Portfolio — 31 July 2026

The Member for Bentleigh, holding the dual portfolios of Minister for Housing and Building and Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop, has been active across three distinct fronts in the current window: defending major infrastructure commitments in the Assembly, strengthening homebuyer protections through the Building and Plumbing Commission, and committing new funding to tackle homelessness across Victoria.

In the Assembly, the Minister for Housing and Building and Minister for the Suburban Rail Loop defended his budget estimates testimony on the Suburban Rail Loop East project, asserting the project remains on time and on budget [TA-260730-vichns-06b70b591935:s066]. That defence signals the project remains a live accountability point for the Assembly, with the Member standing by the figures he provided to the estimates process.

On the housing consumer protection front, the Minister announced a suite of new measures through the Building and Plumbing Commission [TA-260708-vicmed-c69b581ace68]. The centrepiece is a First Resort Home Warranty Insurance Scheme, which will cover lost deposits and defective work — a significant shift from existing arrangements that typically require homebuyers to exhaust other remedies before accessing warranty cover.

Enforcement powers will extend to ordering repairs for up to ten years after purchase. A mandatory developer bond scheme for apartment buildings is also scheduled to commence on 1 July next year, targeting accountability for multi-dwelling developers at the point of project delivery.

In a separate announcement, the Minister committed $27.8 million to establish ten new homeless outreach services across ten Victorian regions [TA-260722-vicmed-1ff352353cc8]. The services are designed to connect rough sleepers with emergency accommodation and integrated health and social care support, with the stated aim of helping those experiencing homelessness secure stable housing.

The two media-lane announcements together show the Minister operating across both the supply and protection dimensions of the housing portfolio — consumer remedies for buyers, and frontline support for those without shelter.