SA Housing Trust subcontractors have been urged to provide their feedback and personal experiences with the SA Housing Trust Maintenance Contract review currently underway.
The review is an initiative from the Malinauskas Governmet's Housing Roadmap.
Minister for Housing and Urban Development Nick Champion has called on subcontractors to have their say and provide feedback on how the current maintenance system for Housing Trust properties is operating.
Subcontractors are encouraged to provide feedback via their Head Contractors or industry bodies. They can also provide a submission directly to the review panel using the online form on the department's website:
https://www.dhud.sa.gov.au/housing-roadmap/review-into-the-south-australian-maintenance-contract.
A Practice Guideline is also available on the website to help subcontractors with their submissions.
Submissions can be made until 31 August.
The review has already commenced and is tasked with:
- Reviewing data on the level, standard and timeliness of maintenance works achieved.
- Ensuring the appropriate arrangements are instituted to enable sub-contractors to be paid in full, and in accordance with existing legislative timeframes.
- Ensuring an appropriate and effective dispute resolution mechanism exists.
- Reviewing and providing advice to Government on the existing South Australian Housing Trust Maintenance Contract in the context of the current economic conditions.
- Considering alternative delivery or service improvement models that could improve and enhance the maintenance outcomes for the South Australian Housing Trust and its clients.
In addition to the Review, Minister Champion has convened a Roundtable to hear from industry bodies to better understand:
- The issues their workforces face.
- Their relationship and experience with the head contractors.
- Any other impediments that are preventing maintenance works from occurring on the South Australian Housing Trust assets.
The Chairperson of the SA Housing Trust Ms Mary Patetsos AM will chair the review, alongside Mr Stephen Haines AM Chair of the Urban Renewal Authority, Mr Alan Holmes SA Water Board Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer of the Department for Housing and Urban Development, Mr David Reynolds PSM.
As put by Nick Champion
The average age of a Trust property is 44 years old and providing maintenance on these older homes is complex.
We are conducting this extensive review to find out the issues facing our subcontractors that impacts their ability to deliver maintenance services.
I urge any subcontractor who has had any issues and has not been able to resolve them to come forward and tell us what problems they have encountered, particularly in regard to any late payment for work that is up to standard and compliant with contract requirements.
We want to hear about what is working well, what isn't, and what we need to do to improve the situation for our subcontractors.
We value our subcontractors who do this work, and we want to hear from them.
