Emma Comer (Petrie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As a renter, I can tell you there's nothing quite like that feeling when your lease renewal arrives in your in box. You cross your fingers and you hope the rent hasn't gone up again. That one email means the difference between affording groceries and going without. It means the difference between staying in your home or going through the ordeal of trying to find a cheaper place to live. In Petrie, housing pressures are real. At the last census, 35 per cent of households were renting, and most of those were through real estate agents. In fact, almost three-quarters of local renters are in the private market, often at the mercy of rising rents and limited supply. Meanwhile, only about a quarter of households own their home outright. Stability is hard to find, and my community is feeling that uncertainty.

I speak about this not just as a representative but also as someone who understands what it's like to rent. Like so many people in Petrie, I pay rent week after week knowing that every dollar going out the door could be going towards my own home. I feel the frustration of wanting to build something permanent but seeing goalposts move further away as house prices rise. I know I'm not alone. Thousands of renters across Petrie are in the same position: hardworking, doing their best and just wanting the security of a place they can truly call their own. That's why the five per cent deposit scheme, starting on 1 October, means so much to me and my community. It means people like me—people who rent, people who are saving while juggling everyday costs—finally have a real chance to step into the market.

This policy is giving hardworking families in places like Petrie a fairer shot at homeownership because the reality is that saving a deposit has become harder and harder, especially when house prices across my community have risen by more than 40 per cent since 2019. In suburbs like North Lakes, the median house price has and has jumped from $485,000 in 2019 to $920,000 today. In Scarborough, homes that sold for around $570,000 are now over $1.2 million. In Newport, the changes are even more staggering: from $709,000 to $1.42 million in just six years. For a young couple in their 20s or 30s, trying to keep up with those costs while paying rent and saving for a deposit is near impossible. That's why the five per cent deposit scheme matters.

This government isn't just helping people buy their first home; we're also building more homes. Through the Housing Australia Future Fund, we're investing $10 billion to build 30,000 new social and affordable homes nationwide. That includes homes in my community so that renters, older Australians and families doing it tough also get the security they deserve. But these changes aren't just numbers on a page; they're making a real difference for the people in Petrie. Already, more than 800 locals have been supported into buying their first home thanks to Labor's expanded home guarantee scheme.

We're also backing the workforce that makes housing possible. Almost 300 construction trades workers here in our community are now in training, supported by increased incentive payments to upskill the next generation of tradies. Through the Housing Australia Future Fund, we have already begun delivering almost 250 new social and affordable homes in Carseldine, Margate and Deception Bay. On top of that, more than 80 new homes are being built in Redcliffe through housing bond programs, giving more families a safe and affordable place to call home.

It doesn't stop there. Through the Housing Support Program, we're opening up more land for new homes across the Moreton Bay council area, investing in the pipes, pavement and powerlines that make housing development possible. These are practical steps that are already making a difference. They're about giving locals more choice, more security and more opportunity to build their lives right here in Petrie.

At the end of the day, housing is about community. It's about whether teachers, nurses, tradies and hospitality workers can afford to live near where they work. It's about making sure that Petrie doesn't lose its character, where generations live side by side and where locals can put down roots without the fear of being priced out. This government is committed to tackling the housing challenge head-on. We're making sure that the dream of owning a home or simply having a secure, affordable place to live is something real for the people of Petrie.