❓ The Minister for Housing responds to questions about the government's housing supply initiatives, highlighting land releases, social housing projects, and increased housing completions and commencements. The response also criticises the opposition's housing policies.
AnsweredQoN 667Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOUSING — SUPPLY
667. Mrs L.A. MUNDAY to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
ongoing efforts to create more homes for Western Australia's growing
population.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house how this
government's policies and initiatives are helping to overcome housing supply challenges?
(2) Can the
minister please also advise the house whether he is aware of anyone who does
not support these important initiatives?
667. Mrs L.A. MUNDAY to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
ongoing efforts to create more homes for Western Australia's growing
population.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house how this
government's policies and initiatives are helping to overcome housing supply challenges?
(2) Can the
minister please also advise the house whether he is aware of anyone who does
not support these important initiatives?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
want to thank the member for her question and for her commitment to boosting
housing supply in her electorate and across Western Australia. As we always
say, we are deeply cognisant of and take very seriously the housing pressures
in our housing and rental markets. We are demonstrating again and again at
every opportunity that we are introducing measures to boost housing supply. As
the Premier mentioned last week, we have
made some signature announcements. In fact, the land release that we announced
is the biggest by DevelopmentWA in the past decade. We should not
underestimate how important this housing is, because more than 6 000 lots will
ultimately provide homes to 16 000 Western Australians. That is an incredible
boost and provides a clear pipeline of land for future housing supply. I note
also that there will be an allocation of up to 900 homes for social housing. We
are continuing to meet our critical investment there. We also announced a new
Metronet housing complex, with 49 social and affordable apartments and townhouses where medium and high density
should be—close to public transport in a Metronet precinct and,
of course, delivering.
I note that our measures are having
effect. The statistics show those green shoots that the Premier talks about. In
2023–24, 17 659 houses were completed—the highest number of
completions in six years. We have also seen
in the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data that commencements have
increased to 4 413. That is the strongest quarter of dwelling
commencements since the December 2022 quarter. We have seen the movement in
housing completions and housing commencements.
I note that Hon Steve Martin came out—members
are not going to believe it, but we should believe it—and criticised
our land releases. We have finally seen a policy announcement by Hon Steve
Martin. It is pretty clear that he was feeling the pressure by the journalists
who were asking at every press conference, ''Where are your policies?''
After seven and a half years, he pumped out one, and it does not deal with
housing supply. On top of that, he criticised the state government for
releasing and going out to the market with 6 000 lots. It is a bit awkward,
really. He must have been in an awkward position. It is a bit like me going on
a first date and trying to dance or the WA Liberals setting up a TikTok
account. It is interesting that the WA Liberals have set up a TikTok account.
If members want to see awkward, it is worse than the member for Cottesloe's
lectures that he delivers from the bunker each week. What is fascinating about
the WA Liberals' TikTok account is that it again demonstrates how the
Liberals are all over the place on housing policy. For one element, I have a picture
of Sandra Brewer, who said that people should not be piled up with red tape.
This is the woman who sold out her housing policies quicker than toilet paper
during a pandemic! I have a picture of the Liberal candidate for Carine, who
said, ''We will cut red tape so housing is more affordable.''
There he is, looking very specco. What policy? What policy will they be cutting
red tape with to make housing affordable? What plan? We know that plenty of
Liberal candidates out there—in Churchlands and Nedlands—are
saying that they are going to reverse the planning changes, they are going to send it back to local
governments and they are going to make it harder to get the necessary housing approvals. This is the sham of the Liberal Party. According to the
audience—here they realise that housing is important to young people—they
say, ''We'll cut red tape and make homes affordable'',
yet other candidates out there are saying, ''We will reintroduce red
tape.'' People cannot trust the Liberals on housing. To different
audiences, they say different things. They have no plan. They are a fraud when
it comes to housing policy.
want to thank the member for her question and for her commitment to boosting
housing supply in her electorate and across Western Australia. As we always
say, we are deeply cognisant of and take very seriously the housing pressures
in our housing and rental markets. We are demonstrating again and again at
every opportunity that we are introducing measures to boost housing supply. As
the Premier mentioned last week, we have
made some signature announcements. In fact, the land release that we announced
is the biggest by DevelopmentWA in the past decade. We should not
underestimate how important this housing is, because more than 6 000 lots will
ultimately provide homes to 16 000 Western Australians. That is an incredible
boost and provides a clear pipeline of land for future housing supply. I note
also that there will be an allocation of up to 900 homes for social housing. We
are continuing to meet our critical investment there. We also announced a new
Metronet housing complex, with 49 social and affordable apartments and townhouses where medium and high density
should be—close to public transport in a Metronet precinct and,
of course, delivering.
I note that our measures are having
effect. The statistics show those green shoots that the Premier talks about. In
2023–24, 17 659 houses were completed—the highest number of
completions in six years. We have also seen
in the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data that commencements have
increased to 4 413. That is the strongest quarter of dwelling
commencements since the December 2022 quarter. We have seen the movement in
housing completions and housing commencements.
I note that Hon Steve Martin came out—members
are not going to believe it, but we should believe it—and criticised
our land releases. We have finally seen a policy announcement by Hon Steve
Martin. It is pretty clear that he was feeling the pressure by the journalists
who were asking at every press conference, ''Where are your policies?''
After seven and a half years, he pumped out one, and it does not deal with
housing supply. On top of that, he criticised the state government for
releasing and going out to the market with 6 000 lots. It is a bit awkward,
really. He must have been in an awkward position. It is a bit like me going on
a first date and trying to dance or the WA Liberals setting up a TikTok
account. It is interesting that the WA Liberals have set up a TikTok account.
If members want to see awkward, it is worse than the member for Cottesloe's
lectures that he delivers from the bunker each week. What is fascinating about
the WA Liberals' TikTok account is that it again demonstrates how the
Liberals are all over the place on housing policy. For one element, I have a picture
of Sandra Brewer, who said that people should not be piled up with red tape.
This is the woman who sold out her housing policies quicker than toilet paper
during a pandemic! I have a picture of the Liberal candidate for Carine, who
said, ''We will cut red tape so housing is more affordable.''
There he is, looking very specco. What policy? What policy will they be cutting
red tape with to make housing affordable? What plan? We know that plenty of
Liberal candidates out there—in Churchlands and Nedlands—are
saying that they are going to reverse the planning changes, they are going to send it back to local
governments and they are going to make it harder to get the necessary housing approvals. This is the sham of the Liberal Party. According to the
audience—here they realise that housing is important to young people—they
say, ''We'll cut red tape and make homes affordable'',
yet other candidates out there are saying, ''We will reintroduce red
tape.'' People cannot trust the Liberals on housing. To different
audiences, they say different things. They have no plan. They are a fraud when
it comes to housing policy.
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