❓ Mr. Mubarakai asks about the government's progress on social housing delivery and the benefits of their investment. The Minister responds by detailing investments, reforms, and achievements in social housing, while criticising the opposition's lack of policy.
AnsweredQoN 75Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SOCIAL
HOUSING — GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
75. Mr Y. MUBARAKAI to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to boost social housing stock across Western Australia.
(1) Can the minister update the house on the delivery
of new social housing properties across Western Australia , despite the
challenges faced in the construction industry?
(2) Can the minister advise the house of the benefits
of this government's record investment in social housing?
HOUSING — GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
75. Mr Y. MUBARAKAI to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to boost social housing stock across Western Australia.
(1) Can the minister update the house on the delivery
of new social housing properties across Western Australia , despite the
challenges faced in the construction industry?
(2) Can the minister advise the house of the benefits
of this government's record investment in social housing?
AnswerView source ↗
I want to thank the member for his
question.
(1)–(2) As
we know, right now across Australia, there is incredible demand for housing.
All states face a similar challenge, and we have responded to that challenge by
making a record investment of $2.4 billion in social housing and homelessness
programs. We have driven that through a series of reforms. It has not just been
a massive investment—the biggest investment in our state's
history—it also has been backed in by a large number of reforms. We
have created the modular program and the timber frame program that knocks out
homes in 25 weeks from the concrete pour. We have cut red tape for smaller
housing builds. We have created a new small
and medium builders panel, again to cut red tape. We are creating the housing diversity pipeline to use lazy land. The Minister for Planning and I are
aggressively identifying land that is surplus
to government needs for housing. We are bringing in a bill to do with a rent
tax incentive. We brought in the stamp duty rebate for affordable
apartments. We have raised the property price cap on the Keystart loan. We have
created a new urban infill product for Keystart. We have reviewed existing Government Regional Officers' Housing
stock and brought across surplus stock from that for social housing .
Today, we announced further planning reform to streamline approvals for the
critical infill development that we need. We
have also announced the creation of an $80 million infrastructure fund that
will fund both regional workers' accommodation and infill
development around train stations, close to public transport, to create
liveable communities.
All those reforms mean that despite
the toughest construction market ever since our program started, we have
delivered an additional 1 000 social homes, with another 1 051 under contract.
This is a major achievement, particularly given the market and the constraints
we face. Compare all those policy reforms and changes, including the ones we
have announced today, with the record of the opposition, which is zero announcements—a
policy vacuum for nearly six years. Hon Steve Martin is the ''Where's
Wally of politics''—we do not see him anywhere; he is missing in
action. In fact, that is the feedback I get from stakeholders. He does not turn
up to events, the most recent being the Urban Development Institute of
Australia event. In fact, the only thing he has said to date about a policy
solution is, ''I think we need maintenance.'' That is it from the
opposition. Across there, this disorganised mess has not one policy
announcement on housing. On our side, we have a very clear series of reforms
that have delivered social housing for Western Australia.
question.
(1)–(2) As
we know, right now across Australia, there is incredible demand for housing.
All states face a similar challenge, and we have responded to that challenge by
making a record investment of $2.4 billion in social housing and homelessness
programs. We have driven that through a series of reforms. It has not just been
a massive investment—the biggest investment in our state's
history—it also has been backed in by a large number of reforms. We
have created the modular program and the timber frame program that knocks out
homes in 25 weeks from the concrete pour. We have cut red tape for smaller
housing builds. We have created a new small
and medium builders panel, again to cut red tape. We are creating the housing diversity pipeline to use lazy land. The Minister for Planning and I are
aggressively identifying land that is surplus
to government needs for housing. We are bringing in a bill to do with a rent
tax incentive. We brought in the stamp duty rebate for affordable
apartments. We have raised the property price cap on the Keystart loan. We have
created a new urban infill product for Keystart. We have reviewed existing Government Regional Officers' Housing
stock and brought across surplus stock from that for social housing .
Today, we announced further planning reform to streamline approvals for the
critical infill development that we need. We
have also announced the creation of an $80 million infrastructure fund that
will fund both regional workers' accommodation and infill
development around train stations, close to public transport, to create
liveable communities.
All those reforms mean that despite
the toughest construction market ever since our program started, we have
delivered an additional 1 000 social homes, with another 1 051 under contract.
This is a major achievement, particularly given the market and the constraints
we face. Compare all those policy reforms and changes, including the ones we
have announced today, with the record of the opposition, which is zero announcements—a
policy vacuum for nearly six years. Hon Steve Martin is the ''Where's
Wally of politics''—we do not see him anywhere; he is missing in
action. In fact, that is the feedback I get from stakeholders. He does not turn
up to events, the most recent being the Urban Development Institute of
Australia event. In fact, the only thing he has said to date about a policy
solution is, ''I think we need maintenance.'' That is it from the
opposition. Across there, this disorganised mess has not one policy
announcement on housing. On our side, we have a very clear series of reforms
that have delivered social housing for Western Australia.
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