❓ Question on infill development and affordable housing. Minister outlines government initiatives and criticises the opposition's stance on development.
AnsweredQoN 29Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOUSING —
AFFORDABILITY
29. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Planning:
I refer to the government's
significant efforts to deliver more affordable homes for Western Australians
and to create more options for diversity in housing across our state.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house how our
government is helping drive infill development across our suburbs?
(2) Can the minister also advise the house whether she
is aware of anyone who opposes creating more affordable housing for Western
Australians?
AFFORDABILITY
29. Ms C.M. ROWE to the Minister for Planning:
I refer to the government's
significant efforts to deliver more affordable homes for Western Australians
and to create more options for diversity in housing across our state.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house how our
government is helping drive infill development across our suburbs?
(2) Can the minister also advise the house whether she
is aware of anyone who opposes creating more affordable housing for Western
Australians?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Speaker—
A member interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Funny you
should ask that!
I thank the member for Belmont for
that question. As members know, we are undertaking significant reform across
the community to deliver housing choice in every suburb. We know that the
community does not want wholesale subdivision of their land or their
properties; but we need to provide housing choice. We also need to enable
people to age in place. It is about enabling older people to move from their
existing home into a small unit or apartment and stay in their community so
that they can access the same medical services and go to the same shopping
centre. That is a key part. The other part, of course, is that when our younger
people want to enter the property market, they want real choice between buying
a new house-and-land package in an outer suburb or a smaller home in a suburb
that they know and love. That is the thrust of our reforms.
What are we doing? We are doing
things like the housing diversity pipeline with the Minister for Housing, using
lazy land to support new infill development. We will be releasing very soon the
final medium-density code, which will
provide guidelines on how to deliver significant medium density across the
suburbs without experiencing some of the negatives that have been
experienced in the past, including impact on tree canopy and some of the other
negative consequences.
We are also undertaking planning
reform through the state development assessment unit. We are making changes to
developer contributions. We are supporting structure planning and precinct
planning through a central agency. We are creating a state referral unit to
make it even easier to get new housing developed in a new time profile.
Of course we know that the Liberal
Party has been very, very anti-development. We know what happened under the
previous leadership of the member for Cottesloe. I feel sorry for you two
sitting next to each other; it must be very awkward! The biggest debates the
member for Mandurah and I have had are about what is the best musical we have
attended. You two, how awkward is it sitting next to each other constantly?
Dr D.J. Honey : It is only
awkward for you.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : It is not
awkward for us at all. ''Awkward'' is not the word I would use to
describe how we look upon you two sitting next to each other.
When
the former Liberal leader was interviewed about holding onto the leadership,
his main reason for wanting to hold onto the leadership was to try to destroy
me, saying that the Minister for Planning was out there being outrageous on
planning reform. The member for Cottesloe opposes any development on Stirling
Highway. New Leader of the Liberal Party, do you support any development
on Stirling Highway?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please. Minister, you can of
course ask rhetorical questions but you cannot anticipate answers necessarily
from those opposite, because question time is about ministers being asked
questions.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The member
for Vasse, ''Dial a Quote'', only responds when the media is
calling, not when anyone else is asking for a policy position.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : What was
that? Are you responding now? Do you support developments along Stirling
Highway?
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Do you
support developments along Marine Parade, Leader of the Liberal Party?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Education, and member for Mount Lawley! Minister, can I ask you to respond more
directly to the question you were asked, please.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : I think it
is important. I mean, the whole basis of the leadership of the previous Leader
of the Liberal Party was to oppose all developments. Liberal and National Party
members come in here and say we need more housing, but they oppose every
housing development. The way to get housing is to get housing developments.
Dr D.J. Honey : You just want
houses for millionaires.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : What was
that?
Dr D.J. Honey : You just want
houses for millionaires; that's all you want.
The SPEAKER : Order! This is
already a very long question time.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : One thing you
do not do, member for Vasse, is continue to interject while the Speaker is
speaking . Most people in here have learnt that. I have had to draw this
to your attention before now. When the Speaker interrupts the proceedings, I expect
silence, from you in particular. Minister, I ask you to hopefully move along.
