After it sitting empty for 17 months, the government has sold the purpose-build low cost housing Sirius building in The Rocks to revamp into 89 apartments with retail and commercial space. I welcome retention of the iconic Brutalist building but this rare inner city purpose-built accessible building should have been retained for social and affordable housing. The government says the $150 million sale price will pay for about 300 new homes, but they will not be in the inner city where we urgently need social and affordable housing, the largest number of homeless people live and less than one per cent of housing is affordable.

I’ve asked the minister for an urgent briefing, a requirement for some affordable housing in the redevelopment and investment of sale funds in new housing for homeless people in the inner city.