Stamping out repeated arson attacks on public housing properties requires a systematic approach, MLC Ivan Dean says.
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The Examiner revealed on Monday that Housing Tasmania had already spent $1.037 million on insurance and repair costs because of arson this financial year, with an average of 35 houses destroyed by deliberately lit fires each year.
There have been a number of deliberately lit fires in Cupania Street at Rocherlea in the past two years, causing more than $222,000 damage since January 1, 2018.
Mr Dean said unlawful behaviour had plagued the area for a decade.
"There's never been any real action by anybody to fix the problem," Mr Dean said.
"Community Housing has a lot to answer for. They need to get people into those areas who are going to look after the place."
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A Community Housing Limited spokeswoman said the average turnaround for vacant properties was 17.2 days, which was below the contracted time of 21 days net and 28 days gross.
"Some stock is vacant longer due to properties that require major works or that are earmarked for sale - new stock to replace - or due to insurance claims," the spokeswoman said.
Two years ago, Mr Dean put forward a petition to the City of Launceston council to have CCTV cameras installed in the northern suburb of Rocherlea in response to ongoing criminal behaviour and hooning.
"Nobody really wants to take the action that is necessary to fix the problem and the people in that area are being let down," he said.
"You can't just write Cupania Street off. They've got to fix the problem."
Mr Dean said it would take a joint council, state government and police approach to make necessary changes to the area.
Labor housing spokeswoman Alison Standen said the state government needed to work with communities to solve the problem.
"Housing Minister Roger Jaensch should be speaking to the communities affected by these arson attacks to figure out what can be done to reduce crime," Ms Standen said.
"The most effective response to these attacks will come when the community is brought together to decide how it would like to deal with it rather than the government deciding it has all the answers."
On average, public housing properties have a 97.4 per cent occupancy rate.