Greens NSW spokesperson for Human Rights and Member for Newtown Jenny Leong MP has today given notice of a Private Member’s Bill to establish a Human Rights Act in NSW and welcomed comments from the Attorney General that NSW Labor is “open to considering the issue and working constructively” with The Greens.

A Human Rights Act would provide a holistic alternative to a patchwork approach to reform and ensure stronger legal protections for fundamental rights such as housing, freedom of protest, and education. 

Greens NSW Human Rights spokesperson and Member for Newtown Jenny Leong MP said: 

"The NSW Government cannot be trusted when it comes to protecting and promoting human rights for people in our state - which is why it is time for the Parliament to act and why we are today giving notice of a Bill to introduce a Human Rights Act for NSW. 

“From decimating our right to protest to extending hate speech protections for only a select few and ramming through bail laws that disproportionately impact First Nations kids, the NSW Government is playing fast and loose with our human rights - and playing straight into the hands of the right-wing fringe who wants to promote division and erode our democracy. 

“Our communities deserve better than ad hoc, reactive reform that offers nothing beyond more criminalisation, more policing and more political spin: we need a NSW Human Rights Act that clearly sets out and protects equality and dignity for everyone - including rights to essentials like housing and education.  

“The Attorney-General's response in Question Time today that he and the government are “open to considering the issue” is a welcome first step. Over the coming months I look forward to working alongside the Attorney General and the broad coalition of civil society organisations who support a Human Rights Act for NSW and with parliamentary colleagues across the chamber to deliver on this long-overdue reform.” 

“As the political landscape tilts increasingly to the authoritarian right, a proactive vision for defending and extending human rights is more urgent than ever - that’s why the Greens are taking the first step today to enshrine protection for civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights in NSW law." 

Greens NSW Housing and Homelessness spokesperson Jenny Leong MP has welcomed the announcement that NSW Labor will finally introduce new laws to ban unfair no grounds evictions for all renters statewide.

Labor's announcement will be made at their state conference later today and comes on the eve of a NSW Parliamentary hearing chaired by Jenny Leong MP which is expected to hear evidence of strong support for this reform from tomorrow.  

In February, Jenny Leong MP introduced a Bill to end unfair no grounds evictions for periodic and fixed term tenancies. Rather than vote down the Bill and against their own policy, the Labor Government agreed to push it to an inquiry which begins on Monday.  

The Greens look forward to reviewing the government’s legislation when NSW Parliament next sits in August and ensuring this crucial reform for renters is finally delivered. 

Greens spokesperson for Housing & Homelessness and Member for Newtown, Jenny Leong MP said: 

“We are thrilled that Labor has finally got their act together and is moving forward with banning unfair no grounds evictions.  

“It has been 490 days since NSW Labor ran on a promise to end no grounds evictions – in that time more than 40,000 renters in NSW have been evicted for no reason.

“It has taken a Greens bill coupled with the threat of a lashing from the experts in tomorrow’s inquiry to force Labor to finally act on their long-overdue promise.  

“Ending no grounds evictions is the single most consequential change we can make to start to address the cooked rental market in NSW. For too long, landlords have had the power to evict tenants for no reason, regardless of how they treat the property or if rent is paid on time. 

“The Greens have stood with housing advocates and community groups pushing for this unfair practice to be outlawed for over a decade - this policy shift was hard-won by groups like the Tenants’ Union of NSW and the 60+ organisations behind the Make Renting Fair campaign who have worked tirelessly to bring this change about. 

“We know bans like this need to be comprehensive without loopholes for greedy real estate agents and big investors to game the system – which is happening in other states.

“The next big challenge is to make sure the rules in NSW are airtight and come with evidence requirements and strong penalties for landlords who lie to evict a tenant.  

“The Greens look forward to continuing to work across party lines to deliver more changes to expand renters’ rights, like allowing pets in all rentals, controlling rent increases, and implementing minimum standards for rental homes,” she says.  

The first public hearing of the Legislative Assembly Select Committee on the Residential Tenancies Amendment (Prohibiting No Grounds Evictions) Bill 2024 takes place Monday 29 July from 9am. See here.  

