❓ The Minister for Housing responds to questions about the Cook Labor government's investment in housing and homelessness, outlining progress in delivering social housing and steps to unlock land for future development, while contrasting their approach with the opposition's.
AnsweredQoN 559Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOMELESSNESS
— LAND SUPPLY
559. Dr J. KRISHNAN to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
record $2.6 billion investment into housing and homelessness measures.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on the progress of the investment, which is
delivering more housing for our state's most vulnerable?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house what steps this government is taking to unlock
land to boost the housing supply pipeline in WA?
— LAND SUPPLY
559. Dr J. KRISHNAN to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
record $2.6 billion investment into housing and homelessness measures.
(1) Can the
minister update the house on the progress of the investment, which is
delivering more housing for our state's most vulnerable?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house what steps this government is taking to unlock
land to boost the housing supply pipeline in WA?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
want to thank the member for his question. We know that the COVID-19 pandemic
radically reshaped our housing and construction markets. It created pressures
across Australia, with skilled labour shortages. We have seen massive cost
escalations. This has created pressures with delivery in the housing market. I am
deeply proud as a state government that through our $2.6 billion investment,
and despite these significant constraints and builders telling us it is the
tightest construction market that our state has ever faced, we continue to
accelerate the delivery of social housing in Western Australia. I have
repeatedly reported to this chamber on the range of short-term or quick
measures that we have introduced to boost social housing. Whether it is
flipping to timber frame programs, creating modular home programs, spot purchasing or reviewing Government Regional
Officers' Housing, we are doing everything we can. To d ate, we
have delivered 1 500 social homes to the system, with more than 1 000 under
contract or construction. These are significant figures.
But, of course, we are looking to the
future in terms of the pipeline of work that we need to create. We are doing
that on two fronts. The first front is through longer term projects, which are
higher density, affordable and social housing projects. These types of projects
take considerable time in terms of planning and
getting the model right but we are working through projects like Stirling
Street and Pier Street. We are also looking at the land supply equation.
That is why we are working hard to open up new areas of land that are critical
to the future pipeline of work in Western Australia.
We recently announced that two new
urban areas will open in Jandakot–Treeby and North Ballajura. This will
open up a significant number of new lots. There will be around 8 500 lots
overall. Added to the other planning investigation areas, there will be around
85 000 additional dwellings into the future. They will be delivered over a very
long time, but the point is that we have to do the work now. We have to provide
assurity in planning and land planning in Western Australia. We also, of
course, have to work on further planning reform. National cabinet—every
state—is now focused on streamlining to assist with housing and land
development in Western Australia. There is a clear contrast between our side
and the opposition. It is interesting. The opposition talks about property
rights except when it relates to planning reform and cutting red tape, then
there is a very stark contrast. Members opposite want to add more red tape.
They want to send big housing projects away from a streamlined process, which
will affect overall housing supply. We are aligned with all our state
counterparts and are working with the federal government to drive planning
reform in Western Australia.
As
I have already mentioned, we are working on a second tranche of planning
reform. At its heart, and its key focus, is boosting housing supply in Western Australia.
There is a very clear choice between that side, which has no policy on housing
or planning other than to wind it up in red tape, and our side, which is boosting housing supply, boosting social housing
and streamlining approvals for housing in Western Australia.
want to thank the member for his question. We know that the COVID-19 pandemic
radically reshaped our housing and construction markets. It created pressures
across Australia, with skilled labour shortages. We have seen massive cost
escalations. This has created pressures with delivery in the housing market. I am
deeply proud as a state government that through our $2.6 billion investment,
and despite these significant constraints and builders telling us it is the
tightest construction market that our state has ever faced, we continue to
accelerate the delivery of social housing in Western Australia. I have
repeatedly reported to this chamber on the range of short-term or quick
measures that we have introduced to boost social housing. Whether it is
flipping to timber frame programs, creating modular home programs, spot purchasing or reviewing Government Regional
Officers' Housing, we are doing everything we can. To d ate, we
have delivered 1 500 social homes to the system, with more than 1 000 under
contract or construction. These are significant figures.
But, of course, we are looking to the
future in terms of the pipeline of work that we need to create. We are doing
that on two fronts. The first front is through longer term projects, which are
higher density, affordable and social housing projects. These types of projects
take considerable time in terms of planning and
getting the model right but we are working through projects like Stirling
Street and Pier Street. We are also looking at the land supply equation.
That is why we are working hard to open up new areas of land that are critical
to the future pipeline of work in Western Australia.
We recently announced that two new
urban areas will open in Jandakot–Treeby and North Ballajura. This will
open up a significant number of new lots. There will be around 8 500 lots
overall. Added to the other planning investigation areas, there will be around
85 000 additional dwellings into the future. They will be delivered over a very
long time, but the point is that we have to do the work now. We have to provide
assurity in planning and land planning in Western Australia. We also, of
course, have to work on further planning reform. National cabinet—every
state—is now focused on streamlining to assist with housing and land
development in Western Australia. There is a clear contrast between our side
and the opposition. It is interesting. The opposition talks about property
rights except when it relates to planning reform and cutting red tape, then
there is a very stark contrast. Members opposite want to add more red tape.
They want to send big housing projects away from a streamlined process, which
will affect overall housing supply. We are aligned with all our state
counterparts and are working with the federal government to drive planning
reform in Western Australia.
As
I have already mentioned, we are working on a second tranche of planning
reform. At its heart, and its key focus, is boosting housing supply in Western Australia.
There is a very clear choice between that side, which has no policy on housing
or planning other than to wind it up in red tape, and our side, which is boosting housing supply, boosting social housing
and streamlining approvals for housing in Western Australia.
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