❓ The Minister for Housing outlines the government's efforts to unlock underused state government land for social and affordable housing, highlighting reforms, investments, and the creation of a housing diversity pipeline. The response also criticises opposition attacks on the measures.
AnsweredQoN 561Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SOCIAL HOUSING — UNDERUSED GOVERNMENT LAND
561. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Housing:
Before I ask my question, on behalf
the member for Swan Hills I wish to acknowledge the student leaders from Herne Hill
Primary School. Welcome to Parliament.
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to deliver more social housing, including its
$2.4 billion investment in social housing and homelessness measures.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on this government's efforts in unlocking
underused state government land across Western Australia?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house how these efforts will help to deliver more
social and affordable housing opportunities for Western Australians?
561. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Housing:
Before I ask my question, on behalf
the member for Swan Hills I wish to acknowledge the student leaders from Herne Hill
Primary School. Welcome to Parliament.
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to deliver more social housing, including its
$2.4 billion investment in social housing and homelessness measures.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on this government's efforts in unlocking
underused state government land across Western Australia?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house how these efforts will help to deliver more
social and affordable housing opportunities for Western Australians?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for her question.
(1)–(2) I
have said in this house many times that our government is using every lever it
can to accelerate the delivery of social
housing and housing in general in Western Australia. Of course, in our most
recent budget , we announced new reforms for boosting housing supply.
Those reforms are on top of our $2.4 billion program
in housing and homelessness, which includes the delivery of 3 300 homes. Those
reforms include a 50 per cent concession for build to rent, to encourage
the build-to-rent sector in Western Australia, particularly encouraging not
only rentals for workers' accommodation, but also affordable rentals.
We announced a 100 per cent rebate for stamp duty for affordable apartments. We
also created an urban infill product with Keystart to encourage new buyers into
the infill market. Those reforms and that work also builds on our planning
reforms, because we know that there have been more recent reports about local
government being a hurdle to developing housing supply.
Another key area is utilising lazy
government land. Our government has been working hard to identify landholdings
that could be used to boost affordable housing, workers' accommodation
and social housing. As a result, we have created the housing diversity
pipeline, which will identify key locations and sites in both regional Western Australia
and metropolitan Perth. We are now moving through to the next stage. Recently,
the Minister for Planning and I were in Mt Lawley where we are moving to the
next stage of nine sites—eight in
the city and one in Busselton. These sites offer a real opportunity to deliver
a dividend, whether it is for ground leases, build to rent or discounted
land. There are plenty of flexible opportunities to deliver housing.
I want to say that it is fantastic to
see both the social housing sector and the construction and housing sector
welcome this new pipeline. Kieran Wong from Shelter WA said, in particular,
that the minimum of 20 per cent social housing is fantastic. The Urban
Development Institute of Australia said that the development industry likes the plan and that we need projects that can
be delivered over the medium to long term. The Master Builders
Association said that what is most important to the MBA in the pipeline will be
a major contributor for delivering social housing.
We are thinking beyond this boom.
We are doing the work now. We are doing the planning reform and getting these sites ready to create a pipeline of
work. Therefore, it was very disappointing to hear one lone voice
attacking the measure.
Several members interjected.
Mr J.N. CAREY : The one lone voice was not the
construction and housing sector or the social housing welfare sector; it was Hon Steve ''Policy-free Zone''
Martin, who offers not one solution from the opposition. The opposition attacks, attacks and attacks, but what is
interesting is that it is a lone voice. The social housing sector, the
community housing sector and the construction housing sector tell us
that we need these reforms and this pipeline of work. Although the opposition
will continue to attack and have no policy solutions—we cannot find any
on its website—our government will not only continue to pursue taxation
and planning reform, but also identify lazy land to boost housing supply in Western
Australia.
(1)–(2) I
have said in this house many times that our government is using every lever it
can to accelerate the delivery of social
housing and housing in general in Western Australia. Of course, in our most
recent budget , we announced new reforms for boosting housing supply.
Those reforms are on top of our $2.4 billion program
in housing and homelessness, which includes the delivery of 3 300 homes. Those
reforms include a 50 per cent concession for build to rent, to encourage
the build-to-rent sector in Western Australia, particularly encouraging not
only rentals for workers' accommodation, but also affordable rentals.
We announced a 100 per cent rebate for stamp duty for affordable apartments. We
also created an urban infill product with Keystart to encourage new buyers into
the infill market. Those reforms and that work also builds on our planning
reforms, because we know that there have been more recent reports about local
government being a hurdle to developing housing supply.
Another key area is utilising lazy
government land. Our government has been working hard to identify landholdings
that could be used to boost affordable housing, workers' accommodation
and social housing. As a result, we have created the housing diversity
pipeline, which will identify key locations and sites in both regional Western Australia
and metropolitan Perth. We are now moving through to the next stage. Recently,
the Minister for Planning and I were in Mt Lawley where we are moving to the
next stage of nine sites—eight in
the city and one in Busselton. These sites offer a real opportunity to deliver
a dividend, whether it is for ground leases, build to rent or discounted
land. There are plenty of flexible opportunities to deliver housing.
I want to say that it is fantastic to
see both the social housing sector and the construction and housing sector
welcome this new pipeline. Kieran Wong from Shelter WA said, in particular,
that the minimum of 20 per cent social housing is fantastic. The Urban
Development Institute of Australia said that the development industry likes the plan and that we need projects that can
be delivered over the medium to long term. The Master Builders
Association said that what is most important to the MBA in the pipeline will be
a major contributor for delivering social housing.
We are thinking beyond this boom.
We are doing the work now. We are doing the planning reform and getting these sites ready to create a pipeline of
work. Therefore, it was very disappointing to hear one lone voice
attacking the measure.
Several members interjected.
Mr J.N. CAREY : The one lone voice was not the
construction and housing sector or the social housing welfare sector; it was Hon Steve ''Policy-free Zone''
Martin, who offers not one solution from the opposition. The opposition attacks, attacks and attacks, but what is
interesting is that it is a lone voice. The social housing sector, the
community housing sector and the construction housing sector tell us
that we need these reforms and this pipeline of work. Although the opposition
will continue to attack and have no policy solutions—we cannot find any
on its website—our government will not only continue to pursue taxation
and planning reform, but also identify lazy land to boost housing supply in Western
Australia.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.