Today the NSW Minns Labor Government has broken an election promise and shamefully announced it will press ahead with plans to privatise half of the Waterloo South public housing estate.

Under the plans, the current 749 public dwellings will be demolished to make way for 3,000 new apartments - only 30% of which will be social housing, which is just 2% more than the Liberals original plans. A further 20% will be “affordable” housing, and the remaining 50% will be private.

Jenny Leong Member for Newtown and Greens NSW Spokesperson for Housing and Homelessness said:

“Today NSW Labor has broken their election promise to Waterloo residents that they would stop the sell-off of the Waterloo Public Housing Estate.

“What they have announced today are plans that are in substance only marginally better than what was originally planned under the Liberal National government. 

“NSW Labor had a chance to end the  Liberal’s privatisation agenda, instead they are continuing this shameful legacy of evicting public housing tenants from their homes, for insulting increases to social housing stock that barely touch the sides of the housing crisis.

“The Greens will continue to stand in solidarity with the Waterloo community, public housing tenants and activists across the state - to stop the privatisation agenda, push for the site to remain 100% public housing, and for affordable housing to be actually affordable in perpetuity.“ said Ms Leong. 

Sylvie Ellsmore, City of Sydney Deputy Mayor and Greens Councillor said: 

“We are losing public housing in the inner city at a rapid rate. This project will mean we go backwards in terms of the percentage of public housing in the city.

“The Waterloo South plans have been sold as an increase in social housing, but in reality they will see the City’s largest public housing estate go from 100% public housing – which it is now – to 30% or less public housing. 

“It is beyond disappointing that we have seen the continuation of many Liberal projects to demolish and privatise inner city public housing – not just in Waterloo, but in Glebe and Erskineville. 

“The maths simply doesn’t stack up that we need to privatise so much public land to upgrade public housing. The decision to rezone and privatise public land worth billions of dollars need to be the subject of public scrutiny,” said Deputy Lord Mayor Ellsmore.

The Greens are calling on the NSW Labor Government to go further than their announced extension of temporary accommodation from 2 days to 7 days, and remove the cap entirely, to keep people safe and work towards ending homelessness. 

Jenny Leong, Member for Newtown and Greens Spokesperson for Housing and Homelessness said:

“The Greens are calling for the limit on temporary accommodation to be scrapped, it would be near impossible for anyone to find long-term, secure housing in just 7 days - let alone people experiencing crisis. 

“Extending the limit on temporary accommodation by just 5 days when the public housing waiting list in some areas is 10+ years, there is a dire shortage of transitional housing options, and affordable rentals in the private housing market are non-existent, is not enough.

“Any limit on temporary accommodation fails to put vulnerable people’s needs first - it is not a stable solution and means too many people will be forced back into unsafe situations.

“The limits on temporary accommodation need to be scrapped entirely, alongside a massive investment in specialist support services, so we can move to a Housing First approach in NSW that will end homelessness and keep people safe.

“Temporary accommodation should only end when someone is at the point of securing safe, affordable, ongoing housing.”

Abigail Boyd, Greens Spokesperson for Gendered Violence and Abuse said:

“We are in the middle of a housing and cost of living crisis. It’s almost impossible to find permanent accommodation, be approved and move somewhere within a week. It’s not just an unrealistic expectation, it's a dangerous one. 

“Limiting crisis accommodation is one of the largest obstacles to escaping violence. The 7-day period is still 3 weeks short of the period that experts in the DFV sector have been calling for as their minimum ask, for years now. 

“This government is still asking victim-survivors, at a time when we know they are at the most risk of harm, to scramble to secure accommodation within a week. 

"We had expected this new Labor government to make tackling the domestic violence crisis in our state a far higher priority. They know the stories, they know the evidence, it's time they act on it.” 

The Greens welcome indications that the NSW Labor Government will consider action on excessive rent increases, but a consultation paper won’t pay the rent. Renters need a freeze on rent increases while this longer-term reform is implemented.

