AGY-1675 | Teacher Housing Authority

Full description

The Teacher Housing Authority was established under the provisions of the Teacher Housing Authority Act 1975. (1) The Authority was established as a statutory corporation and was responsible for the maintenance of suitable and adequate housing accommodation for teachers. Its functions included the construction and acquisition of dwellings, purchase of land, maintenance and upgrading of dwellings, disposal of properties, and the provision of allocation and tenancy services.

The Authority also undertook the following: the initiation, promotion, commissioning and undertaking of surveys and investigations into the housing needs of teachers; the undertaking, promotion, and encouragement of research into the design, construction and maintenance of housing suitable for teachers; the advising of and making of reports and recommendations to the Minister for Education and Training in respect of matters relating to the housing of teachers.

The Authority consisted of five members: the Under Secretary of the Treasury and four persons appointed by the Governor on the nomination of the Ministers of Education and Housing. (2) The Authority managed school residences on behalf of the Education Department and administrative responsibility rested with the Department's Minister.

Prior to the establishment of the Authority, accommodation was made available to teachers through the public servants accommodation scheme or by means of vested residences and hostels administered by the Department of Education and the Department of Technical Education. (3) Due to the many groups of public servants served by this scheme, teachers did not always have a guarantee of tenancy and accepted or rejected appointments without knowing whether or not suitable housing was available. The existence of the Teacher Housing Authority overcame this problem and led to more efficient teacher transfers.

Before the 1990s, the properties managed by the Authority were located in many parts of the State, including major country centres. However, a change in policy led to the Authority only providing accommodation in areas where suitable private rental accommodation was unavailable or difficult to obtain.

By 1990, the management of the Authority's properties was provided by the Public Sector Housing Section of the Property Management Division within the Property Services Group of the Department of Administrative Services. The Authority was assisted by Local Housing Committees, which provided a point of contact and liaison between clients and the Authority.

On 1 July 2009 the Authority was moved from the Department of Education and Training to the new Department of Services, Technology and Administration (4), which, in April 2011, became the Department of Finance and Services (5) and, in April 2014, the Office of Finance and Services. (6)

On 1 July 2015 the Office of Finance and Services became the Department of Finance, Services and Innovation (DFSI). (7) During a restructure in 2015-16, the Teacher Housing Authority became part of a group within DFSI branded as Property NSW, which also incorporated Government Property NSW, Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and the Waste Assets Management Corporation. (8)

Endnotes
1. Teacher Housing Authority Act 1975 (Act No.27, 1975), assented to, 14 April 1975.
2. Teacher Housing Authority Act, 1975 (Act No. 27), Part II, Section 7.
3. Draft of Bill for Teacher Housing Authority Act, file G332, [10/58458.1].
4. Public Sector Employment and Management (Departmental Amalgamations) Order 2009 (2009 No 352) cls. 29(1); notified on NSW Legislation website, 27 July 2009.
5. Public Sector Employment and Management (Departments) Order 2011 (2011 No 184) cls. 29; notified on NSW Legislation website, 3 April 2011.
6. Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes - Ministers and Public Service Agencies) Order 2014 (2014 No 233), cls. 4 (5), 6 (1), 9; notified on NSW Legislation Website, 23 April 2014.
7. Administrative Arrangements (Administrative Changes - Public Service Agencies) Order (No 2) 2015 (2015 No 250), cls. 5, 12 (1); notified on NSW Legislation Website, 29 May 2015.
8. Property NSW Annual Review 2015-16, p.2.