❓ Mrs. Munday asks about the government's strategy for delivering social and affordable housing. The Minister responds by highlighting the government's focus on increasing housing supply through various initiatives, including modular construction and investment in medium and high-density projects.
AnsweredQoN 559Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Housing—Affordability
559. Mrs Lisa Munday to
the Minister for Housing and Works:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment that every Western Australian has a home.
Can the minister
please advise the house how the government is working to deliver social and
affordable housing for our most vulnerable?
559. Mrs Lisa Munday to
the Minister for Housing and Works:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment that every Western Australian has a home.
Can the minister
please advise the house how the government is working to deliver social and
affordable housing for our most vulnerable?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for her question. As we know, every state in the country is facing the same
challenges in housing pressures and the rental market. That is why the state
government is resolutely focused on supply. It is all about supply, supply and
supply. There is not one silver bullet. It is about approaching this issue from
all different avenues, and understanding that it is the culmination of policy
measures that help to bolster housing supply. I note, as the Premier just
cited, that housing completions are up 25%—the strongest growth in the
nation. Our efforts are also recognised. For example, recent commentary in the Mortgage Professional Australia magazine noted:
State and local government policies,
particularly around land release, are cited as key factors limiting growth in
home building. Population movements reflect these dynamics, with people
relocating to areas offering better employment and home ownership prospects.
Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia have led recent growth,
benefiting from strong population gains and lower costs of bringing new homes
to market. This trend is expected to continue, as these states remain more
responsive to demand.
It goes on to
compare the situation faced in Sydney and Melbourne. There is recognition of
our state's preparedness to bolster supply, like the announcement today, when I
joined the Deputy Premier to announce an expression of interest to enable an
advanced manufacturing facility that ultimately is about creating and building
our modular industry but in medium and high density, because we know that there
is market failure there. In our state-level social housing program, around 45%
is now delivered through alternative construction methods—modular,
timber and prefab—but we have market failure in the private sector in
relation to medium and high density. The announcement today is about growing
that industry to enable not only social and affordable housing, but also medium
and high-density projects in the private sector. This adds to the significant
investment we are making to deliver social and affordable medium-density
projects through round 1 of the Housing Australia Future Fund, when we announced
$433 million to deliver more than a thousand social homes in medium and high-density
projects. It is very clear that our measures are working, as acknowledged by
stakeholders across Western Australia. Again, it is in stark contrast to the
other side, which has no policies at all.
for her question. As we know, every state in the country is facing the same
challenges in housing pressures and the rental market. That is why the state
government is resolutely focused on supply. It is all about supply, supply and
supply. There is not one silver bullet. It is about approaching this issue from
all different avenues, and understanding that it is the culmination of policy
measures that help to bolster housing supply. I note, as the Premier just
cited, that housing completions are up 25%—the strongest growth in the
nation. Our efforts are also recognised. For example, recent commentary in the Mortgage Professional Australia magazine noted:
State and local government policies,
particularly around land release, are cited as key factors limiting growth in
home building. Population movements reflect these dynamics, with people
relocating to areas offering better employment and home ownership prospects.
Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia have led recent growth,
benefiting from strong population gains and lower costs of bringing new homes
to market. This trend is expected to continue, as these states remain more
responsive to demand.
It goes on to
compare the situation faced in Sydney and Melbourne. There is recognition of
our state's preparedness to bolster supply, like the announcement today, when I
joined the Deputy Premier to announce an expression of interest to enable an
advanced manufacturing facility that ultimately is about creating and building
our modular industry but in medium and high density, because we know that there
is market failure there. In our state-level social housing program, around 45%
is now delivered through alternative construction methods—modular,
timber and prefab—but we have market failure in the private sector in
relation to medium and high density. The announcement today is about growing
that industry to enable not only social and affordable housing, but also medium
and high-density projects in the private sector. This adds to the significant
investment we are making to deliver social and affordable medium-density
projects through round 1 of the Housing Australia Future Fund, when we announced
$433 million to deliver more than a thousand social homes in medium and high-density
projects. It is very clear that our measures are working, as acknowledged by
stakeholders across Western Australia. Again, it is in stark contrast to the
other side, which has no policies at all.
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