Question Without Notice No. 939 asked in the Legislative Council on 23 September 2009 by Hon Lynn Maclaren
Parliament: 38 Session: 1
department of housing — public housing review panel
939. Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Housing and Works:
I refer to the public housing review process currently in use by the Department of Housing.
(1) Is the public housing review panel, also known as the independent panel or third tier, no longer used?
(2) If yes to (1) —
(3) Has the department completed a review of its appeal process this year?
(4) If yes to (3), can the minister table the report of the review?
Hon HELEN MORTON replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of this question.
(1) Yes, the public housing review panel is no longer used.
(2) (a) The public housing review panel last sat in April 2009 and was officially abolished in July 2009.
(b) The public housing review panel was abolished to ensure that the department’s appeal process serves its intended function as an accessible, efficient mechanism for the review of administrative decision making. An appropriate level of independent representation has been maintained in the process, by expanding the number of community representatives at the lower tier. The abolition of the public housing review panel will ensure that the appeal process focuses on procedural fairness rather than seeking simply to resolve disagreements. It will also ensure that issues are resolved as promptly as possible at the local level, without the need for all appellants to make their case to a city-based panel.
(3) No, an interim appeal process has been put in place and a full review will be completed following public consultation.
(4) Not applicable.