❓ Ms. Davies questions the Premier on the housing crisis, citing waitlists, tenancy hearings, and termination notices. The Premier acknowledges increased demand due to returning residents and defends the government's investment in housing construction and support services.
AnsweredQoN 176Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOUSING —
AVAILABILITY
176. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I refer to the 16 000 households on
the waitlist for social housing, the record 120 tenancy hearings listed in the
Magistrates Court today and the 197 public housing tenancy termination notices
issued since 29 March 2021. Does the Premier share the opinion of Shelter WA,
Anglicare WA, Centrecare, Circle Green Community Legal, Foundation Housing, the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia, the Western
Australian Council of Social Service , the
Western Australian Association for Mental Health and the Financial Counsellors'
Association of Western Australia that this warrants a crisis in our
housing sector?
AVAILABILITY
176. Ms M.J. DAVIES to the Premier:
I refer to the 16 000 households on
the waitlist for social housing, the record 120 tenancy hearings listed in the
Magistrates Court today and the 197 public housing tenancy termination notices
issued since 29 March 2021. Does the Premier share the opinion of Shelter WA,
Anglicare WA, Centrecare, Circle Green Community Legal, Foundation Housing, the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia, the Western
Australian Council of Social Service , the
Western Australian Association for Mental Health and the Financial Counsellors'
Association of Western Australia that this warrants a crisis in our
housing sector?
AnswerView source ↗
I am not sure of the member's
use of the English language, but I have a couple of things to report. I just
outlined in the last question that we have the strongest investment growth in
housing in history. There are more houses and greater housing investment than
has been the case at any point in history.
Ms M.J. Davies : There's
16 000 on the waitlist.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The member
asked me a question. I do not interject on you and then you interject the
entire way through my answer.
We have the strongest investment in
housing, in history, going on in Western Australia because we put the
HomeBuilder grant scheme in place. We also did not put any sort of requirements
around it that prevented investors coming into the market. All these investors
have come into the market who will provide rental housing for people out there
across Western Australia because of the measure we put in place. The issues
surrounding housing have largely come about because Australian permanent
residents are returning home in record numbers and are seeking housing. We largely
closed down interstate fly-in fly-out. Those people have come from the east to
live in Western Australia. Those things have promoted huge demand for
residential housing in Western Australia. Neither of those things, in
particular the number of returning Australians because of the pandemic, was at
all predictable. No-one in the entire world knew that was going to happen, but
it happened, so we have to deal with it. What did we do? We put in place measures to deal with it, which have created the
biggest housing construction boom we have seen. That will obviously free up
properties over time, but I cannot magic up houses from thin air when thousands
of Australians are returning and people are coming here from the east in
numbers we have not seen before. I cannot magic houses up out of thin air and I
think, broadly, most Western Australians understand that.
We
have made investments in public housing. We have invested about $1 billion in
public housing and $100 million a year in homelessness services. The Common
Ground facilities are in the pre-construction phase. We are providing additional beds for emergency accommodation in consultation with the City of
Perth. That is all happening as we speak. This is a once-in-100-years event. We
are coping with it like all states are coping with it, but the measures we have
put in place will mean a massive expansion in housing and dwelling capacity
that will obviously make a difference over time.
use of the English language, but I have a couple of things to report. I just
outlined in the last question that we have the strongest investment growth in
housing in history. There are more houses and greater housing investment than
has been the case at any point in history.
Ms M.J. Davies : There's
16 000 on the waitlist.
Mr M. McGOWAN : The member
asked me a question. I do not interject on you and then you interject the
entire way through my answer.
We have the strongest investment in
housing, in history, going on in Western Australia because we put the
HomeBuilder grant scheme in place. We also did not put any sort of requirements
around it that prevented investors coming into the market. All these investors
have come into the market who will provide rental housing for people out there
across Western Australia because of the measure we put in place. The issues
surrounding housing have largely come about because Australian permanent
residents are returning home in record numbers and are seeking housing. We largely
closed down interstate fly-in fly-out. Those people have come from the east to
live in Western Australia. Those things have promoted huge demand for
residential housing in Western Australia. Neither of those things, in
particular the number of returning Australians because of the pandemic, was at
all predictable. No-one in the entire world knew that was going to happen, but
it happened, so we have to deal with it. What did we do? We put in place measures to deal with it, which have created the
biggest housing construction boom we have seen. That will obviously free up
properties over time, but I cannot magic up houses from thin air when thousands
of Australians are returning and people are coming here from the east in
numbers we have not seen before. I cannot magic houses up out of thin air and I
think, broadly, most Western Australians understand that.
We
have made investments in public housing. We have invested about $1 billion in
public housing and $100 million a year in homelessness services. The Common
Ground facilities are in the pre-construction phase. We are providing additional beds for emergency accommodation in consultation with the City of
Perth. That is all happening as we speak. This is a once-in-100-years event. We
are coping with it like all states are coping with it, but the measures we have
put in place will mean a massive expansion in housing and dwelling capacity
that will obviously make a difference over time.
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