Commenting on the NSW Labor Government’s rental reform consultation paper released today, Jenny Leong Member for Newtown and Greens NSW Spokesperson for Renters’ Rights and Housing said:

“The Greens welcome that the NSW Labor Government is coming to the table with reforms to make renting more affordable and secure - reforms that the Greens have been pushing on for years. 

“The Greens and renters are ready to fight the powerful real estate and developer lobby that will no doubt be ready to stop reforms from undermining their profits. 

“Ending unfair, no grounds evictions and allowing pets in rentals are long-overdue reforms that would give renters desperately needed security.

“But we need to ensure that no-grounds evictions are ended for all renters on all leases - including renters at the end of a fixed term lease.  

“Any action on excessive rent increases need to include longer-term rent controls to ensure we are bringing down the record-high rent costs and actually making renting affordable.  

“Dealing with rent increases isn’t a data or information sharing exercise - renters know when their rent increase is excessive, what they need is clear limits on what a rent increase can be.

“The Greens want to make unlimited rent increases illegal, establish rent caps, and put hard limits on the amount and frequency of rent increases.

“But a consultation paper won’t pay the rent and renters are in crisis right now. We need to freeze rent increases for as long as these reforms take to be considered.

“The Greens Emergency Rent Freeze Bill is before NSW Parliament right now - we could have this in place within the month if the NSW Labor Government backed it in.

“Across the country the Greens are standing with renters and pushing state and federal governments to go further and faster on rental reform. 

“With rent caps now being seriously considered in NSW, a rent freeze not ruled out in Victoria yesterday, and renter’s rights pushed onto the national cabinet agenda - it’s clear a rent freeze is possible. ”

Commenting on the Minns Labor Government’s major planning and housing announcement today, the Greens are calling for a minimum 30% affordable housing in all new private developments to address the serious housing affordability crisis. 

The Government needs to stop outsourcing responsibility for the housing crisis to the private sector and start taking genuine responsibility to ensure that housing is for people, not private profit. 

Comment by Greens MP Sue Higginson, spokesperson for Planning and the Environment:

“Taking more power away from councils and local communities to incentivise private developers is the exact opposite of best practice planning pathways. To tackle the housing crisis, the NSW Government should be examining locally driven solutions that are interactive with existing communities and incorporate the local knowledge and planning controls of local councils.

“Abusing the State Significant Development pathway to skip planning controls for private housing developments is not an appropriate way to address the housing crisis. Failed planning regulation that has been consistently weakened over the last two decades has created the illusion that only further private profiteering can solve the issue but that simply isn’t true.

“What the Labor Government is proposing will effectively entrench corporate profits and manipulation of planning regulations as a function of housing developments. Chris Minns needs to break free from the failed corporate model for affordable housing and look to the world for best practice examples of ensuring that workers and residents can access and afford a stable and sustainable home.”

Comment by Greens MP Jenny Leong, Spokesperson for Housing and Homelessness:

“We absolutely welcome the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to boosting affordable housing supply - but we need to be mandating public and affordable housing in all new developments, not incentivising private developer profits.

“A target of 15% affordable housing doesn’t even touch the sides of the housing affordability crisis we are facing. 

“The scale and severity of the problem calls for greater ambition: at a minimum, we need to see 30% affordable housing in perpetuity for all new private developments as a prerequisite for development consent.

“The cost of rent and housing is out of control - supply alone will not fix the crisis unless we mandate affordability. This means setting rents for affordable housing relative to income and guaranteeing affordable housing in perpetuity.“

Commenting on reports that the NSW Labor Government has abandoned controversial provisions that would have entrenched rental auctions, Jenny Leong MP, Member for Newtown and Greens Renters and Housing Spokesperson said:

“The Greens absolutely welcome the NSW Labor Government listening to the overwhelming community concerns and having the sense to put this on the backburner.

“From the moment we saw the details of this legislation, we knew that this provision would exacerbate the rental crisis and it’s why we’ve worked to expose, and put a stop, to rental auctions. 

“We heard clearly throughout this inquiry that no one was asking for rental auctions to be entrenched in NSW - not tenants advocates, peak bodies, or the real estate industry.

“Now that we have dealt with this distraction, we can get onto the job of desperately needed rental reforms - that means working with the government to deliver portable bonds and end unfair, no grounds evictions.

