❓ The Premier outlines government initiatives to increase housing supply, highlighting incentives for vacant and short-stay properties and criticising the opposition's stance. Mentions TAFE investment and planning reforms.
AnsweredQoN 757Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOUSING SUPPLY
757. Ms R.S. STEPHENS to the Premier:
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's effort to support increased housing supply in Western Australia.
(1) Can the Premier outline to the house what this
government is doing to address supply challenges in the market?
(2) Can the Premier provide an
update on any innovative housing policies that are making a difference?
757. Ms R.S. STEPHENS to the Premier:
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's effort to support increased housing supply in Western Australia.
(1) Can the Premier outline to the house what this
government is doing to address supply challenges in the market?
(2) Can the Premier provide an
update on any innovative housing policies that are making a difference?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for the question. It does not matter where one comes from,
whether it is the regions and great places like Albany, for which the member is
an incredible champion, or the metropolitan area, we know that for the last several years the government and industry have
shared one main objective, which is to create more housing. We are
creating it by any means possible. Boosting supply has been our joint focus and
our top priority. It is a ground-up approach that involves the government
creating more social homes, building up our training system to strengthen our
construction workforce and attracting skilled migrants who can get homes built
faster. We have collaborated, not criticised, as we have worked through the challenges. We have innovated and not
stagnated when confronted with an issue, because we recognise that building more homes and freeing up more
housing is integral to the state's social and economic progress.
A
great example of our innovative approach to housing was the grants to get
short-stay and vacant properties onto the rental market. To recap, a $5 000
vacant property incentive has been in place for just six months, and a $10 000
short-stay incentive has been in place for a year. Together, the incentives
have successfully converted 429 properties into the long-term rental market.
Over 10 per cent of the current long-term rental market has been boosted
through those two policies alone. We have seen, slowly but surely, the vacancy
rate in the rental market creep up from 0.7 per cent to 1.4 per cent and now
1.6 per cent. That is a great sign that we are starting to produce more homes
and put downward pressure on rentals. The equivalent of 429 properties is like
bringing a whole new Dalwallinu into Western Australia. That is about the same size of Quairading and more than double the size
of Wickepin. It is a great example of how we are growing the housing
stock in the community. It is worth remembering that when released, the
short-stay incentive was described by the opposition housing spokesman as
window-dressing. The opposition criticised it, just as it has criticised every
other initiative we have taken to boost housing. I doubt whether the families of those living in the 400 homes share that view.
They are thankful for the WA Labor government producing extra housing
and making it available on the rental market. That is why we have chosen to
extend the successful programs until 30 June
next year. We are aiming to unlock another 400 homes for families who need rental accommodation. Again, that will be a huge relief to those families
who are struggling to get a roof over their head.
Not everyone has been focused on the
issue of housing, but I welcome the Liberal Party's new-found
enthusiasm for the topic over the weekend, particularly after its legacy of
neglect and recent history of baseless attacks and scare campaigns. I think
back to when we first took office. The market had become stagnant and stifled,
investment in TAFE had been abandoned, with fees being hiked sky high, and the
planning system had become an unworkable nightmare. We have worked to turn
around the history of neglect, along with the challenges of the global economy.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, member
for Vasse!
Mr R.H. COOK : We have built
up our workforce, subsidised training through TAFE, introduced the construction visa subsidy program and the group training
organisation wage subsidy program. We pushed on with nation-leading reforms, including, of course, our planning reforms, all of which has been
opposed by those opposite. It is not surprising
to hear the leader of the Liberals baying in the corner. She is angry as the
Liberal Party sits around looking at the improvements that have been
made and at how the economy is going forward and is the strongest in the
nation. They are seeing the fact that we have the lowest unemployment rate in
the country.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : The noise in
the background is quite extraordinary, although quite unintelligible.
