❓ A parliamentary question regarding transit-oriented development and housing delivery is met with a lengthy response defending the government's planning reforms and criticizing opposition to increased density, citing industry support and accusing opponents of fear-mongering.
AnsweredQoN 697Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Housing—Transit-oriented
development697.Ms Cassie Roweto
theMinister for Planning and Lands:I refer to our Cook
Labor government's ongoing planning reforms.(1) How will the recent announcement to take over
planning control at key train station precincts accelerate the delivery of
housing?(2) Is the minister aware of anyone who does not
support increasing density?
development697.Ms Cassie Roweto
theMinister for Planning and Lands:I refer to our Cook
Labor government's ongoing planning reforms.(1) How will the recent announcement to take over
planning control at key train station precincts accelerate the delivery of
housing?(2) Is the minister aware of anyone who does not
support increasing density?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
2 December 2025
Response time
0 days
Mr John Carey replied:(1)–(2) As we know, our government is
doing everything it can to accelerate the delivery of housing in Western
Australia. That means looking at all our policy settings so we can ensure that
we not only get housing delivered, but also have the framework that enables
that. That is why, like New South Wales and Victoria, Western Australia is
embracing a clear, consistent planning framework around critical train stations.
This idea is actually not new; it is done around the world. At its heart is the
understanding that transit-oriented development works and that we can create
medium to high-density projects close to rail stations where there are
amenities and services, and there is walkability. That is the vision of this
train station precinct approach, which will enable both medium and high-density
projects into the future.I welcome feedback from the
industry and stakeholders, such as the Housing Industry Association, the Property
Council of Australia, the Planning Institute of Australia and, of course,
prominent housing commentators like Damian Collins, the former REIWA president,
and Trent Fleskens. There has been overwhelmingly positive support. We understand
that there is not a silver bullet and that we consistently have to look at all
our policy measures, and that it is the cumulative effect that works, so it was
really disappointing to see the scare and fear campaign. First of all, it was
the SubiacoPost, which claimed that leafy
neighbourhoods would be destroyed. It was interesting to see the social media
reaction. In fact, one of its most popular posts ever had over 500 people
respond. Overwhelmingly, the majority condemned the fear-type politics
expressed by this paper. I note the irony that this paper gets a lot of its
revenue from full-page ads promoting apartments in the western suburbs!We then had the commentary by a
number of Liberals. We had the member for Nedlands who, interestingly, again
used false pictures in a Facebook post. This is absolute lies and rubbish. He
then went on to say that it should not happen in the western suburbs but in
places "including major centres and well-planned outer suburbs". This
is the thing about the Liberals: it is always the northern suburbs or the
eastern suburbs, but never the suburbs where they live—not here, not
social housing, not high density. Of course, in one night, the member for
Cottesloe changed her position on density. The irony was: Who was the first
person to propose this to government? It was the member for Cottesloe. In a
report calledTransit Precincts: Perth, Get
Onboard, she talked about the need to enable and fast-track
transit-oriented development, but she has now come out and condemned it. Of
course, the Liberal leader attacks the integrity of the planning system at
every opportunity and uses ludicrous arguments about apartment towers lurking
over primary schools.But this is interesting:
industry is onto them. I refer to a letter I received from the Property Council
to the WA Liberals, because it says some very interesting things.Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members!Mr John Carey:It states:Of particular concern is the apparent
opposition from the Liberal Party to new homes being built in our established
suburbs.It goes on:We have received feedback from our
member base that your party's public commentary is sending a strong signal to
the property sector and community that the Liberal Party is now ideologically
opposed to the construction of desperately-needed infill housing projects, and
is at odds with the businesses and the professionals who design, develop,
finance and construct them.The letter goes
further:… I caution against giving
undue weight to the voices of a small but vocal minority when the vast majority
of Western Australians are overwhelmingly supportive of all new housing.There is more in
this letter that I will read in the debate to follow, but this shows that that
side of politics has lost the confidence of the housing construction sector,
because at every opportunity—Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members!Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Member for Central Wheatbelt! Leader of
the Opposition!Mr John Carey:You know, we should play Basil bingo,
where you say particular words and he twitches or gets agitated—Andrew
Hastie.Several members
interjected.Withdrawal of remarkThe Speaker:Minister, can you please withdraw that. You
need to refer to the Leader of the Opposition by his appropriate title.Mr John Carey:I withdraw.The Speaker:Thank you.Questions without notice resumedThe Speaker:The member for Vasse with the last
question.
