Jodie Belyea (Dunkley, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

To the member for Fadden: a couple of fun facts. Immigration is currently down 47 per cent. During a decade in government, the Liberal National party built 373 homes. You had 10 years in government, and you only built 373 homes.

This housing budget extends on the incredible work the Minister for Housing has done these past few years. For communities like Dunkley, this investment is not a side issue or a future issue; it is the issue right here and now. Across every community within Dunkley, for people who want some basic security, the chance to rent affordably or the chance to buy and build a future close to family, work and schools, this is increasingly possible. This is why this budget matters to Dunkley residents. The Albanese Labor government is delivering a further $2 billion in housing enabling infrastructure, bringing the government's total investment in that infrastructure to $6.3 billion.

To build homes, we need strong foundations: roads, sewerage, water and community infrastructure that allows those homes to be built. This investment is more than 50 times more than the opposition invested in housing after almost a decade in office. This new funding lifts the government's total housing investment to $47 billion. That is a very serious investment because the housing challenge demands a serious response. Through the investment, the government is delivering 55,000 social and affordable homes, which is nearly 150 times what the opposition built during its time in government—more homes for families, workers and people doing it tough. In my electorate of Dunkley, we've currently got 19 social homes being redeveloped. In Dunkley, we need to build 33,000 homes by 2051. That is a big task, and it will only happen if government is prepared to invest, plan and partner with local communities.

Over the past year, I've met regularly with Home Time and listened firsthand to the experiences of young people facing homelessness and housing stress. These conversations brought into sharp focus the reality that too many young Australians are struggling to find safe, stable housing at a critical stage in their lives. That is why I was proud to see $60 million allocated to a youth housing incentive in the budget. This measure will unlock thousands of additional tenancies, helping young people avoid homelessness and providing the stability they need to build a stronger future. This investment is a direct reflection of years of sustained advocacy from the Home Time campaign, which has worked tirelessly to elevate the voices of young people with lived experience of homelessness and ensure they are heard in the policy process. There is always more to do, particularly on this issue, but this is an important step forward in addressing youth homelessness and building a much fairer housing system.

This budget also builds on real help for first home buyers. In Dunkley, 1,837 residents have already taken up the five per cent deposit scheme. Nationally, 75,000 additional Australians are expected to access first homeownership, who would not have done so without the measures introduced by this government in this budget. For those buyers, this is the difference between waiting and entering the market, between hoping and owning, between being locked out and getting a foot in the door. So when I look at this budget, I see a government that understands the scale of the housing challenge and is acting on it now. It is investing in the infrastructure that unlocks supply, backing the delivery of social and affordable homes and helping more Australians into homeownership. For Dunkley residents, that means a stronger foundation for the future, more homes, more opportunity and more security.

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