Building
approvals have continued to increase. Unlike the early days of the pandemic,
they are going up sustainably. In the year to September, building
approvals rose to almost 19 000. The commonwealth set us an ambitious target of approving around 25 000 a year, and we are
aiming to get there. Importantly, building completions are also tracking in
the right direction. At last count, we reached almost 18 000 completions a year,
which is a significant increase and the highest in the last six years. Housing
is a challenge for our community today, and it will continue to be for the
short term. Luckily, the WA Labor government is locking in the changes we need,
making the improvements we need and increasing the housing stock we need to
continue to support the strongest economy in the nation.
thank the member for the question. It does not matter where one comes from,
whether it is the regions and great places like Albany, for which the member is
an incredible champion, or the metropolitan area, we know that for the last several years the government and industry have
shared one main objective, which is to create more housing. We are
creating it by any means possible. Boosting supply has been our joint focus and
our top priority. It is a ground-up approach that involves the government
creating more social homes, building up our training system to strengthen our
construction workforce and attracting skilled migrants who can get homes built
faster. We have collaborated, not criticised, as we have worked through the challenges. We have innovated and not
stagnated when confronted with an issue, because we recognise that building more homes and freeing up more
housing is integral to the state's social and economic progress.
A
great example of our innovative approach to housing was the grants to get
short-stay and vacant properties onto the rental market. To recap, a $5 000
vacant property incentive has been in place for just six months, and a $10 000
short-stay incentive has been in place for a year. Together, the incentives
have successfully converted 429 properties into the long-term rental market.
Over 10 per cent of the current long-term rental market has been boosted
through those two policies alone. We have seen, slowly but surely, the vacancy
rate in the rental market creep up from 0.7 per cent to 1.4 per cent and now
1.6 per cent. That is a great sign that we are starting to produce more homes
and put downward pressure on rentals. The equivalent of 429 properties is like
bringing a whole new Dalwallinu into Western Australia. That is about the same size of Quairading and more than double the size
of Wickepin. It is a great example of how we are growing the housing
stock in the community. It is worth remembering that when released, the
short-stay incentive was described by the opposition housing spokesman as
window-dressing. The opposition criticised it, just as it has criticised every
other initiative we have taken to boost housing. I doubt whether the families of those living in the 400 homes share that view.
They are thankful for the WA Labor government producing extra housing
and making it available on the rental market. That is why we have chosen to
extend the successful programs until 30 June
next year. We are aiming to unlock another 400 homes for families who need rental accommodation. Again, that will be a huge relief to those families
who are struggling to get a roof over their head.
Not everyone has been focused on the
issue of housing, but I welcome the Liberal Party's new-found
enthusiasm for the topic over the weekend, particularly after its legacy of
neglect and recent history of baseless attacks and scare campaigns. I think
back to when we first took office. The market had become stagnant and stifled,
investment in TAFE had been abandoned, with fees being hiked sky high, and the
planning system had become an unworkable nightmare. We have worked to turn
around the history of neglect, along with the challenges of the global economy.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
The SPEAKER : Order, member
for Vasse!
Mr R.H. COOK : We have built
up our workforce, subsidised training through TAFE, introduced the construction visa subsidy program and the group training
organisation wage subsidy program. We pushed on with nation-leading reforms, including, of course, our planning reforms, all of which has been
opposed by those opposite. It is not surprising
to hear the leader of the Liberals baying in the corner. She is angry as the
Liberal Party sits around looking at the improvements that have been
made and at how the economy is going forward and is the strongest in the
nation. They are seeing the fact that we have the lowest unemployment rate in
the country.
Ms L. Mettam interjected.
Mr R.H. COOK : The noise in
the background is quite extraordinary, although quite unintelligible.
Building
approvals have continued to increase. Unlike the early days of the pandemic,
they are going up sustainably. In the year to September, building
approvals rose to almost 19 000. The commonwealth set us an ambitious target of approving around 25 000 a year, and we are
aiming to get there. Importantly, building completions are also tracking in
the right direction. At last count, we reached almost 18 000 completions a year,
which is a significant increase and the highest in the last six years. Housing
is a challenge for our community today, and it will continue to be for the
short term. Luckily, the WA Labor government is locking in the changes we need,
making the improvements we need and increasing the housing stock we need to
continue to support the strongest economy in the nation.
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