State Housing Minister Guy Barnett calls on feds to lift game on Tasmania’s housing construction

Housing Minister Guy Barnett wants federal counterparts to stop talking and start building, saying the top three priorities for delivering more homes faster are “supply, supply, supply”.

Guy Barnett MP, St Joseph's Affordable Homes CEO Ben Wilson, Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Executive Director at Archdiocese of Hobart Chris Ryan at a Rokeby housing project. Picture: Chris Kidd

Tasmania’s housing minister has told his federal counterparts to stop talking and start building.

Minister for State Development, Construction and Housing Guy Barnett welcomed a deal between Senators Tammy Tyrrell and Jacqui Lambie and the Albanese government to build 1200 new homes in Tasmania over the next five years.

The deal depends on legislation creating the Housing Australia Future Fund passing the Senate.

State and territory housing ministers on Wednesday signed a joint letter calling for the Senate to pass the legislation — as the Greens hold out for a national rent freeze.

The fund proposes to spend up to $500m a year to deliver up to 30,000 affordable homes nationwide but has struggled to gain support from the Senate crossbenches.

Mr Barnett and Premier Jeremy Rockliff on Thursday toured a seven-unit development being built at Rokeby to provide housing for older men at risk of homelessness.

The Tasmanian Government provided $2.4 million towards the cost of the new units.

Mr Barnett said he’d like to see the federal government get as busy as the state government.

“In short, there’s a lot of talk, a lot of effort being made in Canberra but we haven’t seen the homes being delivered as yet,” he said.

“Whereas in Tasmania, we’re doing it every day, we’re delivering homes every day and we’ve got a big challenge ahead, we’ve got a big target.

“And we just encourage him Canberra get on with the job and give us the funding and the support that’s needed to build more homes faster.”

The state government has set itself a target of spending $1.5bln to deliver 10,000 new social and affordable properties by 2032.

Mr Barnett said the government was on track to deliver 1,500 homes by June — with more than 850 completed at the end of March.

“The top three priorities for delivering more homes faster is: supply, supply, supply.

“With the housing ministers meeting yesterday, it’s very clear that the federal government made a promise of delivering 30,000 new homes within five years.

“We expect them to keep their promise. The meeting yesterday, in terms of the priorities, it was made very, very clear.”

Federal Housing Minister Julie Collins called on Senators to back the government’s legislation.

“It’s now time for all Senators to back the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund + the single biggest investment from a Federal Government in social and affordable housing in more than a decade.

“Senators can’t say they support more social and affordable housing but oppose this fund.”