❓ The Minister for Lands outlines budget investments in regional WA land development, focusing on housing and industrial projects in Kalgoorlie, Karratha, and Broome. The Minister criticises the Nationals' proposed policy changes, arguing they would increase red tape and hinder development.
AnsweredQoN 330Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
LAND SUPPLY — REGIONS
330. Ms A.E. KENT to the Minister for Lands:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
budget investments to supply more development-ready land in regional Western Australia.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this new funding will support significant
regional development projects, both residential and industrial?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how these projects will create hundreds of jobs and
build strong and vibrant communities?
330. Ms A.E. KENT to the Minister for Lands:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
budget investments to supply more development-ready land in regional Western Australia.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this new funding will support significant
regional development projects, both residential and industrial?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how these projects will create hundreds of jobs and
build strong and vibrant communities?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
want to thank the member for her advocacy on both regional housing and the
industrial estates.
The member is right. We are making a massive
investment in our regional communities. We have the $500 million strategic
industries fund, which will upgrade and fund those key strategic industrial
areas across Western Australia. That includes, of course, an additional $20 million
of funding for Kalgoorlie, which I know has been warmly welcomed by the
industry. We are also working hard on the housing residential fund. To date,
our previous Regional Land Booster program has contracted out 692 lots across
99 projects in 83 regional towns, with a combined value of nearly $170 million.
In this budget, we are making new
investments in land for housing supply in regional Western Australia. We have
allocated $34.8 million, of which $16.8 million is going to Kalgoorlie for 32
residential units. Another $13 million is going towards 51 new lots in
Karratha. We are also providing an additional $5
million to unlock 26 development lots in Broome's north estate. This is
a genuine and serious investment building on that work to boost land
supply for housing. As we know, there is a range of other initiatives, including our regional community housing program.
We know that the opposition does not like community housing. We are
providing $50 million to enable community housing to grow.
It is really important that we focus
on what the Nationals WA is proposing because I do not think everyone
understands how it will increase red tape for workers' accommodation
and community housing in regional Western Australia. It is really important to
note this. The Nationals want to lift the threshold for the development
assessment panel system from $2 million to $5 million. I will give members an
example of what this would mean. A builder is building five grouped houses in
Albany that will come in just under the $5 million mark. Under our system, that
builder has full choice. They can go to the local government or they can go
through the DAP system. Builders in regional communities currently have a choice,
and if a good local government is working well, they can opt to go for that.
The Nationals want to scrap that choice for building construction firms across
regional Western Australia. They are making it harder.
What is very interesting to note is
that someone else has complained about how local government councils stifle
development. Last year in this Parliament, Hon Peter Rundle talked about —
Mr D.A. Templeman : He's
not honourable—well, not really.
Mr J.N. CAREY : He is not
honourable, but I still think he is a good man. He said this —
I talk to a range of people in
meetings and the like who are slightly exasperated at different times by their
dealings over a property development —
This is about councils —
� or whatever it might be � I think
that sometimes wears down people and sometimes it shuts down development.
People can sustain it for a few months, 12 months or 18 months, but after a couple
of years they just cannot handle it anymore
and they say, ''Oh well, I'll go off and spend my money
somewhere else.
That is him talking about local
government. That is him talking about red tape and local government and housing
development. What is his policy solution? What is the Nationals' policy
solution? We will make it harder. We will remove choice. We will bring in more
red tape. The Nationals' solution is to make it harder to deliver
workers' accommodation, community housing and housing in regional Western
Australia.
want to thank the member for her advocacy on both regional housing and the
industrial estates.
The member is right. We are making a massive
investment in our regional communities. We have the $500 million strategic
industries fund, which will upgrade and fund those key strategic industrial
areas across Western Australia. That includes, of course, an additional $20 million
of funding for Kalgoorlie, which I know has been warmly welcomed by the
industry. We are also working hard on the housing residential fund. To date,
our previous Regional Land Booster program has contracted out 692 lots across
99 projects in 83 regional towns, with a combined value of nearly $170 million.
In this budget, we are making new
investments in land for housing supply in regional Western Australia. We have
allocated $34.8 million, of which $16.8 million is going to Kalgoorlie for 32
residential units. Another $13 million is going towards 51 new lots in
Karratha. We are also providing an additional $5
million to unlock 26 development lots in Broome's north estate. This is
a genuine and serious investment building on that work to boost land
supply for housing. As we know, there is a range of other initiatives, including our regional community housing program.
We know that the opposition does not like community housing. We are
providing $50 million to enable community housing to grow.
It is really important that we focus
on what the Nationals WA is proposing because I do not think everyone
understands how it will increase red tape for workers' accommodation
and community housing in regional Western Australia. It is really important to
note this. The Nationals want to lift the threshold for the development
assessment panel system from $2 million to $5 million. I will give members an
example of what this would mean. A builder is building five grouped houses in
Albany that will come in just under the $5 million mark. Under our system, that
builder has full choice. They can go to the local government or they can go
through the DAP system. Builders in regional communities currently have a choice,
and if a good local government is working well, they can opt to go for that.
The Nationals want to scrap that choice for building construction firms across
regional Western Australia. They are making it harder.
What is very interesting to note is
that someone else has complained about how local government councils stifle
development. Last year in this Parliament, Hon Peter Rundle talked about —
Mr D.A. Templeman : He's
not honourable—well, not really.
Mr J.N. CAREY : He is not
honourable, but I still think he is a good man. He said this —
I talk to a range of people in
meetings and the like who are slightly exasperated at different times by their
dealings over a property development —
This is about councils —
� or whatever it might be � I think
that sometimes wears down people and sometimes it shuts down development.
People can sustain it for a few months, 12 months or 18 months, but after a couple
of years they just cannot handle it anymore
and they say, ''Oh well, I'll go off and spend my money
somewhere else.
That is him talking about local
government. That is him talking about red tape and local government and housing
development. What is his policy solution? What is the Nationals' policy
solution? We will make it harder. We will remove choice. We will bring in more
red tape. The Nationals' solution is to make it harder to deliver
workers' accommodation, community housing and housing in regional Western
Australia.
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