Housing Act 2003 (Qld)

Housing Act 2003

An Act about the provision of housing and related matters

Part 1    Preliminary

1   Short title

This Act may be cited as the Housing Act 2003.

2   Commencement

This Act commences on a day to be fixed by proclamation.

3   Act binds all persons

(1)This Act binds all persons including the State and, as far as the legislative power of the Parliament permits, the Commonwealth and the other States.

(2)Subsection (1) does not make the State, the Commonwealth or another State liable for an offence.

4   Main objects

The main objects of this Act are—

(a)to improve the access of Queenslanders to safe, secure, appropriate and affordable housing; and

(b)to help build sustainable communities.

5   How the objects are to be primarily achieved

The objects are to be achieved primarily by making provision about the following matters—

(a)housing-related activities carried on by the State, including—

(i)providing public housing and other housing services; and

(ii)developing, undertaking or supporting other housing programs and initiatives;

(b)a system, for supporting and regulating certain types of entities providing housing services, that includes—

(i)registering the entities; and

(ii)giving them financial assistance, making land available to them or giving them other types of assistance; and

(iii)regulating how they provide housing services using the assistance.

6   Guiding principles

This Act is to be administered in a way that has sufficient regard to the following principles—

(a)the availability of safe, secure, appropriate and affordable housing in a community—

(i)enhances the quality of life of people living in the community; and

(ii)contributes to the wellbeing of the community by enabling people to participate in its social and economic life;

(b)the need for safe, secure, appropriate and affordable housing can be met by entities from government, industry and the community, acting separately and in partnership;

(c)a community is sustainable if—

(i)it is socially and economically diverse, cohesive, resilient and adaptable; and

(ii)it has access to appropriate services and amenities;

(d)housing services should be provided in a way that responds to the diverse and changing needs of individuals, families and other households;

(e)the State’s provision of housing services should—

(i)provide leadership and promote best practice in housing provision and residential development; and

(ii)be integrated, as far as is reasonably practicable, with the provision of other government social services;

(f)individuals being provided with housing under this Act should have access, as far as is reasonably practicable, to an appropriate choice of housing types and tenures;

(g)housing services should be provided in a way that has appropriate regard to—

(i)local and regional differences; and

(ii)cultural diversity; and

(iii)Aboriginal tradition and Island custom;

Note—

Aboriginal tradition means the body of traditions, observances, customs and beliefs of Aboriginal people generally or of a particular community or group of Aboriginal people, and includes any such traditions, observances,…