Labor holds off on committing to $450m Cairns housing project prior to election

Cairns voters will cast their ballots this week without a pre-election promise from Labor to invest in critical infrastructure to ease the city’s disastrous housing crisis.

ALP candidate for Leichhardt Matt Smith says his party won’t promise any funds for the $450m Securing Cairns’ Housing Foundations project until after the election. Photo: Supplied.

Cairns voters will cast their ballots this week without a pre-election promise from Labor to invest in critical infrastructure to ease the city’s disastrous housing crisis.

The ALP has campaigned hard to reduce cost-of-living pressure and increase the number of dwellings nationally with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promising $2bn to build more social homes over four years this week.

New homes and house lots under construction at Sugarworld Estate, a new housing development at Edmonton, south of Cairns. The Cairns southern growth corridor has seen a large increase in home building as well as a growth in infrastructure projects. Picture: Brendan Radke

But Labor’s candidate for Leichhardt Matt Smith said no commitment would be made to Cairns Regional Council’s $450m project to accelerate development in the southern growth corridor prior to the election.

“This is something we’ll take care of should I be elected,” Mr Smith said.

“This is a great project. It’s going to have to happen and I look forward to working with whoever the successful candidate for Kennedy is after the next election to try and get this over the line.

“It’s something we’re going to work very hard on after the election. But we’ve spent $1bn on trunk infrastructure across Australia already.”

LNP candidate for Leichhardt Jeremy Neal says funds committed to trunk infrastructure in south Cairns will ease the city’s housing crisis. Picture: Cairns Post

LNP rival Jeremy Neal, who committed $33.8m towards trunk infrastructure for the project, said the money will help create low density homes in the Mount Peter region.

“That’s for a couple of roads and intersection upgrades,” Mr Neal said. “We want to get that first stage going and help the council move some houses nice and quick.

“We’re still talking to them through (shadow treasurer) Angus Taylor’s for the rest of their ask.”

Division Two councillor Matthew Tickner said the Securing Cairns’ Housing Foundations project was vital to keeping housing affordable.

“(This project) means more new homes in liveable communities delivered sooner,” Mr Tickner said.

“It’s what the community wants. It’s what the (construction) industry wants and it’s what council have voted towards. Infrastructure is not cheap, nor is the cost decreasing.”

Mr Smith said Labor had already had a strong track record of providing critical infrastructure in Leichhardt through its investment in the $472m Cairns Water Security Project and social housing.

“There are 490 homes being built in Woree directly through federal funding,” he said.

“Plus another six homes for veterans at risk of homelessness and additional three places for women escaping domestic violence.”

Cairns currently has a 0.8 per cent rental vacancy rate with median rental prices having increased 55 per cent over the last five years.

Median house prices have risen by 84 per cent during that time.

Originally published as Labor holds off on committing to $450m Cairns housing project prior to election