Wednesday, 30 October 2024

Electronic land transfers

Evan MULHOLLAND (Northern Metropolitan) (18:19): (1229) My adjournment matter is directed towards the Minister for Planning, and the action I seek once again is for the minister to direct her department to progress the investigation into the practicality of allowing e-conveyancing as part of the home-purchasing process. Minister, Victoria is in the middle of a housing affordability crisis under the watch of your government. Despite the window-dressing and media opportunities that we were all subjected to last week, we know that things are not going to get better under Labor, and that is because the government is not interested in fixing the housing crisis, only their own disastrous bottom line.

One small but very practical measure the minister could actually achieve for those seeking to enter the housing market would be around competition reform in the e-conveyancing market, which has been paused since June. I understand the minister has previously expressed some support for doing so, and I understand that the Australian Registrars’ National Electronic Conveyancing Council will be considering the outcomes of a Queensland and New South Wales review imminently. This is a positive step, as the industry needs urgent commitment that the program will be restarted as soon as possible. Introducing competition reform and cutting red tape is a simple and effective way in which government can offer practical support for new home buyers that involves delivering them less cost in a home purchase, which is a good idea, and that is what competition would bring. I am a big advocate for doing so. Any small step to create competition and cut red tape and regulation is a good one.

Good things can be done with ministerial will. Given the minister has previously expressed support for this reform, I repeat my call for the minister to direct her department to work with industry. It is interesting to see New South Wales and Queensland initiate a review, but the Minister of Planning has now gone silent. I ask the minister to perhaps cease listening to her corporate mates in industry super and start listening to new home buyers, who would prefer to have competition in their e-conveyancing so they can get a better outcome. Less cost for homebuyers is obviously a good thing. The minister has now accepted that that is a good thing by reinstating the stamp duty concession that her own government removed. Stop listening to your big corporate industry super mates, who are protecting a monopoly, and start listening to homebuyers, who want a cheaper outcome on their purchase.