Tasmanian budget: Housing package to tackle shortage

Tasmania’s budget on Thursday will include $538m for what is spruiked as the ‘most ambitious and comprehensive social and ­affordable housing program in the state’s history’.

Tasmanian Treasurer Michael Ferguson. Picture: Chris Kidd

Tasmania’s budget on Thursday will include $538m for what is spruiked as the “most ambitious and comprehensive social and ­affordable housing program in the state’s history”.

Responding to an ongoing housing affordability crisis, new Treasurer Michael Ferguson’s first budget will declare “all Tasmanians deserve a roof over their head”.

More than $200m will be promised for social and affordable housing, as well as measures to tackle homelessness, this year.

“We will build 1169 homes this year, meeting our target of 1500 by June 2023 and rising to a total of 10,000 new homes by 2032,” Construction and Housing Minister Guy Barnett said.

“The cornerstone of our plan is Tasmania’s new Housing Authority, which will be tasked with building and acquiring these homes, as well as partnering with the not-for-profit sector.”

Overall, the budget would continue to deliver on a 10-year $1.5bn housing package.

Other housing affordability measures in the budget, the first since Jeremy Rockliff took the premiership reins from Peter Gutwein in April, will include an ongoing First Home Owners Grant, land releases, higher land tax thresholds, a new housing market re-entry program and stamp duty concessions.

For those in desperate need, there will be more than $36m a year in homelessness services, including shelter accommodation.

There will be significant funding of $16m for supported accommodation for older Tasmanians in the state’s north and northwest, and $3.2m over two years for “youth to independence” homes in both the north and northwest.

There will also be $6.85m for Safe Spaces, a program offering help for those sleeping rough, ­including a daytime drop-in ­service, a night-time sleepover service and an outreach service.

Health will be another focus of the budget, including $150m for a new IT system to allow more seamless information sharing ­between hospitals, GPs and allied health services, and $12.5m for the prevention of family and sexual violence.

About $9m will be provided to upgrade the state’s ambulance fleet and update equipment used by paramedics.

The budget will also include an additional $10m for Tourism ­Tasmania across four years, to ­expand the tourism marketing into key domestic markets and support direct flights to Hobart and Launceston.

Revised estimates recently suggested an improved budget position, with a surplus likely in 2022-23, depending on the level of new spending commitments.

Mr Rockliff has flagged a budget focused on jobs, health, housing and infrastructure.

“We will be demonstrating … very strong infrastructure investments, maintain that momentum of the economy, maintaining of course our jobs growth as well,” he said last week.

“Very important alongside a strong economy is delivering the services that people justifiably ­deserve across those important areas of health, education, public safety, and housing as well,” the Premier said.