Calls for regional quotas to be added to delayed $10bn housing fund
Regional Australia’s most housing-starved towns are crying out for a concrete commitment from the Commonwealth’s now belated Housing Australia Future Fund.
The federal government will not commit to regional quotas for homes created under the Housing Australia Future Fund, but has vowed Australians in the bush will get their “fair share”.
The government is now preparing to reintroduce the bill into the lower house after it failed to pass the senate, with both the Greens and the Coalition opposing the proposal.
As the government tries all options available to get the bill to pass, Housing Minister Julie Collins stopped short of committing to a percentage of all homes created under the fund to be reserved for the regions.
“The Greens and the Liberals should get out of the way and back this secure, ongoing pipeline of funding for social and affordable housing,” she said.
“Every day of delay is $1.3 million less that can be spent on housing Australians in need. We cannot afford any further delays
Regional areas across NSW are reporting shocking rental vacancies, with the Riverina sitting at just 1.1 per cent in June, Murray region at 1 per cent and the Hunter at 1.4 per cent.
The rental vacancy in Sydney was 1.7 per cent for the same month.
“I have made it very clear that regional Australia, including regional NSW, will get its fair share of homes under the Housing Australia Future Fund,” Ms Collins said.
“It’s time for the Greens and Liberals to get out of the way and back our $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund to build thousands of new homes across the country.”
Nationals Hunter MP Dave Layzell called for quotas to be implemented to give regional towns certainty over housing supply.
“I’m in Muswellbrook now and it’s one of those areas where the housing crisis is really strong, we have a booming economy, people are coming up here,” he said.
“If you are a family trying to compete with four mine workers who all earn 180k a year who are renting out a room but living in Newcastle — it’s a very competitive market.”
Mr Layzell said the housing crisis was exacerbating the worker shortage across the bush.
“We desperately need houses.
We can’t get essential workers, we can’t get doctors, workers … they can’t afford to live up here.”
Coalition infrastructure spokeswoman Bridget McKenzie said the HAFF did not guarantee a single house being built in regional Australia.
“(There are) no details as to what housing will be built, where the dwellings will be located or when they would be constructed,” she said.
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“There is no guarantee even a single house would be built in the country under Labor’s policies, but regional Australians will be hit with the higher taxes needed to pay back the additional government borrowing needed to fund Labor’s policy.”
Although there are no specific commitments under the HAFF, the government has helped 6000 Australians buy a home through the Regional First Home Buyer Guarantee.
The scheme has now been expanded significantly, making friends, siblings, and other family members eligible for joint applications for a home.
Originally published as Calls for regional quotas to be added to delayed $10bn housing fund
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