Tracey Roberts (Pearce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

We have been progressing the debate on the Help to Buy bill and highlighting other aspects of the Albanese Labor government's housing reforms, and yet here we are with this motion before us. Truly, it beggars belief that those opposite just can't find it within themselves to support measures that are designed to assist Australians achieve housing security. I would have thought that the member for the electorate of Hughes, which is located in the southern and south-western suburbs of Sydney, would welcome such reforms on behalf of her 150,000-plus residents.

A decade of little action by the former Liberal-National government, along with a pandemic and global issues, have left us with significant challenges across the country. That said, we can't afford to put our heads in the sand and do nothing, which appears to be the approach of the former government. That is why the Albanese Labor government struck the National Housing Accord between the Commonwealth, the state and territory governments, local government, institutional investors and the construction sector to address the nation's housing challenges. All states and territories have agreed to extend the National Housing Accord target to 1.2 million new homes over five years from 1 July 2024. This target is ambitious because it needs to be.

The Albanese Labor government understands that safe and affordable housing are central to the security and dignity of all Australians. We also understand that we need long-term investment and reform to boost the construction of new homes. The Albanese Labor government's expansive housing agenda will support the states and territories and the construction industry to significantly boost the supply of new homes. We are working to improve the supply of skilled construction workers through access to free-free TAFE and targeted migration. We have added an additional 300,000 fee-free TAFE places from 2024 to 2026 for priority areas, including construction, and we are working on supply chain issues and investing in more locally manufactured products, including measures to boost timber supply.

It is worth reiterating a few points about what we are doing to help Australians achieve their dream of homeownership. I'll start with the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund. This fund will support 40,000 new social and affordable rental homes right across the country in its first five years, including 4,000 homes through the Social Housing Accelerator for women and children impacted by family and domestic violence or older women at risk of homelessness. The fund will also deliver $200 million for the repair, maintenance and improvement of housing in remote Indigenous communities, $100 million for crisis and transitional housing options for women and children at risk, and $30 million to build housing for veterans who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.

As stated previously, we are working with the states and territories to help them meet the ambitious new national target to build 1.2 million new homes over five years, through the $3 billion New Homes Bonus and the Housing Support Program, a $500 million competitive funding program for local and state governments which will help kickstart housing supply in well located areas. States will have flexibility in how they permanently boost social housing stock with this funding, including new builds, expanding existing programs, or renovating or refurbishing existing currently uninhabitable housing stock. We have a National Housing and Homelessness Agreement and have already delivered $181.9 million to Western Australia in 2023. This includes funding for homelessness services.

We said we would move quickly and effectively to address our nation's housing issues, and we are, with the most significant, carefully considered housing reform agenda in a generation, so more Australians will have a safe place to call home. There will be new homes for people to buy, new homes to rent and more affordable housing for those in need. Unlike those opposite, who just say no to every policy idea put before them, we are getting on with the job at hand, and that is particularly so in Western Australia.

Planning reform is long overdue. The changes being implemented will make it easier, quicker and cheaper to build a house. They will help to improve the availability of well-located land to accommodate more housing. The government's housing reforms are considered, comprehensive, guided by expert advice and delivered in partnership with all governments, with industry and with community sectors. I do not support the motion.

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