Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Bradfield for this excellent MPI and for the way we're engaging in this House on an issue that matters to every Australian, because housing remains unaffordable for most Australians. During the election, housing stress was a constant theme in towns across my electorate of Indi. House prices are higher than ever, and rents have grown by more than 10 per cent in the past year. Too many people tell me it's a fool's errand to find an affordable home or a secure rental in regional Victoria, and they're right.

This government has made big promises on housing, and, as the Independent member for Indi, I'll be holding the government accountable on these promises. I hope to continue working with them in good faith and a collaborative spirit to ensure housing investment benefits regional areas such as those in my electorate. I note the words from the member for Calare, who shares these concerns and this aspiration. This is because without a strong regional lens the government's housing plans will fail to benefit our growing regions.

When the bills establishing the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund and the Housing Supply and Affordability Council were passed in the previous parliament, I was proud to secure amendments ensuring that regional views were front and centre. But I was disappointed that the government failed to back me in my amendments that would have guaranteed a clear line of sight on funding. This concern is something, again, I know I share with the member for Calare. The regions represent 30 per cent of the population, so we should receive at least 30 per cent of housing funding, and I will continue to prosecute the case for this.

In addition to a fair share of overall funding, we also need to ensure that Commonwealth investment is going to the critical enabling infrastructure that unlocks new homes—the pipes, the pavements, the poles, the wires. It's one of the top issues raised by local governments and developers in my electorate. That's why I welcomed the government's adoption of my idea for a regional housing infrastructure fund that would do just that. That was rebranded by the government as the Housing Support Program. However, it's unclear whether the government intends to commit more funds to this program, which at present is $500 million, and, frankly, it's too small to make a significant difference. So I continue to call for the government to go further and commit $2 billion, which, according to the Parliamentary Budget Office, would unlock tens of thousands of much-needed homes in our regional towns and cities.

Like the member for Bradfield, I also recognise there are other creative and innovative solutions we must explore. With the housing crisis not seemingly getting any better, we must put all ideas on the table. We must investigate how to get more builders and tradies to build more homes, and we must work with the states and territories to create opportunities for homes that go beyond the straight-up, traditional quarter-acre block. For example, the New South Wales government recently released its NSW Housing Pattern Book. From only $1, aspiring home builders can access architectural designs for terraces and townhouses. The New South Wales government is also introducing a new 10-day approval process. This fast-track pathway will facilitate approval and the start of construction within weeks of an application being made, processes which, as we know, can often take years. These ideas demonstrate an innovative approach to getting more of the medium-density housing our cities and regional centres require. I'll be watching progress on this closely and hoping that we can replicate some of these ideas if they work.

Prefab and modular homes have, for too long, been looked down on as a cheap and second-rate form of housing, but, today, they're an affordable option for sustainable energy-efficient, quality and beautiful housing. I recognise that the government are working in this space and have committed $50 million to modernising the modular housing industry. I look forward to understanding the outcome of this work and how it will improve access to affordable, modular and prefab housing in places across my electorate of Indi.

Solving the housing crisis will take commitment by all levels of government—not over one year or one election cycle but over many years and many election cycles. This government has made a good start through its investment in new social and affordable housing, critical enabling infrastructure and planning reform at the state and local level. But we need to resolutely keep going, and Australians expect results in the next three years. I'll be expecting results in the next three years too.

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