July 15, 2024
There is no doubt that our region is currently experiencing a housing crisis.
Here in the South Burnett, I’m sure we all know somebody who is experiencing housing difficulties, whether it be a family desperately trying to find a rental property, a young person finding it impossible to get ahead and buy their first home, or a vulnerable person languishing on the social homes waiting list.
In fact, when it comes to social housing, there are 40,000 Queenslanders currently on the wait list.
And when it comes to the rental market, in Kingaroy the current residential vacancy rate is 0.9 per cent, in Nanango it’s 0.6 per cent and in Murgon it’s even worse at 0.1 per cent.
This is extremely concerning and I am regularly contacted by people sharing their stories and concerns.
It is obvious there has been a decade of failure under the Labor State Government to plan for our growing State and regions.
That’s why the LNP have announced a bold housing plan with six key policy areas to secure Queensland’s housing foundations over the coming two decades, with an ambitious plan to boost home ownership, unleash the community housing sector, turbocharge new housing and drive rental affordability.
The LNP’s ‘Securing our Housing Foundations’ Plan includes:
- A big boost into home ownership by abolishing stamp duty for all new homes, for first home buyers and raising the Stamp Duty concession threshold in full for existing homes, and up to $700,000 (and partially up to $800,000) for first home buyers
- Boost to Buy with a new shared equity home ownership program designed to close the deposit gap for buyers without access to the bank of mum and dad
- Unlock the Homes for Queensland’s Future with a plan for one million extra homes by 2044, new Regional Plans for every corner of Queensland and fast-tracked approvals
- Open the Door to housing by removing restrictions preventing first home buyer grant recipients from renting-out rooms and opening-up rental supply
- Homes with Purpose, with 10,000 new social and community homes on church and charity-owned land, unleashing the community housing sector and clear targets to ramp-up social housing.
- Breaking Down the Barriers to Building by fast-tracking development approvals and building new homes quicker, safeguarding the materials and tradies needed to build the homes for Queensland’s future
The LNP’s housing plan not only maps out a clear path to the housing we need for Queensland’s future, but also unlocks the door to achieving it.
I am particularly excited about the opportunities these policies will provide for people who aspire to home ownership, but who have been on the housing hamster-wheel and just haven’t been able to get ahead.
We will offer a big boost into new homes by abolishing stamp duty for all new homes along with a big boost into existing homes by raising the threshold for full stamp duty concessions up to $700,000, with partial concessions up to $800,000.
The LNP will also close the deposit gap for those young Queenslanders without access to the bank of mum and dad with a shared equity program for 1,000 homes.
For years Queensland has been lagging at the bottom of the home ownership ladder.
Census data shows that the percentage of Queenslanders owning their own home has fallen from 70 per cent in 1971 to 64 per cent in 2021.
In 1971, 53 per cent of 25 to 29-year-olds in Queensland owned their own home, fifty years late in 2021 that had plummeted to just 35 per cent.
Queenslanders aged 30 to 34 have also been pushed out of home ownership, their numbers falling from 63 per cent to 49 per cent in that time.
Sadly, many young people do not believe they will ever be able to buy their own home in Queensland.
The LNP’s ambitious and visionary target aims to change this and put Queensland at the top of the nation for home ownership within a decade.
Ensuring more people have the opportunity to own their own home is a priority for the LNP because it’s a priority for Queenslanders.
The LNP is the only party in Queensland with a plan to ease the Queensland Housing Crisis.
Addressing the housing crisis in our region will also have flow-on affects for other issues, such as the doctor shortage in the South Burnett.
With better access to housing, it will make a huge difference as we work to attract GP’s and other specialists to live and practice locally.
Over the coming months I look forward to bringing you more information on the key issues you are asking me about and as always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact my office by emailing nanango@parliament.qld.gov.au
…or there’s the option that wouldn’t cost most Queenslanders a red cent and would end the homelessness crisis almost overnight: pass a law that requires the owner of any Queensland property being listed on Air B&B (or similar sites) to pay a $30,000 per annum licence fee or face a $30,000 fine.
At the moment roughly two-thirds of rental properties have been converted into Air B&B’s due to the sheer greed of their owners, according to a study that recently appeared. The State Government can curtail that greed with a licence fee that takes a whopping slice of the extra profit owners are making. And I forecast that if they did this, an avalanche of rental properties would hit the market within weeks of the law passing.