❓ Mr. Pratt asks about the Cook Labor government's housing affordability plan. The Treasurer outlines initiatives like supporting housing supply, the Help to Buy scheme, infrastructure investment, streamlined approvals, Keystart, and shared equity products, highlighting a $5.8 billion investment since 2020.
AnsweredQoN 738Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Housing—Affordability
738. Mr Stephen Pratt to
the Treasurer:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's plan to make housing more affordable so that all Western
Australians have the security that a home provides. Can the Treasurer outline
to the house how this government is helping more Western Australians,
especially first home buyers, get into a home of their own?
738. Mr Stephen Pratt to
the Treasurer:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's plan to make housing more affordable so that all Western
Australians have the security that a home provides. Can the Treasurer outline
to the house how this government is helping more Western Australians,
especially first home buyers, get into a home of their own?
AnswerView source ↗
I
thank the member for that question. The midyear review, which is just a few
days away, will demonstrate our government's commitment to support housing in Western
Australia. Health and housing are this government's major priorities, and that will
be reflected in the midyear review update that will be released shortly. The Minister
for Housing and Works, with a number of other government agencies, has been
working on a range of initiatives to support new housing supply, whether that be
across the energy and water utilities, in the planning system or through
Keystart. We are focusing on supporting housing supply across government. Recently,
we saw some really positive Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, and, more recently,
the release of the Australian National Accounts revealed that WA's increases in
housing supply are outpacing those of the other states.
Today,
of course, through this chamber and Parliament, we want to support the national
Help to Buy scheme, which supports first home buyers to get their first home. Our
state initiatives include supporting infrastructure for more apartment
buildings and supporting infrastructure in regional WA. I must say that every
time we announce these initiatives—I remember this happening when I was
the Minister for Planning and we announced the Infrastructure Development Fund—we
receive criticism across some parties about what we were doing. We were criticised
for supporting infrastructure for new housing, but we went ahead and did it,
and, as a result, thousands of apartments are currently
underway. We have seen the work undertaken by the Minister for Planning and
Lands to support streamlining approvals and getting more housing
implemented. The government has implemented a whole range of different
initiatives. We have continued to focus on Keystart and support the delivery of
modular housing through regional WA with specific Keystart products. More people
are now using Keystart to access loans. Our shared equity product is all about
increasing supply by government partnering with first home buyers to buy their
new homes. Across the board, we continue to work to invest more money—I
think it is more than $5.8 billion since 2020—to support new
initiatives to increase the housing supply. It continues to be a key focus, and
members will see that in just a couple of days.
thank the member for that question. The midyear review, which is just a few
days away, will demonstrate our government's commitment to support housing in Western
Australia. Health and housing are this government's major priorities, and that will
be reflected in the midyear review update that will be released shortly. The Minister
for Housing and Works, with a number of other government agencies, has been
working on a range of initiatives to support new housing supply, whether that be
across the energy and water utilities, in the planning system or through
Keystart. We are focusing on supporting housing supply across government. Recently,
we saw some really positive Australian Bureau of Statistics figures, and, more recently,
the release of the Australian National Accounts revealed that WA's increases in
housing supply are outpacing those of the other states.
Today,
of course, through this chamber and Parliament, we want to support the national
Help to Buy scheme, which supports first home buyers to get their first home. Our
state initiatives include supporting infrastructure for more apartment
buildings and supporting infrastructure in regional WA. I must say that every
time we announce these initiatives—I remember this happening when I was
the Minister for Planning and we announced the Infrastructure Development Fund—we
receive criticism across some parties about what we were doing. We were criticised
for supporting infrastructure for new housing, but we went ahead and did it,
and, as a result, thousands of apartments are currently
underway. We have seen the work undertaken by the Minister for Planning and
Lands to support streamlining approvals and getting more housing
implemented. The government has implemented a whole range of different
initiatives. We have continued to focus on Keystart and support the delivery of
modular housing through regional WA with specific Keystart products. More people
are now using Keystart to access loans. Our shared equity product is all about
increasing supply by government partnering with first home buyers to buy their
new homes. Across the board, we continue to work to invest more money—I
think it is more than $5.8 billion since 2020—to support new
initiatives to increase the housing supply. It continues to be a key focus, and
members will see that in just a couple of days.
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