Leeanne Enoch reveals four-year plan to fix Gympie public housing crisis

Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch has fired back at criticism over a drop in public housing across the region in the past two years, saying the state has a four-year plan to boost numbers across the Wide Bay.

Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch has fired back at criticism over a drop in public housing across the region in the past two years, saying the state has a four-year plan to boost numbers across the Wide Bay.

Ms Enoch response comes following criticism from Gympie MP Tony Perrett this week, who said there had been a drop in the number of public houses available despite the region being in the middle of a rental squeeze.

On Wednesday Ms Enoch said the State Government will start construction on 170 social housing properties over the next four years in the Wide Bay Burnett region, including Gympie.

“We are increasing the supply of social and affordable housing by almost 10,000 over the life of our Housing Strategy, including 7400 new homes over the next four years,” she said.

“That is in addition to the 55 homes already commenced in the region under our Queensland Housing Strategy.

“This $49.7 million investment in the region will support more than 156 full-time equivalent jobs.”

Mr Perrett told the Gympie Times on Tuesday the number of government owned public housing in the Gympie state electorate had decreased over the last two years, evident by two questions of notice he put forth in October 2019 and May 2021.

Ms Enoch said the Palaszczuk Government’s budget is the largest concentrated investment in social housing in Queensland’s history.

“The Palaszczuk Government’s recent budget includes a $2.9 billion social housing investment, including the establishment a $1 billion Housing Investment Fund,” she said.

“The Member for Gympie has a short memory; when the LNP were in government, we saw the total number of social housing properties in Queensland reduce by more than 400.”