❓ Mr. Folkard asks the Minister for Planning about the government's housing reforms and any opposition to them. The Minister defends the reforms, highlighting community support and criticising the Liberal Party's opposition.
AnsweredQoN 145Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOUSING — PLANNING REFORM
145. Mr M.J. FOLKARD to the Minister for Planning:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's efforts to cut red tape and allow for the construction of
more homes.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house of how this government's sensible reforms
will create jobs and deliver more housing choices for our community?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether she is aware of anyone who opposes the
government's attempts to create more affordable housing?
145. Mr M.J. FOLKARD to the Minister for Planning:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's efforts to cut red tape and allow for the construction of
more homes.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house of how this government's sensible reforms
will create jobs and deliver more housing choices for our community?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house whether she is aware of anyone who opposes the
government's attempts to create more affordable housing?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Burns Beach for that question. My questions always seem to
have that last part: can you inform us of anyone who opposes what we are doing?
I am always glad when I get that part of a question.
I thank the member for the question because, of course, we have rolled out our
new range of planning reforms and initiatives to support more housing in
Western Australia because we know we need more housing in WA to make sure we
can have diversity in housing supply and continue to house our community.
We are rolling out a number of key
initiatives. The continued planning reform is, of course, making sure we have
more certainty and less risk in the planning system. We have rolled out the new
medium-density code, which is a new initiative and is the first in Australia.
It is all about trying to make sure we get better medium density so when we do infill projects, we get better quality
medium density that has a wider variety of house sizes, a retention of trees and, in particular, a requirement
for vegetation as part of the development . Our new infrastructure development fund helps deliver more housing in
regional WA by precinct planning , but it also supports new
medium-density housing in the metropolitan area.
The initiatives have had broad
support from across the community. Shelter WA said that it warmly welcomes the
release of WA's first-ever medium-density housing code and stated that
the code promotes the diversity and choice in housing that is so desperately
needed in our residential developments. The Urban Development Institute of
Australia stated that the medium-density code strikes the right balance between affordability, amenity and accessibility
in the future design of medium density. The Civil Contractors Federation applauded the infrastructure
development fund, in particular, and noted that the high cost of c ivil works is often a major obstacle for developments.
The Western Australian Local Government Association supported the
infrastructure development fund. The City of Canning supported our initiatives.
There is support from across the community because we know that we need more
housing, better quality housing and a diversity of housing.
Who still opposes what we are doing in the community, members? The Liberal Party.
The party that was born from capitalism
hates capitalism nowadays. It hates the free market and it hates capitalism. It
does not believe that we should let
people build anything on their properties and someone else should be
controlling that. It does not believe that property owners have the
right to construct new housing on their land.
We are very proud of what we are
doing in the planning space creating new opportunities and new homes for Western Australians and making sure that we
have diversity of supply. I do not know who the opposition is appealing
to; it is not the public who want more quality homes. It opposes everything.
I must say, noting the opposition, on
that question from the member for North West Central, talk about dancing down
the wicket leaving your wickets exposed! Asking a question on that issue —
Point of Order
Dr D.J.
HONEY : Madam Speaker —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Order, please! I can guess what your point of order is about.
Minister, you have been given quite a lot of
leeway in your answer, please do not divert to answering a previously asked
question. Go back to the question you were asked.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Fair enough—I
accept that call. That was a bit of a stretch! Even I will accept that was a bit
of a stretch. That pivot really did not work. Talk about dancing down the
wicket!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Back on point,
please.
Mr D.R. Michael interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Balcatta!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : It is
Thursday. Of course we will continue to drive reform and new initiatives to
create more housing. The Liberal Party opposes everything we do to create more
housing supply in WA.
thank the member for Burns Beach for that question. My questions always seem to
have that last part: can you inform us of anyone who opposes what we are doing?
I am always glad when I get that part of a question.
I thank the member for the question because, of course, we have rolled out our
new range of planning reforms and initiatives to support more housing in
Western Australia because we know we need more housing in WA to make sure we
can have diversity in housing supply and continue to house our community.
We are rolling out a number of key
initiatives. The continued planning reform is, of course, making sure we have
more certainty and less risk in the planning system. We have rolled out the new
medium-density code, which is a new initiative and is the first in Australia.
It is all about trying to make sure we get better medium density so when we do infill projects, we get better quality
medium density that has a wider variety of house sizes, a retention of trees and, in particular, a requirement
for vegetation as part of the development . Our new infrastructure development fund helps deliver more housing in
regional WA by precinct planning , but it also supports new
medium-density housing in the metropolitan area.
The initiatives have had broad
support from across the community. Shelter WA said that it warmly welcomes the
release of WA's first-ever medium-density housing code and stated that
the code promotes the diversity and choice in housing that is so desperately
needed in our residential developments. The Urban Development Institute of
Australia stated that the medium-density code strikes the right balance between affordability, amenity and accessibility
in the future design of medium density. The Civil Contractors Federation applauded the infrastructure
development fund, in particular, and noted that the high cost of c ivil works is often a major obstacle for developments.
The Western Australian Local Government Association supported the
infrastructure development fund. The City of Canning supported our initiatives.
There is support from across the community because we know that we need more
housing, better quality housing and a diversity of housing.
Who still opposes what we are doing in the community, members? The Liberal Party.
The party that was born from capitalism
hates capitalism nowadays. It hates the free market and it hates capitalism. It
does not believe that we should let
people build anything on their properties and someone else should be
controlling that. It does not believe that property owners have the
right to construct new housing on their land.
We are very proud of what we are
doing in the planning space creating new opportunities and new homes for Western Australians and making sure that we
have diversity of supply. I do not know who the opposition is appealing
to; it is not the public who want more quality homes. It opposes everything.
I must say, noting the opposition, on
that question from the member for North West Central, talk about dancing down
the wicket leaving your wickets exposed! Asking a question on that issue —
Point of Order
Dr D.J.
HONEY : Madam Speaker —
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Order, please! I can guess what your point of order is about.
Minister, you have been given quite a lot of
leeway in your answer, please do not divert to answering a previously asked
question. Go back to the question you were asked.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : Fair enough—I
accept that call. That was a bit of a stretch! Even I will accept that was a bit
of a stretch. That pivot really did not work. Talk about dancing down the
wicket!
Several members interjected.
The SPEAKER : Back on point,
please.
Mr D.R. Michael interjected.
The SPEAKER : Member for
Balcatta!
Ms R. SAFFIOTI : It is
Thursday. Of course we will continue to drive reform and new initiatives to
create more housing. The Liberal Party opposes everything we do to create more
housing supply in WA.
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