CORONAVIRUS —
HOUSING AND CONSTRUCTION SECTOR
468. Mr D.T. PUNCH to the Minister for Housing:
I refer to the McGowan Labor government's
efforts to support jobs and businesses in Western Australia's housing
and construction sector as it recovers from the severe impacts of COVID-19.
(1) Can the minister outline to the house how the
government's $319 million social housing economic recovery
package will support workers and businesses in Bunbury and the south west?
(2) Furthermore,
can the minister advise the house how the $125 million building bonus package
is driving confidence in the housing sector throughout WA?
Mr P.C.
TINLEY replied:
I thank the member for the question.
(1)–(2) Indeed, member for Bunbury, the tradie bonanza is
going to move to the south west, courtesy of the $444 million job
protection plan that the McGowan government has brought in. As I have said in
this place before, $319 million of that will go to social housing, and in the
south west the member will enjoy at least 270 dwellings being touched by this
program in his district. I look forward to seeing the work that is created by
this program. I will also like to see, as time goes by, where the building
bonus is situated in relation to its impact in the regions, particularly in the
south west, which is one of the more populous regions outside Perth.
This program of grants was designed
and constructed by the Treasurer, in concert with the commonwealth government.
The plan is inspired—truly inspired—and we have seen the
results already. As the Premier said, within
a couple of weeks it has already blown the doors off display villages in Perth
and, I am advised, in the south west. For the benefit of members, I will
highlight where we are at with some of this. Perth property sales soared to
over 1 000 last week—almost double the 52-week average of 539. It is
the highest level of activity seen in seven
years, according to the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia's
own data. That is property sales. It is a huge improvement on the low of
264 weekly sales recorded in mid-April, just before the imposition of COVID-19 restrictions
and subsequent market uncertainty. But, of course, land sales have led the
recovery. Why? It is because the design of the Treasurer's program
identified the need to get new construction started.
New construction is absolutely
essential for keeping those trades going, and, boy, has it started. Last week's
sales comprised 613 dwellings in total, which is 57 per cent more than the
52-week average, with 412 land sales alone
making up the vast majority. That is almost five times more than the 52-week
average. That all comes from none other than Mr Damian Collins,
president of REIWA. As members can see, we are supporting the protection and
growth of jobs in Western Australia, through both established properties and
new construction, which is so important. We are going to do that right through Western
Australia. I was up in the north west of Western Australia recently announcing
similar programs up there.
This is a program that has
something for everybody—except the Liberal Party! It does not seem to
have anything that the Liberal Party wants to enjoy. None other than the shadow
Treasurer himself could not help himself. I announced a program this week
wherein Keystart customers can get access to a renovation loan. The shadow
Treasurer is the man who opposed the building bonus and said it did nothing for
the established market. We come along and provide a $100 000 loan for Keystart
clients to renovate their property and assist the established market and assist
the tradies and the renovation program, and what does he say? He says it is
self-serving.
It is just incredulous. Member,
here is a tip: do your research! That renovation product from Keystart has been
available for 15 years. If the shadow Treasurer had known that, he would have
asked some decent questions and identified where the opportunities really do
lie for Western Australians—the fact the McGowan government, through
strong leadership and fiscal discipline, has the capacity and bandwidth to lead
this nation out of this COVID economic challenge. We will continue to come into
this place and highlight the hypocrisy of the Liberal Party and its inability
to manage its message and be a contributor to the state of Western Australia.
The SPEAKER: Member, before I get onto the last
question, it is now 10 past 3. I know ministers are about to have a six-week
break. Can we just make the answers a little quicker because we still have one
question to go.