❓ Question regarding the Cook government's amendments to residential design codes to facilitate granny flat construction and boost housing supply. The Minister details the changes and criticises the opposition's stance.
AnsweredQoN 219Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PLANNING — GRANNY FLATS
219. Ms E.J. KELSBIE to the Minister for Planning:
I refer to the Cook government's
commitment to bolstering housing supply throughout Western Australia.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how recent amendments to the residential design
codes are making it easier for Western Australians to build granny flats on
their residential properties?
(2) Can the
minister describe how this nation-leading planning reform, which cuts
unnecessary red tape, will boost housing diversity, choice and supply in Western
Australia?
219. Ms E.J. KELSBIE to the Minister for Planning:
I refer to the Cook government's
commitment to bolstering housing supply throughout Western Australia.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how recent amendments to the residential design
codes are making it easier for Western Australians to build granny flats on
their residential properties?
(2) Can the
minister describe how this nation-leading planning reform, which cuts
unnecessary red tape, will boost housing diversity, choice and supply in Western
Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
want to thank the member for her question. It is well known that Western Australia
is leading the nation in planning reform and cutting red tape. Other states
look to the reforms that we have introduced as a way of boosting housing
supply. Of course, the medium density codes are now in. We revised those to
ensure that they recognise that affordability is the key issue—for all
states, but of course in Western Australia. Those revisions to the R-codes also
provided me an opportunity as the Minister for Planning to further cut red tape
around granny flats.
The old idea of granny flats being
some sort of shonky product that is put together with sticky tape and a few
staple guns is no longer the case. We have a high-quality granny flat industry
in Western Australia. We made significant changes that are now in play to relax
the rules around granny flats. Those changes include removing the minimum
350-square-metre size requirement, relaxing the requirement for granny flats to
be compatible with the design of the existing home, allowing granny flats to be
built on group dwellings and strata lots, and removing the requirement to
provide an additional car bay for most granny flats. This is significant
because it means many more Western Australian households will be eligible to
consider a granny flat and many more granny flats will be exempt from planning
approval. This is a clear demonstration of us cutting red tape—cutting
the rules to help boost housing supply. There has been significant interest. I have
met with the industry and they will tell members—it has been in the
media—they have had significant interest. They are saying there are
uplifts of 500 per cent in interest.
It is interesting that when we bring
out this reform and our commitment, the opposition is all over the place. The
Leader of the Liberal Party clashes with the housing spokesperson. The leader
of the Liberals was asked her position on
this and she said they will support any measure that takes the pressure off
housing. However, the housing spokesperson was also asked and he
criticised the proposal. He said it is no good and it is not going to address
any issues surrounding housing supply. That is an example of an opposition that
has no policy positions—when journalists go to two different
spokespeople and get contradictory statements. That is a classic example of a policy
vacuum in the opposition. Around the same time, the shadow Minister for Housing
said I am obsessed with social housing. I will repeat that. He said I am
obsessed with social housing. I want to explain to the opposition that I am the
Minister for Housing! I am responsible for social housing delivery. That
demonstrates two things. Firstly, it demonstrates that the opposition has no
interest and no commitment to housing the most vulnerable.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Mr J.N. CAREY : Name your
policy; leader of the Liberals, name your policy.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Mr J.N. CAREY : I am waiting
for your policy.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Mr J.N. CAREY : No, that is
not the case. You are wrong!
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Minister, can I draw you back to the question. Thank you.
Mr J.N. CAREY : It is very
interesting that the Liberal leader gets very agitated because the Liberal
Party has not one policy on social housing or homelessness. The other part of
the criticism I find extraordinary from the shadow minister is, yes, I am
obsessed with social housing but I am also obsessed about affordable housing. I
am also obsessed about general housing supply. That is why we are reforming
granny flat planning. That is why we are doing planning reform. That is why we
are doing an infrastructure fund to boost key workers' accommodation.
That is why members are seeing the housing diversity pipeline, to utilise lazy
land for affordable, social and general housing. Across the board, we are
driving large numbers of measures to boost social and affordable housing and to boost housing supply. It is very clear that
there is a divide in this house. On that side, after seven and a half years , there is not one policy on social housing,
affordable housing—or any housing. On this side, there are ongoing
reforms and commitment to drive and boost housing supply in Western Australia.
want to thank the member for her question. It is well known that Western Australia
is leading the nation in planning reform and cutting red tape. Other states
look to the reforms that we have introduced as a way of boosting housing
supply. Of course, the medium density codes are now in. We revised those to
ensure that they recognise that affordability is the key issue—for all
states, but of course in Western Australia. Those revisions to the R-codes also
provided me an opportunity as the Minister for Planning to further cut red tape
around granny flats.
The old idea of granny flats being
some sort of shonky product that is put together with sticky tape and a few
staple guns is no longer the case. We have a high-quality granny flat industry
in Western Australia. We made significant changes that are now in play to relax
the rules around granny flats. Those changes include removing the minimum
350-square-metre size requirement, relaxing the requirement for granny flats to
be compatible with the design of the existing home, allowing granny flats to be
built on group dwellings and strata lots, and removing the requirement to
provide an additional car bay for most granny flats. This is significant
because it means many more Western Australian households will be eligible to
consider a granny flat and many more granny flats will be exempt from planning
approval. This is a clear demonstration of us cutting red tape—cutting
the rules to help boost housing supply. There has been significant interest. I have
met with the industry and they will tell members—it has been in the
media—they have had significant interest. They are saying there are
uplifts of 500 per cent in interest.
It is interesting that when we bring
out this reform and our commitment, the opposition is all over the place. The
Leader of the Liberal Party clashes with the housing spokesperson. The leader
of the Liberals was asked her position on
this and she said they will support any measure that takes the pressure off
housing. However, the housing spokesperson was also asked and he
criticised the proposal. He said it is no good and it is not going to address
any issues surrounding housing supply. That is an example of an opposition that
has no policy positions—when journalists go to two different
spokespeople and get contradictory statements. That is a classic example of a policy
vacuum in the opposition. Around the same time, the shadow Minister for Housing
said I am obsessed with social housing. I will repeat that. He said I am
obsessed with social housing. I want to explain to the opposition that I am the
Minister for Housing! I am responsible for social housing delivery. That
demonstrates two things. Firstly, it demonstrates that the opposition has no
interest and no commitment to housing the most vulnerable.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Mr J.N. CAREY : Name your
policy; leader of the Liberals, name your policy.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Mr J.N. CAREY : I am waiting
for your policy.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Mr J.N. CAREY : No, that is
not the case. You are wrong!
The SPEAKER : Order, please.
Minister, can I draw you back to the question. Thank you.
Mr J.N. CAREY : It is very
interesting that the Liberal leader gets very agitated because the Liberal
Party has not one policy on social housing or homelessness. The other part of
the criticism I find extraordinary from the shadow minister is, yes, I am
obsessed with social housing but I am also obsessed about affordable housing. I
am also obsessed about general housing supply. That is why we are reforming
granny flat planning. That is why we are doing planning reform. That is why we
are doing an infrastructure fund to boost key workers' accommodation.
That is why members are seeing the housing diversity pipeline, to utilise lazy
land for affordable, social and general housing. Across the board, we are
driving large numbers of measures to boost social and affordable housing and to boost housing supply. It is very clear that
there is a divide in this house. On that side, after seven and a half years , there is not one policy on social housing,
affordable housing—or any housing. On this side, there are ongoing
reforms and commitment to drive and boost housing supply in Western Australia.
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