❓ A WA parliamentary question regarding the Cook Labor government's efforts to address housing supply and cost-of-living relief. The Minister for Housing outlines initiatives such as wage subsidies for construction, rent relief schemes, short-stay accommodation reforms, and incentives to return housing to the long-term market.
AnsweredQoN 837Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
COST-OF-LIVING RELIEF
837. Mr M. HUGHES to the Minister for Housing:
I
refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to addressing housing
supply and delivering genuine cost-of-living relief to Western Australians.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this government is working with the housing
construction and community services sectors to increase affordable housing
supply?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this government is delivering new initiatives to
assist Western Australians who are doing it tough?
837. Mr M. HUGHES to the Minister for Housing:
I
refer to the Cook Labor government's commitment to addressing housing
supply and delivering genuine cost-of-living relief to Western Australians.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this government is working with the housing
construction and community services sectors to increase affordable housing
supply?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this government is delivering new initiatives to
assist Western Australians who are doing it tough?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for his question and for his commitment to affordable housing
in his electorate.
As I have said, COVID has radically
reshaped our housing market, and there is unprecedented demand for housing. Western
Australia has the highest population growth in the country, and that is a direct
result of people leaving New South Wales and Victoria and coming to WA because
it is a great place to live. It has a very strong economy. It has great
opportunities and it still has affordable housing. But we are very cognisant of
the pressures on the rental and housing market.
Let
us look at the announcements we have made in the last seven days. First of all,
we made one on Sunday , after our meeting with the housing and
construction industry, with the builders, at a round table hosted by the Housing Industry Association. The Minister
for Training announced a new package of $ 21.5 million targeted at wage
subsidies specifically for construction and building homes. We listened to and
engaged with a range of small and medium builders, not a handful of developers,
which is what the member for Cottesloe continues to smear me and this
government with. Secondly, we announced a rent relief scheme of more than $24 million
to provide grants of up to $5 000 to assist people at risk of homelessness to
stay in their homes.
I note the feedback. Kath Snell from
Shelter WA said —
''Shelter WA and WACOSS have
been advocating tirelessly for this initiative, and we are absolutely
celebrating that the State Government has heard and understood the needs of the
community at such a difficult time for so many of WA's renters.
The Western Australian Council of
Social Service CEO said —
''We commend the Cook
Government for activating —
My favourite two words —
every lever available to make housing
more affordable.''
They are two prominent, major
community organisations, not the handful of developers that the member for
Cottesloe is obsessed with. They are two major community and welfare
organisations that we have engaged with that are responding to the program.
Then,
today, the Premier and Minister for Commerce announced major reforms around
regulating short- stay accommodation. There will be new regulations and
planning consistency for short-stay accommodation. We recognise in the regions,
where there are very particular economies, the differences from town to town,
from Katanning to Busselton, and that it will be up to those local governments
to set the specific schemes, while in metropolitan Western Australia, where
there is one market, we will ensure consistent
regulation. On top of that, in an Australian first, we are running a pilot
program to help get housing back to the market, incentivised with $10 000
grants. Hon Steve Martin says, ''No, don't like it. Terrible
policy. Not going to help.'' That is incredible stuff. It has been nearly
seven years, and the Liberal Party and the Nationals WA do not have one housing
policy. As the Premier noted, the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia
came out strongly in support of our policies, and I think this is critical. It
noted —
''We commend the Government
for encouraging property owners to return to the long-term market rather than
employing punitive measures like taxes.
''We also applaud their raft
of efforts to support the rental market in general, such as yesterday's
announcement of the WA Rental Relief Scheme. There is no one solution to the
situation we are facing, but every action taken helps.''
A range of stakeholders are endorsing
our government's approach. Members opposite have no policies. I think
today was extraordinary. With only three Liberal members in the house, they
cannot even agree to support major reform to accelerate the delivery of
housing. We do not know the position of the member for North West Central yet.
We know that David Honey, the honourable member for Cottesloe —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Minister, members are to
be referred to by their seat, not their names; it is the member for Cottesloe.
Mr J.N. CAREY : There is the
member for Cottesloe with his smear campaign and his ideological hatred for medium
and small builders. Then the Leader of the Liberal Party said, ''We are
not opposing the bill.'' Member for North West Central, what is your
position? We just want to clarify.
