❓ Ms. D'Anna asks the Minister for Housing about measures to enhance housing in WA regions. The Minister details investments, reforms, and a new grants program for community housing providers, contrasting the government's action with the opposition's lack of policy.
AnsweredQoN 168Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOUSING — INITIATIVES
168. Ms D.G. D'ANNA to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's record investment to boost housing across Western Australia.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house what measures are being taken by this government
to enhance and revitalise housing in Western Australian regions?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how these measures to increase the delivery of
housing will benefit our regional communities?
168. Ms D.G. D'ANNA to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's record investment to boost housing across Western Australia.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house what measures are being taken by this government
to enhance and revitalise housing in Western Australian regions?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how these measures to increase the delivery of
housing will benefit our regional communities?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I thank the member for her question. I am very
proud, as a government minister, of the significant investment we are making in social housing and housing across Western
Australia. As I have said many a time, there is record investment of
$2.6 billion over four years in social housing and homelessness to deliver 4 000
homes. Of course, that is not the only investment we are making. We are also
undertaking a number of different reforms:
using lazy government land, bringing in reforms regarding the short-term rental
sector , the rent relief scheme to support renters, the cash incentive to
get Airbnbs back into the market—a whole range of different measures.
Last week I joined Ali Kent, the
member for Kalgoorlie, in announcing a new initiative to boost the community
housing sector in regional communities. We announced a $50 million grants
program to boost housing supply run by community providers for the south west,
great southern, wheatbelt, goldfields, midwest, Gascoyne, Pilbara and the
Kimberley. In effect, this is an open call for submissions—to ask any
community housing providers working in regional Western Australia to come
forward with their projects that the state can fund. I have made it very clear
that our state government is open for business, and our general call for submissions is getting results already. Only last week,
I was in Coolbellup opening 16 units that were a direct result of our
reforms. This is another reform targeted at regional communities, helping to
provide support to the critical community housing sector.
Again, I note that the stakeholders
have openly and strongly supported this. In fact, the vice-chair of Shelter WA,
Michael Piu, said he was absolutely delighted with the new funding. He said —
Our members warmly welcome this. It
is a game changer for community housing organisations that are working to
deliver additional social housing and supply in the regions.
I
note that actually there was silence from the opposition this time—a
bit of difference from the opposition . As we know, every other time, the
opposition criticises every proposal we release to the housing market. This
time there was silence, so maybe we should take that as an improvement. There
is a clear divide between the opposition
side, which to date still has not released one social housing policy, not one
planning policy and not one homelessness policy, and this side of the
chamber, which is doing everything it can, using every measure it can, to
accelerate the delivery of housing and social housing in Western Australia.
proud, as a government minister, of the significant investment we are making in social housing and housing across Western
Australia. As I have said many a time, there is record investment of
$2.6 billion over four years in social housing and homelessness to deliver 4 000
homes. Of course, that is not the only investment we are making. We are also
undertaking a number of different reforms:
using lazy government land, bringing in reforms regarding the short-term rental
sector , the rent relief scheme to support renters, the cash incentive to
get Airbnbs back into the market—a whole range of different measures.
Last week I joined Ali Kent, the
member for Kalgoorlie, in announcing a new initiative to boost the community
housing sector in regional communities. We announced a $50 million grants
program to boost housing supply run by community providers for the south west,
great southern, wheatbelt, goldfields, midwest, Gascoyne, Pilbara and the
Kimberley. In effect, this is an open call for submissions—to ask any
community housing providers working in regional Western Australia to come
forward with their projects that the state can fund. I have made it very clear
that our state government is open for business, and our general call for submissions is getting results already. Only last week,
I was in Coolbellup opening 16 units that were a direct result of our
reforms. This is another reform targeted at regional communities, helping to
provide support to the critical community housing sector.
Again, I note that the stakeholders
have openly and strongly supported this. In fact, the vice-chair of Shelter WA,
Michael Piu, said he was absolutely delighted with the new funding. He said —
Our members warmly welcome this. It
is a game changer for community housing organisations that are working to
deliver additional social housing and supply in the regions.
I
note that actually there was silence from the opposition this time—a
bit of difference from the opposition . As we know, every other time, the
opposition criticises every proposal we release to the housing market. This
time there was silence, so maybe we should take that as an improvement. There
is a clear divide between the opposition
side, which to date still has not released one social housing policy, not one
planning policy and not one homelessness policy, and this side of the
chamber, which is doing everything it can, using every measure it can, to
accelerate the delivery of housing and social housing in Western Australia.
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