Government hopeful land releases will ease state’s housing crisis

As the Government plans to release surplus land to ease the housing crisis, a video is released showing the huge numbers of people competing for a single rental property. See the unbelievable footage...

RELEASES of surplus government land will help ease the housing crisis around the state, the State Government believes.

Ten months after a Government housing summit, Housing Minister Roger Jaensch said several large parcels of land would be released within the coming months.

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Mr Jaensch visited a block in Rokeby on Monday, which he said would soon be redeveloped into housing — along with similar blocks in Devonport and West Moonah.

“This block of land here in Rokeby is one of the first parcels of land to pass through the new legislation to rapidly rezone State Government-owned land for use for housing,” Mr Jaensch said.

“This piece of land has been in the state’s ownership for some time, but it has been zoned a combination of open space and business use, and we have seen fit to include it in the first packages of land that have been taken through with the rapid rezoning initiative.

“This block we believe has the capacity to be subdivided into about 40 blocks. Some of them will have multiple dwellings on them.

“Providing land for affordable housing is part of addressing this supply challenge that we have got at the moment.”

Housing Minister Roger Jaensch. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

Rising house prices and booming interstate migration have caused headaches for first-home buyers and renters across Tasmania as properties have became harder to afford and in short supply.

Mr Jaesnch said Tasmania last week recorded the highest number of monthly property approvals in a decade, with 369 registered.

“With dwelling approvals in Tasmania for the November 2018 quarter 14 per cent above the level of a year ago, there is a huge amount of momentum in the residential building sector in Tasmania which is delivering more housing and more jobs for Tasmanians,” Mr Jaensch said.

The housing crisis was thrown into stark focus on Monday by video footage showing huge crowds of people competing for a single rental property.

Hobart’s Kevin Harkins attended a rental inspection in Lenah Valley on behalf of a relative, and shot footage which showed dozens of people all vying for the same property.

“I didn’t even bother going in to have a look,” he said.

“There was at least 100 people there. I spoke to some of them and they said that it was like this everywhere. I said ‘why do you bother?’ and they said ‘you don’t have a choice’.”