❓ Question addresses WA government's social and affordable housing initiatives, partnerships with the federal government, and potential risks. The Minister's answer details investments, specific projects, and criticises the opposition's stance.
AnsweredQoN 154Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Housing—Affordability
154. Ms Sook Yee Lai to
the Minister for Housing and Works:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's record of delivering cost-of-living support and its commitment
to ensuring that every Western Australian has a home. Can the minister outline
to the house how we are partnering with the federal government to deliver more
social and affordable housing, and can the minister advise whether there are
risks to social and affordable housing delivery in Western Australia?
154. Ms Sook Yee Lai to
the Minister for Housing and Works:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's record of delivering cost-of-living support and its commitment
to ensuring that every Western Australian has a home. Can the minister outline
to the house how we are partnering with the federal government to deliver more
social and affordable housing, and can the minister advise whether there are
risks to social and affordable housing delivery in Western Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
As I have said on
the record, every state in the country is facing housing and rental pressures. We
have been making a critical investment of $6.3 billion since 2021 to accelerate
the delivery of social and affordable rentals, and of course we have done that
with a strong relationship with the federal government. Just this morning I
joined the local member and the Premier in seeing underway the official
construction of 213 social and affordable homes in the Murdoch Health and
Knowledge Precinct. This is being delivered through a direct grant by the state
government of $46.2 million, and the federal government is providing nearly
$165 million through ongoing payments and finance through the Housing Australia
Future Fund through Foundation Housing. This will see 148 affordable rentals
and 65 social rentals in a perfect location, close to a train station, in a
knowledge precinct. Interestingly, Murdoch as a suburb has zero public housing.
This demonstrates that we are seeking to integrate social and affordable
housing across our communities.
Ms Sandra Brewer interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Cottesloe!
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr John Carey: Right now, we are enabling 30—
Mr Lachlan Hunter: Point of order, Mr Speaker.
The Speaker: No, there is no point of order. No, there
is no point of order. Carry on.
Mr John Carey: Right now, we are enabling 30 social
and affordable build-to-rent projects. This is a demonstration, because of
market failure, because of the cost escalation—
Ms Sandra Brewer interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Cottesloe, please do not
interject. The minister is responding to the question. If you do not like what
he is saying, when it is your turn, you can get up and ask him a different
question.
Mr John Carey: It is because of that market failure
that the state is undertaking unprecedented measures to enable and fund with
the community housing sector and the federal government. Now we are seeing a
large number of these big projects going through the planning system, but what we
have seen on the other side is a failure of leadership, and of course a direct
responsibility of the Leader of the Liberal Party, who has demonstrated again
and again through fear campaigns, through fake AI, through attacking the independent
decision-makers—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr John Carey: What is really interesting is this: we
are now seeing the member for Cottesloe—and I note her position as the
shadow housing spokesperson—opposing social and affordable housing. Can
I say this: as Minister for Planning and Lands, I respect and accept the
planning process and that anyone has the right to make submissions whether for
or against a proposal. What I find interesting, given the tirade we just heard
from the member for Cottesloe about build-to-rent projects, is that the member
for Cottesloe and her office are actively encouraging local residents, as part
of these many projects, to submit and oppose, as part of the planning process, against
social and affordable projects. I will read an email from her office. The
shadow housing minister's office sent an email to residents saying that she
understands their concerns and that at this stage, while it remains a proposal,
she recommends that they lodge objections to the public consultation when it
opens.
Let us be very clear
on this. Without any explanation about the need for social—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Members!
Mr John Carey: Without
any explanation about the need for social and affordable housing, we have a
housing spokesperson who is actively encouraging residents to oppose social and
affordable build-to-rent projects. This comes at the heart—
Ms Sandra Brewer interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Cottesloe, I am calling you
for the first time. Please stop interjecting.
Mr John Carey: She is very agitated by this, because
she has been caught out.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Members!
Mr John Carey: She has been caught out, but that is no
surprise because that side of politics, again and again, when it comes to the
crunch, under the Liberal leader and through his leadership, opposes social and
affordable housing. In the case of the Liberal leader, he does not just oppose
homeless shelters; he actually shut them down as the Mayor of Perth.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Thank you.
the record, every state in the country is facing housing and rental pressures. We
have been making a critical investment of $6.3 billion since 2021 to accelerate
the delivery of social and affordable rentals, and of course we have done that
with a strong relationship with the federal government. Just this morning I
joined the local member and the Premier in seeing underway the official
construction of 213 social and affordable homes in the Murdoch Health and
Knowledge Precinct. This is being delivered through a direct grant by the state
government of $46.2 million, and the federal government is providing nearly
$165 million through ongoing payments and finance through the Housing Australia
Future Fund through Foundation Housing. This will see 148 affordable rentals
and 65 social rentals in a perfect location, close to a train station, in a
knowledge precinct. Interestingly, Murdoch as a suburb has zero public housing.
This demonstrates that we are seeking to integrate social and affordable
housing across our communities.
Ms Sandra Brewer interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Cottesloe!
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr John Carey: Right now, we are enabling 30—
Mr Lachlan Hunter: Point of order, Mr Speaker.
The Speaker: No, there is no point of order. No, there
is no point of order. Carry on.
Mr John Carey: Right now, we are enabling 30 social
and affordable build-to-rent projects. This is a demonstration, because of
market failure, because of the cost escalation—
Ms Sandra Brewer interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Cottesloe, please do not
interject. The minister is responding to the question. If you do not like what
he is saying, when it is your turn, you can get up and ask him a different
question.
Mr John Carey: It is because of that market failure
that the state is undertaking unprecedented measures to enable and fund with
the community housing sector and the federal government. Now we are seeing a
large number of these big projects going through the planning system, but what we
have seen on the other side is a failure of leadership, and of course a direct
responsibility of the Leader of the Liberal Party, who has demonstrated again
and again through fear campaigns, through fake AI, through attacking the independent
decision-makers—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members!
Mr John Carey: What is really interesting is this: we
are now seeing the member for Cottesloe—and I note her position as the
shadow housing spokesperson—opposing social and affordable housing. Can
I say this: as Minister for Planning and Lands, I respect and accept the
planning process and that anyone has the right to make submissions whether for
or against a proposal. What I find interesting, given the tirade we just heard
from the member for Cottesloe about build-to-rent projects, is that the member
for Cottesloe and her office are actively encouraging local residents, as part
of these many projects, to submit and oppose, as part of the planning process, against
social and affordable projects. I will read an email from her office. The
shadow housing minister's office sent an email to residents saying that she
understands their concerns and that at this stage, while it remains a proposal,
she recommends that they lodge objections to the public consultation when it
opens.
Let us be very clear
on this. Without any explanation about the need for social—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Members!
Mr John Carey: Without
any explanation about the need for social and affordable housing, we have a
housing spokesperson who is actively encouraging residents to oppose social and
affordable build-to-rent projects. This comes at the heart—
Ms Sandra Brewer interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Cottesloe, I am calling you
for the first time. Please stop interjecting.
Mr John Carey: She is very agitated by this, because
she has been caught out.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Members!
Mr John Carey: She has been caught out, but that is no
surprise because that side of politics, again and again, when it comes to the
crunch, under the Liberal leader and through his leadership, opposes social and
affordable housing. In the case of the Liberal leader, he does not just oppose
homeless shelters; he actually shut them down as the Mayor of Perth.
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members! Thank you.
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