Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the minister for regional development, Senator Watt. Colleen is a registered nurse living in Theodore, west of Gladstone. Colleen has found it impossible to secure housing. On the housing crisis, Colleen has said, 'We don't have any options. We are out on the street. Basically, we are homeless.' What is the Albanese government doing to address housing challenges in regional and rural Australia?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Green, for being such a strong advocate for the needs of regional Queenslanders. It's a shame we don't have a few more of them in this place, especially around there—over there in particular. Certainly, Colleen's story in Central Queensland is not an isolated one. At the end of last year the vacancy rate in our home state of Queensland was 0.8 per cent, and the numbers in the regions were far worse, particularly in Gladstone, the Southern Downs, the cape, Goondiwindi and the tablelands—all seeing near zero vacancy rates.

The lack of housing in regional Australia disproportionately hurts women, low- and middle-income earners and the very essential workers and tradies that certain people here say they stand up for. It constrains regional economies and puts people in really difficult living situations. And it is the direct result of nine years of inaction and underfunding of housing from the former coalition government, who pretend that they are on regional Australia's side but always let them down. For years, under the former government, we saw state governments, peak groups and regional communities crying out for national leadership and funding from their federal government to address what was a looming housing crisis. As a result of their inaction, as a result of the mess they left behind, we see far too many regional Australians being hit by growing rents, struggling to buy a home, and facing or experiencing homelessness.

We, of course, as the new Labor government have a policy to develop 30,000 new social and affordable rental homes across five years through the Housing Australia Future Fund. In fact, we've committed to distribute the homes equitably across urban, regional and remote Australia. So why are Senators Canavan and McDonald, for instance, working with the Greens to stop this happening? Why is Gladstone based Senator Allman-Payne taking instructions from the inner-city based Brisbane housing spokesperson on the other side of the building? These people should get behind regional Australia and back in those homes. (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Green, a first supplementary?

Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Kelly, a disability pensioner from Tasmania, was forced to live in a tent while waiting over eight months for social housing, and she was on the priority list. Can the minister outline how the Albanese government's housing initiatives guarantee social and affordable housing for regional and rural Australia?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Green, for the question. We all know the impacts the housing crisis is having in Tasmania, none more so than our Tasmanian senators. I appreciate the advocacy of local senators on this side of the house, as well as Senators Lambie and Tyrrell, and their willingness to work together for good housing outcomes. It's a little bit of a shame that a couple of other senators from Tasmania didn't have the same approach.

The Albanese government has been working hard to implement housing initiatives to increase housing supply in regional and rural Australia. In Tasmania, for example, we are delivering 48 new affordable homes in Launceston in partnership with community housing—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator, please resume your seat. Senator McKim, order!

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We're also delivering 181 new homes in north-west Tasmania, funded by the National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation, in partnership with Housing Choices Tasmania. These are the sorts of things that we're doing in regional Tasmania right now, and if we can get the Senate to agree, we want to do more.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order!

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That's why we've included in Housing Australia's investment mandate—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Watt, please resume your seat. Order!

Order, Senator Rennick and Senator Canavan! I have called you about three times. I expect order when I call it. Minister Watt, please continue.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know they're working together on the votes, but it seems they're working together on the interjections as well. I say to the— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Green, a second supplementary question?

Honourable senators interjecting—

Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the housing crisis, the Regional Australia Institute has said—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Green, please resume your seat. I am waiting for silence. Order!

Nita Green (Queensland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On the housing crisis, the Regional Australian Institute has said:

Regional Australia wants policies that will add to supply … that will make sure everyone in the community has a housing option available to them.

What are the risks to regional and rural Australia if the Albanese government's important housing reforms are not implemented?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Green. We all know the biggest risk to regional and rural Australians who need more housing is this unholy antihousing alliance that has formed between the Greens, Peter Dutton and Pauline Hanson. We've all known for a long time that the—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister Watt, I remind you to refer to all MPs and senators by their correct titles.

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Will do. As we know, the Liberals and Nationals have profoundly let down regional Australians, but the Greens have done so too. For all the Greens' cries for more housing, they don't back it up in their own homes. Which Greens senator, for example, owns a $1 million investment property in Brisbane? It's apparently quite nice. It features a master suite of epic proportions that would keep any of the Kardashians happy. And why did that senator increase the rent on their investment property by nine per cent while calling for a rent freeze? Which Greens senator owns four separate properties while telling the Senate last year that the great Australian dream today is owning a property portfolio with tenants who pay your income and pay for your assets? Why would those sorts of people now want to stand in the way of other people getting a home and a roof over their heads? (Time expired)

Honourable senators interjecting—

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! I am waiting to call a senator for the next question and I expect there to be silence. Order!