❓ Mr. Kelly questions the Minister about planning reforms' impact on economic growth and housing. The Minister defends the reforms, highlighting streamlined processes and criticises the opposition's stance as anti-development.
AnsweredQoN 333Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Planning—Review of planning instruments
333. Mr Dave Kelly to
the Minister for Planning and Lands:
My question is to
the Minister for Planning and Lands.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members, please!
Mr Dave Kelly: I have ringing in this ear, and now we
are getting it in this ear!
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members, when you are ready. All good?
Thank you, member
for Bassendean.
Mr Dave Kelly: Thank
you, Speaker.
My question is to
the Minister for Planning and Lands. I refer to the planning reforms the Cook
Labor government is undertaking to cut red tape and streamline our planning
system.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house how
these reforms are driving economic growth and delivering more housing for
Western Australians?
(2) Is the minister aware of anyone who does not
support increased housing supply or economic growth in Western Australia?
333. Mr Dave Kelly to
the Minister for Planning and Lands:
My question is to
the Minister for Planning and Lands.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members, please!
Mr Dave Kelly: I have ringing in this ear, and now we
are getting it in this ear!
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members, when you are ready. All good?
Thank you, member
for Bassendean.
Mr Dave Kelly: Thank
you, Speaker.
My question is to
the Minister for Planning and Lands. I refer to the planning reforms the Cook
Labor government is undertaking to cut red tape and streamline our planning
system.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house how
these reforms are driving economic growth and delivering more housing for
Western Australians?
(2) Is the minister aware of anyone who does not
support increased housing supply or economic growth in Western Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I thank the member for his
question. As we know, every state in the country is facing housing pressures.
As a consequence, National Cabinet has asked all states to drive planning
reform, because when we speak to small or large builders, they tell us this is
the truth: any uncertainty or delays can make or break a critical housing
project. That is why it is important to have an efficient planning system.
We have been leading the nation
in terms of streamlining, particularly around development assessment panels, with
consolidation, three DAPs with full-time members, consistency and clarity in
the process, and a significant pathway process that provides for major housing
and other development.
I note—this is very
important to note—that to date, through the significant development
pathway, the total value of development applications approved to date is more
than $5 billion, and that includes more than 2,700
dwellings. If members speak to the Housing Industry Association, Property
Council Australia, the Master Builders Association of WA, the Urban Development
Institute of Australia or to small family businesses, they will tell them that
our planning reforms are having a serious and real impact and they strongly
advocate for them.
What is disappointing is to see
the other side of politics. Let us be clear: every state in the country,
Liberal or Labor, is driving planning reforms, streamlining processes and
cutting red tape—some further than others. But what is disappointing to
see is that members of the Liberal Party here in Western Australia are by
themselves. Even their national senator, Andrew Bragg, the housing shadow
spokesperson, has actually been on the record to say this:
… NIMBYism is poison for
young people. And when you see Councils and States block developments,
particularly apartment buildings, that is a disaster for young people.
He said:
… we don't run the
planning system in Canberra, but we have to find a way to get local Councils
and States to actually do the heavy lifting here.
That is a Liberal senator who is
now the housing spokesperson. The other side should be listening to that
senator. We are doing the heavy lifting but they are not. The member for
Kalamunda wrote to me suggesting the consideration of third party appeals. He
said that constituents have raised concerns about not only the specific impacts
of this development, but also broader planning framework. He said, "As you
are aware, Western Australia does not provide third party rights for JDAP
decisions" et cetera. He said that he believes there is merit in reviewing
whether the current system provides an adequate balance and so forth.
Neil Thomson has now put forward
an inquiry to attack the planning system, to create fear and distrust. He said that
it was not outside the scope to look at the make-up of regional development
assessment panels. Can I say this. They want to make development assessment
panels have three and three. Can members imagine what three and three would mean?
It would mean indecision. It would mean matters not proceeding. It would mean delays.
What we are seeing from the other side of politics is they go to their business
events, they talk the big game, they have a shadow minister for deregulation.
The housing spokesperson says they are about red tape reduction, but when the
truth comes to it, they create fear in our planning system. They are advocating
for more red tape in the planning system. They are the biggest NIMBYs in
Western Australia. At every opportunity, they are saying, "Reverse. This
is bad. We should stop this." There is a clear divide now in politics.
That side are isolated across the country. Political parties of all persuasions
are driving reform, but the WA Liberals are stuck in the past. They are pro–red
tape, anti-development, anti–jobs growth, and they are proposing
reforms that will put a critical handbrake on the Western Australian economy.
The Speaker: The member for Geraldton with the last
question.
question. As we know, every state in the country is facing housing pressures.
As a consequence, National Cabinet has asked all states to drive planning
reform, because when we speak to small or large builders, they tell us this is
the truth: any uncertainty or delays can make or break a critical housing
project. That is why it is important to have an efficient planning system.
We have been leading the nation
in terms of streamlining, particularly around development assessment panels, with
consolidation, three DAPs with full-time members, consistency and clarity in
the process, and a significant pathway process that provides for major housing
and other development.
I note—this is very
important to note—that to date, through the significant development
pathway, the total value of development applications approved to date is more
than $5 billion, and that includes more than 2,700
dwellings. If members speak to the Housing Industry Association, Property
Council Australia, the Master Builders Association of WA, the Urban Development
Institute of Australia or to small family businesses, they will tell them that
our planning reforms are having a serious and real impact and they strongly
advocate for them.
What is disappointing is to see
the other side of politics. Let us be clear: every state in the country,
Liberal or Labor, is driving planning reforms, streamlining processes and
cutting red tape—some further than others. But what is disappointing to
see is that members of the Liberal Party here in Western Australia are by
themselves. Even their national senator, Andrew Bragg, the housing shadow
spokesperson, has actually been on the record to say this:
… NIMBYism is poison for
young people. And when you see Councils and States block developments,
particularly apartment buildings, that is a disaster for young people.
He said:
… we don't run the
planning system in Canberra, but we have to find a way to get local Councils
and States to actually do the heavy lifting here.
That is a Liberal senator who is
now the housing spokesperson. The other side should be listening to that
senator. We are doing the heavy lifting but they are not. The member for
Kalamunda wrote to me suggesting the consideration of third party appeals. He
said that constituents have raised concerns about not only the specific impacts
of this development, but also broader planning framework. He said, "As you
are aware, Western Australia does not provide third party rights for JDAP
decisions" et cetera. He said that he believes there is merit in reviewing
whether the current system provides an adequate balance and so forth.
Neil Thomson has now put forward
an inquiry to attack the planning system, to create fear and distrust. He said that
it was not outside the scope to look at the make-up of regional development
assessment panels. Can I say this. They want to make development assessment
panels have three and three. Can members imagine what three and three would mean?
It would mean indecision. It would mean matters not proceeding. It would mean delays.
What we are seeing from the other side of politics is they go to their business
events, they talk the big game, they have a shadow minister for deregulation.
The housing spokesperson says they are about red tape reduction, but when the
truth comes to it, they create fear in our planning system. They are advocating
for more red tape in the planning system. They are the biggest NIMBYs in
Western Australia. At every opportunity, they are saying, "Reverse. This
is bad. We should stop this." There is a clear divide now in politics.
That side are isolated across the country. Political parties of all persuasions
are driving reform, but the WA Liberals are stuck in the past. They are pro–red
tape, anti-development, anti–jobs growth, and they are proposing
reforms that will put a critical handbrake on the Western Australian economy.
The Speaker: The member for Geraldton with the last
question.
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