Madonna Jarrett (Brisbane, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for the Environment and Water. How is the Albanese Labor government helping boost housing supply by fast-tracking environmental approvals? Why is action to boost supply so desperately needed?

Mr Tony Burke (Watson, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I acknowledge the member for Brisbane as somebody who understands all too well the challenges of young people trying to find their home. Most homes don't need an environmental approval at a federal level; most homes have the approval process go through local government and other procedures. But some housing developments do require a federal environmental approval. Unlocking this federal approval process has been one of the critical steps that this government has taken in being able to build more homes.

The latest figures that have been released show the Albanese government is delivering housing approvals and has exceeded the target it had set. Last year, after the Economic Reform Roundtable, this government established a housing strike team within the environment department to speed up housing approvals to help with the building of more homes. It set a target to unlock 26,000 new homes by July this year. Already, we have succeeded in approvals not for 26,000 but for 35½ thousand new homes. Twenty-one of those are metropolitan projects—across those metropolitan projects, 20,000 homes. Thirteen of them are in the regions—across those regional projects, 15,000 homes. That means 3,000 homes for Western Australia, 14,000 homes in New South Wales and—as the member for Brisbane has asked this question—17,000 homes in Queensland unlocked because of this work.

I'm asked why these reforms are desperately needed. At one point under the previous government, in terms of how they were going with environmental approvals, their percentage of approvals that were running on time was six per cent. It got to as low as six per cent of their approvals running on time. Under this government, 93 per cent of approvals are running on time, and it's only happening because of the actions of the Albanese Labor government. We're building more homes and we'll continue to do so because we established the Housing Australia Future Fund, which they voted against. With the housing minister, the Treasurer and the Prime Minister, we established build to rent, which they voted against. We established five per cent deposits, which they voted against. We've modernised our environment laws, which they voted against. And we're making tax changes to help give a chance to first home buyers, which they will vote against.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before I call the member for Goldstein, the member for Lyne—I counted—interjected 14 times in that answer. She's had a good go; she'll leave the chamber under 94(a). Consistent interjecting during one answer of 14 times is potentially a record.

The member for Lyne then left the chamber .