Thursday, 28 November 2024

Ministers statements: housing

Sonya KILKENNY (Carrum – Minister for Planning, Minister for the Suburbs) (14:14): I rise to update the house on the Allan Labor government’s year of building more homes and more opportunity for Victorians. We have been working with local communities, planning experts and the government architect to make better decisions faster, with improved designs, more affordable homes and enhanced community outcomes. Through this work we have said yes to thousands and thousands of new homes – an increase of more than 100 per cent on previous years. We have said yes to 350 homes in Hawthorn, with 10 per cent affordable housing and more local space for the community too; 84 homes within 350 metres of Brighton Beach station; and 60 new homes in Glen Iris, with 10 per cent affordable housing, all within 500 metres of a tram stop.

But what do all of these homes have in common? Every single one of them was blocked by their local Liberal MP. That is hundreds and hundreds of homes for Victorians that just would not be built if those opposite were in government.

Let me say this as simply as I can for those opposite: you cannot block your way out of a housing crisis. That is why we are pulling every lever to build more homes, making it easier for families to build a second home and making it easier to subdivide and build a second house on your block too. We are planning for wonderful new homes close to train and tram stops across the state, despite the Brighton blocker over there, making it cheaper for people to buy an apartment, unit or townhouse off the plan by slashing stamp duty, delivering the longest ever pipeline of family homes and backyards and providing more funding for the things that matter, like schools, kinders, parks and better bus and train services. While those opposite have wasted their year blocking homes, the Allan Labor government has spent our year building them.