Cloud hangs over Liberals’ pledge to build 444 new homes this financial year

The State Government says it is on track to reach an ambitious public housing construction goal — although up-to-date figures are not available.

THE State Government says it is on track to reach an ambitious public housing construction goal — although up-to-date figures are not available.

Labor says they are no chance of meeting a target of building 444 new homes by July 30.

Housing Minister Roger Jaensch set the goal at Budget Estimates hearings in July last year, saying 153 homes had already been built.

The latest update in December last year said a total of 236 new social dwellings had been constructed — suggesting the construction of 83 homes in the preceding six months.

It leaves Mr Jaensch with six months to deliver 208 homes.

Housing Minister Roger Jaensch. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show a slight uptick in public sector building approvals in recent months — with 128 approved since Mr Jaesnch spoke in July, although it was not clear how many of those have already been built and counted in the totals announced by the Government.

Labor housing spokeswoman Alison Standen said the Government was going to miss the target by a long shot.

Labor housing spokeswoman Alison Standen. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

“It’s more than a year since the Hodgman Government called its ‘housing summit’ and Tasmanians are yet to see any real improvement in acute housing stress and in fact all they have really seen is a series of very lofty promises from Minister Jaensch,” she said.

“Mr Jaensch now has an extremely small window in which to get approval for these houses he promised and actually build them.

“The crisis thousands of Tasmanian families continue to face in housing has grown under Mr Jaensch, with more than 3200 on the priority waiting list for public housing — and more than 2300 of those considered high priority — with the average waiting time now stretching beyond a year.

“The Government is just not treating the housing and homelessness crisis with the urgency it demands.

“If Mr Jaensch does not meet the housing targets he promised — and that is looking more and more likely — he will need to explain why thousands are facing homelessness or extreme difficulty in obtaining housing on his watch.”

Building and Construction Minister Sarah Courtney. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

Building and Construction Minister Sarah Courtney on Tuesday said the latest housing finance data showed the state’s private sector was strong.

“Lending for the construction of new homes in the year to January 2019 grew by 15.9 per cent, compared to the previous year, which was the highest growth rate in the nation,” she said.

“Importantly, the number of first home buyers entering the market also grew, up by nearly 20 per cent in the year to January 2019, which was nearly five times higher than that seen nationally.

“This equates to nearly 2000 first home buyers buying their first home in Tasmania in the year to January 2019, showing the growing confidence of Tasmanians to invest here.”