Hitting Home: Premier won’t commit to housing summit

As a Courier-Mail series shines a light on Queensland’s housing crisis, the Premier is resisting calls to hold a summit on the issue.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has refused to say if she will convene a housing a summit, as Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli join the chorus of support for emergency talks.

Cr Schrinner told The Courier-Mail he would welcome a summit and the opportunity to work with state and federal leaders, as well as industry to develop new ideas to take on the state’s housing needs.

Amid mounting pressure from stakeholders and advocates to call a housing summit, the Premier’s office issued a cryptic statement on Thursday saying the government would have “more to say” soon.

Mr Crisafulli backed the summit, saying that he would hold his own summit with stakeholders if Ms Palaszczuk refused to call one herself.

“We have spoken with working Queenslanders living in their cars and in tents, and that is now becoming the reality of modern Queensland,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“We must listen and we must act.

“And today, I’m calling on the Premier to chair that housing summit.

“This is one of the greatest challenges that our modern Queensland will face.”

David Crisafulli and Annastacia Palaszczuk

The Courier-Mail this week launched its Hitting Home series, highlighting how charities have resorted to handing out tents, as ­advocates warn more and more families with working parents are finding themselves homeless. Ms Palaszczuk did not respond to questions on Thursday, but a spokesman from her office said she had already been discussing housing with the Deputy Premier, the Housing Minister and mayors.

“Social housing is an important part of the solution, but the vast majority of homes are in the private sector and that is where we need real action,” the spokesman said.

“The government will have more to say about working with all levels of government soon,” they said.

Queensland Council of Social Service chief executive Aimee McVeigh said Ms Palaszczuk should immediately commit to a summit.

“A state summit allows our Premier to show one, her leadership, and two, that she is listening to the community and industry who are calling out for government to take action,” she said.

“Housing isn’t an issue that is solved by the Commonwealth government simply funnelling money through to the state government,” Ms McVeigh said.

Ms McVeigh said the state government needed to develop a plan to end the housing crisis, so they could then enter negotiations for commonwealth assistance from “an informed place”.

The Property Council of Australia, Q Shelter, St Vinnies and Micah Projects have all called for or backed in a housing summit.

The Local Government ­Association of Queensland prefers a national summit, but has described a state government-convened summit as a “good start”.