Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

The Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities has provided the following answer to the honourable senator’s question:

(1)   The final Program Guidelines for the Building Better Regional Cities program are being developed in consultation with stakeholders and will include information on performance measures, assessment and program delivery requirements.

(2)   The draft Program Guidelines and draft Application Form for the program currently include a requirement for applicants to undertake a housing needs analysis (under Criterion 1 ‘Economic Growth and Housing Need’). However, as noted above, the requirements will be confirmed and included in the final Program Guidelines.

(3)   Affordable home ownership and affordable rental for low and moderate income earners is included under the Building Better Regional Cities program, but social housing is not, as the Australian Government seeks to address this policy area through other measures.

(4)   To ensure that the program is responsive to localised needs, the draft Program Guidelines do not specify a single affordability target, and instead place the onus on applicants to identify the most relevant definitions and targets for their region and/or state or territory

(5)   The Building Better Regional Cities program currently has the following funding profile:

Staff in this division of the department are experienced public servants selected for their skills and experience in designing and delivering programs, including housing affordability programs.

(6)   The Australian Government recognises that the provision of local infrastructure such as roads, drainage and sewers contributes to the initial and long term affordability of housing. These costs are often passed on to home buyers either through direct charges, an ongoing contribution via local rates or the purchase price of land and/or property packages.

Funding under the Building Better Regional Cities program will only be awarded to projects that can clearly show how the funding investment made by the Australian Government will result in an increase in the number of homes for sale and rent that are affordable for low to moderate income earners.