Dai Le (Fowler, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I'd also like to thank the member for Bradfield for bringing this matter of public importance to the House. I would also like to congratulate her on her election to represent her community here in the 48th Parliament.

Since my election in May 2022, I have spoken in this House many times about the housing crisis and the devastating impact it's having on communities like mine in Fowler, where incomes are low and populations continue to grow—and, of course, so too do our culturally diverse community's needs. Like the member for Curtin, I, too, in my first term, organised a housing forum, where I brought together local, state and federal bodies to look at how we can address this housing issue, look at the mechanisms in place—or not in place—and try to bring people together to work together. I think that sometimes the solution is right there in front of our face, but we're not looking at it, and we are spending so much time in the Canberra bubble, creating policies that are, at times, more of a barrier and a hindrance, rather than unblocking the housing crisis.

I brought community housing together with organisations like the Gandangara Local Aboriginal Land Council. From my understanding, their CEO, Melissa Williams, was grateful because last year the Gandangara land council, through that housing forum that I organised, managed to speak with a community housing group. I believe there is a memorandum of understanding in place, currently, whereby housing could be built for the Indigenous community in Fowler on land owned by the Gandangara land council. I'll be watching that space because it's our role here, in the federal parliament, to facilitate those community groups, those industries and those individuals and to try and make their lives easier.

The Priced out report by Everybody's Home, a coalition of housing and social services groups, shows that renters earning $100,000 are now in housing stress. In Sydney, renters are paying 48 per cent of their income on rent. As I mentioned, in Fowler I hear from residents and families constantly about how they're forced to live in overcrowded homes, and seniors are also struggling, as well as renters being squeezed out. Fairfield City Council has approved land in Cecil Park and Horsley Park for more than 20,000 homes, but that means nothing without government stepping in to fund the East West Rail Link to connect Western Sydney airport to Parramatta and beyond.

It's not just about trains. Without proper investment in roads, drainage, schools, hospitals and utilities, we are not building homes; we are building hardship. I understand that, at a federal level, we don't build homes, but we do set policies, and we do hold the purse strings. That means the Commonwealth must take the lead in ensuring states and local governments are supported to deliver the infrastructure that unlocks housing supply, and that must happen in coordination not confusion.

We also cannot ignore the impact of migration. Migration enriches our nation, but it must be planned. If we continue increasing our population without proper planning for housing, services and infrastructure, we risk worsening inequality and weakening the social cohesion that holds this country together. The government can talk about targets, Help to Buy or housing accords, but unless we get the infrastructure and workforce right, we will continue to fall short.

The national housing council has made it clear: labour shortages, rising costs of materials and low planning approvals are strangling supply. These aren't new problems, but they remain unsolved. That's why we need serious practical solutions. Let's start with coordinating funding across federal, state and local governments so infrastructure arrives before homes, not years later; workforce investments through apprenticeships, faster recognition of overseas qualifications and more pathways into trades for women and multicultural communities; smarter incentives, like targeted tax reforms to encourage timely construction, and discouraging land banking; and unlocking public land, especially near transport and services, for homes and community facilities.

These are not extreme ideas. These are reasonable, achievable steps that any government serious about solving this crisis should be considering. Housing is about community, stability and fairness, and in Fowler we have the land, the talent and the will to lead housing innovation—if only governments stopped talking and started building.

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