Housing—Transit-oriented
development
doing everything it can to accelerate the delivery of housing in Western
Australia. That means looking at all our policy settings so we can ensure that
we not only get housing delivered, but also have the framework that enables
that. That is why, like New South Wales and Victoria, Western Australia is
embracing a clear, consistent planning framework around critical train stations.
This idea is actually not new; it is done around the world. At its heart is the
understanding that transit-oriented development works and that we can create
medium to high-density projects close to rail stations where there are
amenities and services, and there is walkability. That is the vision of this
train station precinct approach, which will enable both medium and high-density
projects into the future.I welcome feedback from the
industry and stakeholders, such as the Housing Industry Association, the Property
Council of Australia, the Planning Institute of Australia and, of course,
prominent housing commentators like Damian Collins, the former REIWA president,
and Trent Fleskens. There has been overwhelmingly positive support. We understand
that there is not a silver bullet and that we consistently have to look at all
our policy measures, and that it is the cumulative effect that works, so it was
really disappointing to see the scare and fear campaign. First of all, it was
the SubiacoPost, which claimed that leafy
neighbourhoods would be destroyed. It was interesting to see the social media
reaction. In fact, one of its most popular posts ever had over 500 people
respond. Overwhelmingly, the majority condemned the fear-type politics
expressed by this paper. I note the irony that this paper gets a lot of its
revenue from full-page ads promoting apartments in the western suburbs!We then had the commentary by a
number of Liberals. We had the member for Nedlands who, interestingly, again
used false pictures in a Facebook post. This is absolute lies and rubbish. He
then went on to say that it should not happen in the western suburbs but in
places "including major centres and well-planned outer suburbs". This
is the thing about the Liberals: it is always the northern suburbs or the
eastern suburbs, but never the suburbs where they live—not here, not
social housing, not high density. Of course, in one night, the member for
Cottesloe changed her position on density. The irony was: Who was the first
person to propose this to government? It was the member for Cottesloe. In a
report calledTransit Precincts: Perth, Get
Onboard, she talked about the need to enable and fast-track
transit-oriented development, but she has now come out and condemned it. Of
course, the Liberal leader attacks the integrity of the planning system at
every opportunity and uses ludicrous arguments about apartment towers lurking
over primary schools.But this is interesting:
industry is onto them. I refer to a letter I received from the Property Council
to the WA Liberals, because it says some very interesting things.Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members!Mr John Carey:It states:Of particular concern is the apparent
opposition from the Liberal Party to new homes being built in our established
suburbs.It goes on:We have received feedback from our
member base that your party's public commentary is sending a strong signal to
the property sector and community that the Liberal Party is now ideologically
opposed to the construction of desperately-needed infill housing projects, and
is at odds with the businesses and the professionals who design, develop,
finance and construct them.The letter goes
further:… I caution against giving
undue weight to the voices of a small but vocal minority when the vast majority
of Western Australians are overwhelmingly supportive of all new housing.There is more in
this letter that I will read in the debate to follow, but this shows that that
side of politics has lost the confidence of the housing construction sector,
because at every opportunity—Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Members!Several members
interjected.The Speaker:Member for Central Wheatbelt! Leader of
the Opposition!Mr John Carey:You know, we should play Basil bingo,
where you say particular words and he twitches or gets agitated—Andrew
Hastie.Several members
interjected.Withdrawal of remarkThe Speaker:Minister, can you please withdraw that. You
need to refer to the Leader of the Opposition by his appropriate title.Mr John Carey:I withdraw.The Speaker:Thank you.Questions without notice resumedThe Speaker:The member for Vasse with the last
question.
Housing—Transit-oriented
development
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