❓ Ms. Hamilton asks about the Cook Labor government's efforts to improve housing accessibility. The Minister responds by detailing significant investments in housing supply and criticising the opposition's stance on build-to-rent projects and their understanding of housing initiatives.
AnsweredQoN 262Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Housing—Availability
262 . Ms Emily Hamilton to
the Minister for Housing and Works:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to deliver meaningful cost-of-living relief for
Western Australians. Can the minister please outline to the house how the Cook
Labor government is making housing more accessible for Western Australians?
262 . Ms Emily Hamilton to
the Minister for Housing and Works:
I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to deliver meaningful cost-of-living relief for
Western Australians. Can the minister please outline to the house how the Cook
Labor government is making housing more accessible for Western Australians?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member
for her question. This budget makes housing front and centre, with an
additional record $4.7 billion investment in accelerating housing supply,
taking the total investment to $10.8 billion since 2021. As part of that
record investment, we have targeted programs for first home buyers—$375 million
for 500 affordable build-to-sell homes. We also have the $250 million
first home buyer commercial financial facility. That is for loans to get new
product out the door, particularly with affordable housing options. We have the
presale guarantee to help apartments get off the ground and provide a potential
return to the state in terms of Keystart product. We also announced an
additional $1.5 billion for both social and affordable rentals. I have to
say that investment takes our total investment in Housing Australia Future Fund
projects—investment by the state—to $1.8 billion. This is in sharp
contrast to the other side. I think it important to repeat—I will come to the
announcement that the shadow spokesperson just referred to in a second—that we
know there is a sharp contrast. We believe in social and affordable
build-to-rent projects. The WA Liberals have said on the record, according to
my notes from an ABC transcript:
The state opposition says the
government should not be playing the role of developer to ease the housing
crisis.
That is, do not do
build-to-rent projects. The Liberal spokesperson denied on the weekend, but in
emails has explicitly encouraged people who share their concerns, to oppose
these build-to-rent projects. I quote:
… we recommend you to lodge objections
to public consultation when it opens, pending Community Housing's submission of
a development application.
That is very clear. The
member is actively telling people to lodge a submission. However, today, just
before question time, we saw that the shadow spokesperson was not across her
brief. She made an error. The member for Cottesloe said that on the weekend I
announced a HAFF project that had no state contribution. The member is not across
the detail. I note that I was out Saturday and Sunday, but the opposition was
nowhere to be seen except when the member for Cottesloe was forced out in
response to me. I will say about the direct error made by the shadow
spokesperson—this is important—that the member for Cottesloe said on the record
just before question time that we did not put any money into the project. Member,
there are two HAFF projects in Rivervale directly opposite each other! One is
by Tetris Capital, which the federal government is funding, and one is by the
state government in which we are making a $25 million contribution. I
expect the member for Cottesloe to retract her comment after question time. She
said very clearly that I was announcing projects that the state was not
funding. This is the point: members opposite are not across their brief. That was
a simple error. I am a little worried about a shadow spokesperson who after
four minutes starts quoting Facebook comments. You know you're in trouble when
after four minutes you have raced into social media and said you have to quote
the experts off Facebook! It was probably from a bot in Russia, but the member
had to quote them. This is the laziest opposition. The shadow spokesperson and
the leader of the Liberals, straight after the budget, were missing in action on
Saturday and Sunday.
for her question. This budget makes housing front and centre, with an
additional record $4.7 billion investment in accelerating housing supply,
taking the total investment to $10.8 billion since 2021. As part of that
record investment, we have targeted programs for first home buyers—$375 million
for 500 affordable build-to-sell homes. We also have the $250 million
first home buyer commercial financial facility. That is for loans to get new
product out the door, particularly with affordable housing options. We have the
presale guarantee to help apartments get off the ground and provide a potential
return to the state in terms of Keystart product. We also announced an
additional $1.5 billion for both social and affordable rentals. I have to
say that investment takes our total investment in Housing Australia Future Fund
projects—investment by the state—to $1.8 billion. This is in sharp
contrast to the other side. I think it important to repeat—I will come to the
announcement that the shadow spokesperson just referred to in a second—that we
know there is a sharp contrast. We believe in social and affordable
build-to-rent projects. The WA Liberals have said on the record, according to
my notes from an ABC transcript:
The state opposition says the
government should not be playing the role of developer to ease the housing
crisis.
That is, do not do
build-to-rent projects. The Liberal spokesperson denied on the weekend, but in
emails has explicitly encouraged people who share their concerns, to oppose
these build-to-rent projects. I quote:
… we recommend you to lodge objections
to public consultation when it opens, pending Community Housing's submission of
a development application.
That is very clear. The
member is actively telling people to lodge a submission. However, today, just
before question time, we saw that the shadow spokesperson was not across her
brief. She made an error. The member for Cottesloe said that on the weekend I
announced a HAFF project that had no state contribution. The member is not across
the detail. I note that I was out Saturday and Sunday, but the opposition was
nowhere to be seen except when the member for Cottesloe was forced out in
response to me. I will say about the direct error made by the shadow
spokesperson—this is important—that the member for Cottesloe said on the record
just before question time that we did not put any money into the project. Member,
there are two HAFF projects in Rivervale directly opposite each other! One is
by Tetris Capital, which the federal government is funding, and one is by the
state government in which we are making a $25 million contribution. I
expect the member for Cottesloe to retract her comment after question time. She
said very clearly that I was announcing projects that the state was not
funding. This is the point: members opposite are not across their brief. That was
a simple error. I am a little worried about a shadow spokesperson who after
four minutes starts quoting Facebook comments. You know you're in trouble when
after four minutes you have raced into social media and said you have to quote
the experts off Facebook! It was probably from a bot in Russia, but the member
had to quote them. This is the laziest opposition. The shadow spokesperson and
the leader of the Liberals, straight after the budget, were missing in action on
Saturday and Sunday.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.