Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) | Hansard source

I thank the member for Adelaide for bringing forward this motion. He understands, and the Albanese government understands, that housing is about much more than bricks and mortar; it is about security, opportunity and belonging. Owning a home—a place to raise a family, put down roots and be part of a community—has always been at the heart of the Australian dream. For many Australians, that dream represents security, independence and the opportunity to build a future for themselves and their families. That's why helping more Australians into a home of their own is such an important priority for the Albanese Labor government.

It's a priority that's delivering results for locals in my electorate of Corangamite in Victoria—locals who, last week, welcomed the Prime Minister to their new home. The Prime Minister travelled to Clifton Springs, where I introduced him to Brooklyn, Lochie and their dog, Rosco. Brooklyn and Lochie are just so overjoyed to have accessed the first home buyer five per cent deposit scheme. They told us about how they have worked hard, saved hard and, for a long time, have dreamt of building a future in the community they know and love. But, like many young Australians, they wondered whether owning a home of their own would ever be possible. Now, through the Albanese Labor government's expanded five per cent deposit scheme, they have been able to realise their dream of homeownership. Instead of paying for someone else's mortgage, they're investing in their own future. Alongside Brooklyn and Lochie, around 4,000 locals across the Geelong region have benefited from the scheme. This is what good housing policy is about—good housing policy from a reforming government. It is about giving people the opportunity to build a place, a life, that they can call home. I know just how much this matters to my electorate. Corangamite is one of the fastest-growing regions in Australia. We have families moving in to Clifton Springs, Armstrong Creek, Ocean Grove, Mount Duneed, Torquay and right across the Bellarine Peninsula because they want to be part of our community.

But, as a growing region, we also know that growth brings challenges. One of those challenges is making sure infrastructure keeps pace with the homes we need to build. Building homes is not just about putting up houses; before a family can move into a new home, there needs to be infrastructure that makes that home possible. That's why our government is rolling out the $2 billion Local Infrastructure Fund. This fund will help unlock much-needed infrastructure by investing in water connections and powerlines that allow new homes to be built. It will support local governments and utility providers to deliver the projects needed to get housing moving. Importantly, it will help unlock up to 65,000 new homes over the next decade. It builds on the significant infrastructure investments the Albanese government is making on the Bellarine, the Surf Coast and across the Geelong region, with projects like the $680 million Barwon Heads Road upgrade that will be transformative to Armstrong Creek, one of the nation's fastest-growing suburbs.

These investments in infrastructure and the Local Infrastructure Fund build on our government's broader Homes for Australia plan. We are rolling out help to buy, investing in more social and affordable housing through the Housing Australia Future Fund, supporting renters and working to massively increase housing supply so that more Australians have the opportunity to have a place to call home. The previous government spent almost a decade failing to address this challenge. They opposed every measure that is now helping Australians get into homes. But the Albanese government knows the housing challenge cannot be solved by standing back, doing nothing and hoping the market fixes itself. It requires government to play its part, and that's exactly what we are doing.

In closing, the Prime Minister's visit was a great opportunity to highlight the difference these investments are making for local families today and the difference they will make for generations to come. Everyone deserves the opportunity to have a safe place to call home, and, through our Homes for Australia plan, that is exactly what we are working to deliver.

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