Bridget Archer (Bass, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Homelessness and the risk of homelessness are issues that have long affected Tasmanians and, indeed, Australians under state and federal governments of all political persuasions. This is because, as the member for Lyons pointed out, the causes of homelessness and disadvantage generally are many and varied and do not only relate to the housing market. As mayor of Georgetown, I spent a considerable amount of time in the past few years engaging with service providers in this space, particularly with Vinnies, and I've participated in their sleep-out for the past four years to raise both funds and awareness of the challenges faced by homeless Tasmanians. I would like to take this opportunity to commend Vinnies and the many other organisations and their volunteers—especially Michael Doherty and his team in my home town—who work tirelessly every day to help vulnerable Tasmanians.

It's an important issue for me personally, as my own experiences have taught me that homelessness can happen to anyone and for a range of reasons: family violence, relationship breakdown, illness, mental health challenges, as well as the accessibility and availability of housing. It is disappointing that the member for Franklin seeks to attempt to politicise this issue rather than choosing to approach the issue in a non-partisan way. It is my view that this issue needs all stakeholders working together collaboratively, recognising the complexity of the challenges and formulating long-term solutions. I acknowledge that the member has some experience in regard to this portfolio area, and I would be interested in discussing her views.

The federal government is taking action. There are no silver bullets to make housing more affordable, but by adopting a comprehensive approach we can make a difference. Some of the measures the government is taking to create more housing supply include providing over $1.5 billion annually to support housing and homelessness services. The new National Housing and Homelessness Agreement took effect on 1 July 2018. It provides $7.8 billion in funding over the next five years. This includes $620 million in dedicated homelessness funding, which will be ongoing and indexed for the first time; establishing a $1 billion National Housing Infrastructure Facility to provide finance for infrastructure to unlock new housing supplies; creating an online Commonwealth land registry detailing sites that can be made available for residential development; and establishing a new National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation to provide long-term, low-cost finance to support more affordable housing.

There are measures to help first home buyers by providing a tax cut on their home deposit savings, and we are helping older Australians to downsize by enabling them to make a non-concessional contribution of up to $300,000 into their super fund from the proceeds of the sale of their principal home. That will free up housing for families. Representations to the government by the member for Clark have resulted in a $30 million commitment to the Hobart City Deal to help address pressures in Hobart. The Tasmanian Liberal government are also working hard to address this issue, with one of the most integrated housing and homelessness systems in the country. The system is designed to provide tailored solutions to meet individual needs. The state government's affordable housing strategy for the next four years has a focus on construction of affordable homes, more land released in key areas and supported accommodation for target groups. In the four years to 2019, 1,605 households have been assisted into safe, secure accommodation, including 453 new social housing dwellings. In the north of the state a new youth-at-risk centre will provide short-term accommodation and a range of therapeutic and social supports to assist young people at risk of homelessness. The state government will also work with Anglicare to complete an extension of Thyne House, which also supports and empowers young Tasmanians. In addition, the state government is committed to working with Magnolia Place to expand their women's shelter, supporting women out of crisis and into stable accommodation.

These are just some of the ways that state and federal governments are working together with other key stakeholders to address these important challenges. I'm advised that the member for Franklin has not raised these issues directly with the assistant minister to date. He has indicated to me that he would certainly welcome the opportunity to discuss the issue directly with the member for Franklin, should she wish to pursue this in a constructive way. I also extend an invitation to the member for Franklin and any other Tasmanian members or senators who may be interested in meeting with me to work through this together with a view to creating some more solutions.

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