The SPEAKER : No. You are not
asking questions, you are answering.
Mr J.N. CAREY : Maybe the
member for North West Central will text me later like she did the Leader of the
Opposition. The reality is this: we face an extraordinary situation in this
state. On that side of the house they have no housing policies, and have had no
social housing policies in seven years. Now they are completely and utterly
divided on key planning reform, which every other state, in many different
ways, is embracing as part of national cabinet's commitment to
accelerating the delivery of housing.
thank the member for his question and for his commitment to affordable housing
in his electorate.
As I have said, COVID has radically
reshaped our housing market, and there is unprecedented demand for housing. Western
Australia has the highest population growth in the country, and that is a direct
result of people leaving New South Wales and Victoria and coming to WA because
it is a great place to live. It has a very strong economy. It has great
opportunities and it still has affordable housing. But we are very cognisant of
the pressures on the rental and housing market.
Let
us look at the announcements we have made in the last seven days. First of all,
we made one on Sunday , after our meeting with the housing and
construction industry, with the builders, at a round table hosted by the Housing Industry Association. The Minister
for Training announced a new package of $ 21.5 million targeted at wage
subsidies specifically for construction and building homes. We listened to and
engaged with a range of small and medium builders, not a handful of developers,
which is what the member for Cottesloe continues to smear me and this
government with. Secondly, we announced a rent relief scheme of more than $24 million
to provide grants of up to $5 000 to assist people at risk of homelessness to
stay in their homes.
I note the feedback. Kath Snell from
Shelter WA said —
''Shelter WA and WACOSS have
been advocating tirelessly for this initiative, and we are absolutely
celebrating that the State Government has heard and understood the needs of the
community at such a difficult time for so many of WA's renters.
The Western Australian Council of
Social Service CEO said —
''We commend the Cook
Government for activating —
My favourite two words —
every lever available to make housing
more affordable.''
They are two prominent, major
community organisations, not the handful of developers that the member for
Cottesloe is obsessed with. They are two major community and welfare
organisations that we have engaged with that are responding to the program.
Then,
today, the Premier and Minister for Commerce announced major reforms around
regulating short- stay accommodation. There will be new regulations and
planning consistency for short-stay accommodation. We recognise in the regions,
where there are very particular economies, the differences from town to town,
from Katanning to Busselton, and that it will be up to those local governments
to set the specific schemes, while in metropolitan Western Australia, where
there is one market, we will ensure consistent
regulation. On top of that, in an Australian first, we are running a pilot
program to help get housing back to the market, incentivised with $10 000
grants. Hon Steve Martin says, ''No, don't like it. Terrible
policy. Not going to help.'' That is incredible stuff. It has been nearly
seven years, and the Liberal Party and the Nationals WA do not have one housing
policy. As the Premier noted, the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia
came out strongly in support of our policies, and I think this is critical. It
noted —
''We commend the Government
for encouraging property owners to return to the long-term market rather than
employing punitive measures like taxes.
''We also applaud their raft
of efforts to support the rental market in general, such as yesterday's
announcement of the WA Rental Relief Scheme. There is no one solution to the
situation we are facing, but every action taken helps.''
A range of stakeholders are endorsing
our government's approach. Members opposite have no policies. I think
today was extraordinary. With only three Liberal members in the house, they
cannot even agree to support major reform to accelerate the delivery of
housing. We do not know the position of the member for North West Central yet.
We know that David Honey, the honourable member for Cottesloe —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Minister, members are to
be referred to by their seat, not their names; it is the member for Cottesloe.
Mr J.N. CAREY : There is the
member for Cottesloe with his smear campaign and his ideological hatred for medium
and small builders. Then the Leader of the Liberal Party said, ''We are
not opposing the bill.'' Member for North West Central, what is your
position? We just want to clarify.
The SPEAKER : No. You are not
asking questions, you are answering.
Mr J.N. CAREY : Maybe the
member for North West Central will text me later like she did the Leader of the
Opposition. The reality is this: we face an extraordinary situation in this
state. On that side of the house they have no housing policies, and have had no
social housing policies in seven years. Now they are completely and utterly
divided on key planning reform, which every other state, in many different
ways, is embracing as part of national cabinet's commitment to
accelerating the delivery of housing.
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