CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS
Ms CATHERINE KING (Ballarat—Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government) (16:57): Last week I was able to experience what the Albanese government's massive investment in housing means in my own home town of Ballarat. Right in the centre of town and walking distance to services, schools and shops, Uniting Vic.Tas is building a beautiful, architect-designed development of 24 new homes for people on the Victorian Housing Register.
These are some of our most vulnerable residents. I was shown through the development by Figurehead Construction project manager, Caleb—he's a Ballarat boy himself, and he feels really proud that he's contributing to social housing in his home town—as well as the Uniting CEO, Carol Jeffs. Walking through the apartments, I was struck by how much we've learned about making homes welcoming and accessible.
They're thoughtfully and practically designed. They're full of light, which is important in our Ballarat winters. They're all north facing and have got terrific outdoor access, as well.
They're completely electric, with a big solar array on the roof to keep down energy bills. There's also a large shared courtyard and shared space. It's mud right now, but I can't wait to see when it's landscaped into a green open space for people to use.
When Uniting undertakes a housing development like this, they consider the lived experience of their tenants from other developments, and all that knowledge feeds into this new build. So, every time they build new homes, they're getting better at it. These new homes have been made possible with $9.4 million from our Housing Australia Future Fund and $13 million from the Victorian Labor government.
Stable housing is life changing, and these new homes will absolutely change lives. On a different matter, Ballarat of course makes the best gin and the best candles. Both Mia and Talbot Candles and Kilderkin gin are available in the Parliament House shop as part of the Victorian showcase throughout the month of September.
I caught up with Harper and Connie and their dad, Robert, in parliament last week. Mum, Leah, who makes the candles, couldn't get up to Canberra, as someone needed to stay home and run the business. The candles themselves are lovely, but Leah also does collaborations with other local businesses and artists to create products that are really special and really Ballarat.
The candles you can buy at the shop smell like the Australian bush and feature artwork by mixed media artist Brigid Corcoran. Mia and Talbot's bestsellers are, of course, the raspberry drop candles, because you can't get more Ballarat than Sovereign Hill's delicious raspberry drops. They've also created a gin-inspired candle which has recycled botanicals from the Kilderkin Distillery, which you can buy in the gift shop.
Chris and Rebecca make their gin in an old warehouse in the centre of Ballarat, and they ship it to all over the world. When they set up in 2016, they were the first distillery in town since the 1930s—there were some illegal ones around the time. Their Larrikin Gin in particular celebrates that cheeky side of our Australian identity, and Chris thinks it's a pretty good fit to be sold here in Parliament House.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Lawrence ): In accordance with standing order 193, the time for members' constituency statements has concluded.