“The Greens will also be stepping up the push for an emergency 2 year rent freeze and to give renters the ultimate transparency of fixed, advertised rental prices.

“We’re in a rental crisis. Every day we fail to take action is another day renters will face an unfair eviction or be hit with an excessive rent increase.” 

Rent bidding must be banned alongside genuine protections for renters including ending no grounds evictions, freezing and controlling rents, and banning intrusive rental applications. 

Commenting on reports today that the NSW Fair Trading Minister is looking into reform that would ban rent bidding,  Greens spokesperson for Housing and Renters and Member for Newtown, Jenny Leong MP said:

“Rent bidding should absolutely be banned, but we don’t need an investigation to tell us what we already know – dodgy agents and landlords are exploiting and profiting from the rental crisis. 

“Conversations with people on the street, and endless stories in the news, show us just how bad the power imbalance between renters and their real estate agent or landlords has gotten.

“This is not a new problem and the Liberal Nationals have had 11 years in power to fix the rental crisis, instead they have ignored the renters in their communities and prioritised the interests of investors, real estate agents, and landlords.

“The Greens welcome the government’s focus on banning rent bidding, but let’s not hide under the cover of an investigation when we know it’s a problem right now. 

“Every single day renters are being hit with massive rent increases they’re too fearful to negotiate or treading on eggshells to ask for basic repairs because of the threat of being evicted. 

“At a time when more people are renting than ever before, and for longer, we need to fix the conditions that have made chronic insecurity part and parcel of renting.

“The Greens had a bill that would have addressed the crisis faced by renters, but Labor and Liberal shamefully teamed up to block it. 

“Rent bidding must be banned alongside genuine protections for renters including ending no grounds evictions, freezing and controlling rents, and banning intrusive rental applications.”

The rental crisis will not get better without a freeze on rents and an end to unfair, no grounds evictions.

Data released today in the Annual Rental Affordability Index shows that rental affordability is worse than ever before, and people are struggling to make ends meet between the soaring cost of rent, food and electricity. 

Greens spokesperson for Housing and Renters, and Member for Newtown, Jenny Leong MP said:

“Politicians cannot continue to sit on their hands and ignore the renters in their community who are being forced to make the difficult choice between rent they can’t afford or eviction. 

“The rental crisis isn’t going to get better until we freeze rents and get them under control, end unfair no grounds evictions, and stop the special treatment of landlords and investors profiting from the housing crisis. 

“Renting in Sydney is now considered “critically unaffordable” and it’s snowballing into regional communities, as more and more people are driven out of the city and into the regions. 

“No one should have to choose between paying their rent, putting food on the table, paying their bills on time, or getting Christmas presents for their families. 

“Just weeks ago, the Greens pushed to end no grounds evictions and give renters security by Christmas but it was shamefully blocked by the Liberal Government and NSW Labor. 

“Leaving renters to struggle with astronomically high rents and minimal protections is a political choice, and it’s time for politicians to work together to genuinely fix the rental crisis ,” Ms Leong said.

The Greens are calling on the NSW Government to take immediate action on the pervasive use of third party rental services. 

Greens MP and Housing Spokesperson Jenny Leong said:

“Renters need urgent protections from third party services who are preying on and profiting off the housing crisis. 

“Reports today that third party rental services could be actively facilitating rent bidding, and contributing to the soaring cost of rent, are deeply disturbing.

“And we know from the countless stories from renters in our community that these third party services regularly try to sell additional, and unnecessary, services like background checks to profit off renters desperation.

“Alarm bells should be ringing that these third party services have an immense amount of power, and an immense amount of personal information. 

“Too often renters are given no choice but to hand over huge amounts of personal information, dating back years, to these services just to be considered for a rental property.

“Renting in NSW is stressful enough, without the added - and very legitimate – fears around personal information that recent high profile data breaches have exposed.

“The NSW Government needs to step in and take immediate action to review, regulate and provide much needed oversight to the pervasive use of third party rental services.

“We need to ban rent bidding, stop intrusive rental applications, and massively strengthen renters' data protections.”