Figures reveal the devastating impact of Qld housing crisis on your region

Five regional centres have fewer than 50 rental properties available right now as the state’s housing crisis shows no signs of letting up.

Melanie Whiting and melanie.whiting@news.com.au

3 min read

June 23, 2021 - 12:30PM

Australian families reveal the challenges of finding social housing

Mackay

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Social housing demand waitlist and rental availability figures have laid bare the devastating true impact of Queensland’s housing crisis on our regions.

Experts and political leaders have pointed to a “perfect storm” of factors which have left entire towns and cities where people outnumber the amount of property available – putting our most vulnerable at risk.

These factors include a lack of social housing available, the arrival of Australians from overseas post-Covid, interstate migration, low interest rates and homebuyer incentives.

In addition to these, Master Builders deputy chief executive Paul Bidwell has raised the alarm on an issue “causing grief right across Queensland” and impacting the availability of housing stock.

Mr Bidwell said wait times for new houses to be built had blown out because of a material and trade shortage.

He said Covid-19 had “smashed” supply chains and shut down steel production in China, which had only now started to ramp up again.

Master Builders Deputy chief executive Paul Bidwell in Brisbane. Picture: Tertius Pickard

This means home builders who have already signed fixed price contracts to deliver a house at a particular date for a set price have faced material cost increases of up to 25 per cent and huge wait times for material delivery.

Mr Bidwell said he recently spoke to a builder in regional Queensland who was in serious strife, with 148 jobs on their books.

“He needs 11 frames and trusses a week and he’s getting four,” he said.

“Some builders have been told they will not get timber until next year.

“The impact of that is – if you don’t get the work done, you don’t get paid.

“Because he's only getting these four frames and trusses a week, he’s not getting paid for those other jobs.

“His cash flow of $2 million is down to minus $3 million because of those delays.”

Mr Bidwell said home builders wanted the opportunity to sit down with a mediator and their clients to discuss extended wait times for new homes to be built.

He said if building clients did not agree to this, the sector could face a major collapse.

“(The builders are) all suffering financial stress and there’s a lot of mental health issues as a result thereof,” Mr Bidwell said.

“Our worries are, in essence, that the builders will fall over.

“That they just can’t cope with the delays and price increases because of the nature of the contracts we enter into in our industry.”

Last week, the Queensland budget 2021 delivered the “largest concentrated investment in social housing” in the state’s history to tackle the housing crisis.

Queensland Government data showing the number of applications on the social housing register by region.

Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch said the government would invest $1.9 billion over four years to increase social housing stock and get more vulnerable Queenslanders into homes quicker.

The government has also committed to establishing a new $1 billion Housing Investment Fund – with the returns from this to drive new supply to support current and future housing need.

Under the Queensland Housing Strategy Action Plan 2021-2025, fast-tracked projects and initiatives are proposed to increase the supply of social housing.

The state would also develop underused state land and deliver mixed-use developments.

“We know the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as interstate migration are adding more pressure to the housing market, and this is making it harder for people to find a home, especially vulnerable Queenslanders who are experiencing financial stress,” Ms Enoch said.

Five major regional centres have fewer than 50 rental properties available right now. Picture: Unsplash/Christian Erfurt

Queensland Council of Social Service chief executive Aimee McVeigh said this commitment in the state budget was a beacon of hope for vulnerable people.

“This is the first step we have been calling for and provides opportunities for the community, government and private sector to work together toward solving a previously intractable problem,” Ms McVeigh said.

“We look forward to working with the state government to make sure this announcement results in homes for women escaping domestic violence, children, people with a disability, First Nations People and older women.”

The number of rental properties currently available in each region:

Airlie Beach: 15

Sunshine Coast: 523

Greater region Mackay: 234

Greater region Rockhampton: 144

Greater region Gladstone: 251

Toowoomba: 334

Greater region Bundaberg: 106

Greater region Hervey Bay: 59

Emerald: 71

Moranbah: 126

Clermont: 19