We have had a very small number of questions today and they have taken a very
long time. Member for Cottesloe, you have not assisted because every time the
minister gets about three or four more words out, you do the same interjection
over again, and then everybody else interjects again. We are not making much
progress here. We could be in question time until about half past three at this
point.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : I will wrap
it up. It is important for the new Liberal leader to outline whether the
Liberal Party supports housing developments and diversity.
A member interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Funny you
should ask that!
I thank the member for Belmont for
that question. As members know, we are undertaking significant reform across
the community to deliver housing choice in every suburb. We know that the
community does not want wholesale subdivision of their land or their
properties; but we need to provide housing choice. We also need to enable
people to age in place. It is about enabling older people to move from their
existing home into a small unit or apartment and stay in their community so
that they can access the same medical services and go to the same shopping
centre. That is a key part. The other part, of course, is that when our younger
people want to enter the property market, they want real choice between buying
a new house-and-land package in an outer suburb or a smaller home in a suburb
that they know and love. That is the thrust of our reforms.
What are we doing? We are doing
things like the housing diversity pipeline with the Minister for Housing, using
lazy land to support new infill development. We will be releasing very soon the
final medium-density code, which will
provide guidelines on how to deliver significant medium density across the
suburbs without experiencing some of the negatives that have been
experienced in the past, including impact on tree canopy and some of the other
negative consequences.
We are also undertaking planning
reform through the state development assessment unit. We are making changes to
developer contributions. We are supporting structure planning and precinct
planning through a central agency. We are creating a state referral unit to
make it even easier to get new housing developed in a new time profile.
Of course we know that the Liberal
Party has been very, very anti-development. We know what happened under the
previous leadership of the member for Cottesloe. I feel sorry for you two
sitting next to each other; it must be very awkward! The biggest debates the
member for Mandurah and I have had are about what is the best musical we have
attended. You two, how awkward is it sitting next to each other constantly?
Dr D.J. Honey : It is only
awkward for you.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : It is not
awkward for us at all. ''Awkward'' is not the word I would use to
describe how we look upon you two sitting next to each other.
When
the former Liberal leader was interviewed about holding onto the leadership,
his main reason for wanting to hold onto the leadership was to try to destroy
me, saying that the Minister for Planning was out there being outrageous on
planning reform. The member for Cottesloe opposes any development on Stirling
Highway. New Leader of the Liberal Party, do you support any development
on Stirling Highway?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, please. Minister, you can of
course ask rhetorical questions but you cannot anticipate answers necessarily
from those opposite, because question time is about ministers being asked
questions.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : The member
for Vasse, ''Dial a Quote'', only responds when the media is
calling, not when anyone else is asking for a policy position.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : What was
that? Are you responding now? Do you support developments along Stirling
Highway?
Several members interjected.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Do you
support developments along Marine Parade, Leader of the Liberal Party?
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Minister for
Education, and member for Mount Lawley! Minister, can I ask you to respond more
directly to the question you were asked, please.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : I think it
is important. I mean, the whole basis of the leadership of the previous Leader
of the Liberal Party was to oppose all developments. Liberal and National Party
members come in here and say we need more housing, but they oppose every
housing development. The way to get housing is to get housing developments.
Dr D.J. Honey : You just want
houses for millionaires.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : What was
that?
Dr D.J. Honey : You just want
houses for millionaires; that's all you want.
The SPEAKER : Order! This is
already a very long question time.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : One thing you
do not do, member for Vasse, is continue to interject while the Speaker is
speaking . Most people in here have learnt that. I have had to draw this
to your attention before now. When the Speaker interrupts the proceedings, I expect
silence, from you in particular. Minister, I ask you to hopefully move along.
We have had a very small number of questions today and they have taken a very
long time. Member for Cottesloe, you have not assisted because every time the
minister gets about three or four more words out, you do the same interjection
over again, and then everybody else interjects again. We are not making much
progress here. We could be in question time until about half past three at this
point.
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : I will wrap
it up. It is important for the new Liberal leader to outline whether the
Liberal Party supports housing developments and diversity.
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