to be done in this area. My focus in the coming months will be to examine ways to make life better and fairer for renters. For the benefit of the member for Newtown, I will detail some of the key reforms that I am examining. They include a fairer lease-break fee for tenants and improving tenants' rights to have repairs undertaken. That will enable the Commissioner for Fair Trading to issue guidelines regarding reasonable timeframes for repairs that the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal will be required to consider when deciding whether to order landlords to carry out repairs. In addition, the Government is looking to improve disclosure requirements prior to a tenant signing a lease. That will provide more transparency and will give tenants a better chance of understanding the contractual arrangements into which they are entering. The Government is also looking to increase protections for tenants regarding photos and videos of the interior of rental properties that include the tenants' possessions.
Madam Speaker, I know that you will be interested to hear that one of my key tasks over the coming months will be examining how we can enhance protections for victims of domestic violence. This is a critically important issue that must be addressed, and I know that it concerns all members. The aim is to enable immediate termination of a victim's tenancy without compensation being paid to the landlord in cases involving domestic violence. The Government is looking at a range of measures that will make that possible. I make it clear to the member for Newtown that the Government is looking at how it can improve security of tenure for renters in New South Wales. Those are the key areas of reform that I am examining to improve life for the renters of this State. I know this is a big issue. As I said, the rental market is growing and more and more residents of New South Wales and Australia are spending longer periods renting. I am one example of the many young Australians caught in the rental trap. I may have a receding hairline, but I am still young. [Extension of time]
As I said, these are the key areas that the Government is examining to improve life for renters and to make the situation fairer. This Government is not only putting consumers first but also giving renters a fair go. I commend the member for Newtown for her advocacy on this issue. Since I became the Minister responsible for NSW Fair Trading, she has been a constant advocate for these reforms. I look forward to working closely with her and other members who care about renters and who want to give them a fair go.
