Media release – Guy Barnett, Minister for State Development, Construction and Housing, 10 October 2022

More action to help Tasmania’s young people avoid homelessness

The Tasmanian Liberal Government is committed to improving outcomes for all young people at risk in Tasmania.

A new Youth At Risk Centre is nearing completion in Launceston to provide accommodation for young people aged 12 to 15 who are homeless, or who are at risk of homelessness.

This new facility will provide a safe and supportive environment, with care tailored to the residents’ specific needs and access to a range of social and therapeutic services to help them stay connected to support networks and education.

As we mark World Homeless Day today, it is important to remember that homelessness doesn’t discriminate.

Our young people can be particularly vulnerable as they move towards adulthood and independence and our Government is committed to supporting them as they find their place in our community.

A central Launceston property was purchased specifically for this facility which will provide eight residential single-bedroom units, common use and recreational areas for residents, and on-site staff amenities.

The centre will be managed by Youth, Family and Community Connections (YFCC), a not-for-profit community organisation that provides a range of services to young people, families and individuals across the North-West and West coast.

YFCC helps stabilise children in crisis and provides support to engage with education, develop living skills, facilitate community connections and reunifies families wherever possible.

RTC Constructions completed the $2.3 million refurbishment with the design development by X-squared Architects. Construction was completed at the end of September and the service will begin operation soon.

An existing Youth At Risk Centre at Colville Place in Moonah, is managed by Colony 47 and has been operating since 2018.

Our Government is committed to tackling the housing struggles facing Tasmanians and has an ambitious $1.5 billion housing package to deliver 10,000 new social and affordable homes and units by 2032.

Current projects we are delivering to tackle homelessness include:

  • A new 26-bed Youth2Independence facility in Hobart, a new 25-bed Youth2Independence facility in Burnie and a 20-bed expansion of the Launceston Youth2Independence facility;
  • 23 crisis and transitional units for at-risk youth in Burnie;
  • 15 new units at the Launceston Women’s Shelter;
  • A dedicated men’s shelter on the north-west coast for men with or without children; and
  • A new 50-bed crisis and transitional accommodation facility for men in Hobart.

But we know there are Tasmanians who are doing it tough today and need our support right now.

That is why we invest over $36 million a year on wraparound services to ensure those who need help now are getting the services they need.

This includes funding for 17 Specialist Homelessness Services as well as crisis shelters and supported accommodation.

In addition, $6.9 million is allocated specifically for our Safe Spaces and connected support services.

We encourage anyone who is homeless or is at risk of homelessness to contact Housing Connect, 24 hours a day, seven days a week on 1800 800 588.

Media release – Guy Barnett, Minister for State Development, Construction and Housing, 8 October 2022

New modular housing options on the way for Tasmanians

The Tasmanian Liberal Government is determined to help vulnerable Tasmanians into social housing quicker and the ModHomes Program, which goes to tender today, is the latest responsive solution to help increase supply.

The ModHomes Program aims to deliver a minimum of 50 modular social housing units per year, for four years, on land owned by the Director of Housing.

It will integrate modular housing construction in the ongoing delivery program of new social housing supply in Tasmania using the unique benefits of this construction method.

Modular construction is efficient because trades can work simultaneously without the need to schedule works and travel over multiple sites and locations, and weather-related construction delays are reduced in factory builds.

Factory production of modular units engages a different workforce, creating more jobs at a time when on-site trades are at capacity in the current busy construction industry. They can also be modified to meet the diverse and changing needs of tenants.

Modular units have undergone significant advances in the quality of manufacturing over recent years offering contemporary design, sustainability features and finishes, and comparable economic life of compared with onsite builds.

We are also committed to providing workforce training, increasing the supply of skilled labour and creating jobs.

The ModHomes Program will incorporate a training opportunity for young Tasmanians who are currently underrepresented in the construction industry.

This is part of the Government’s ambitious plan to build 10,000 social and affordable homes and units by 2032, which will be coordinated by the soon to be established Homes Tasmania; made possible with the passing of legislation in Parliament last week.

This $1.5 billion housing package is the single largest housing investment in the State’s history and we are on track to build 1,500 by June 30, 2023.

The Government has committed to leaving no stone unturned and the ModHomes program is a critical component of our strategy to increasing housing and reducing homelessness.

We are focused on what Tasmanians really care about and the ModHomes Program is a great example of using innovative construction methods to build more homes quicker for vulnerable Tasmanians.

For more information visit – eTendering Home Page (tenders.tas.gov.au)

Media release – Everybody’s Home, 10 October 2022 

Housing crisis about to get worse as Australia loses 30,000 affordable properties

Australia’s housing crisis is about to worsen with the nation losing almost 30,000 affordable properties over the next four years, almost canceling out the effect of the new Housing Australia Future Fund.

Thousands of low-income renters will face steep rent increases or be forced to move as government subsidies under the scrapped National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) come to an end. The most recent quarterly federal government report on the scheme shows 27,422 allocations will expire by 2026.

The end of the scheme means the 30,000 homes built under the new government’s Housing Australia Future Fund over its first five years will scarcely maintain the existing supply of affordable housing.

An Everybody’s Home Budget position paper released today says at least 25,000 new social housing dwellings are needed annually across Australia to help end the crisis.

The paper shows that constructing 25,000 social homes per year would generate an annual economic output of $12.9 billion.

The NRAS scheme – which subsidises housing providers to rent out properties for at least 20 per cent below market rates – was set up in 2008 but scrapped by the Abbott government in 2014.

Queensland will be hardest hit by the final phasing out of the scheme, losing 6,999 affordable properties by 2024 and 7,602 in total by 2026.

NSW will lose 5,178 allocations, Victoria will lose 4,366 and Western Australia will lose 4,656.

Crawley in WA will be the worst-affected suburb, losing 743 allocations by 2026. Bruce in the ACT will lose 705, Chippendale in NSW 643, Hobart 430, Waurn Ponds in Victoria 300, Fortitude Valley in Queensland 273, Coconut Grove in the NT 256 and Adelaide 190.

Everybody’s Home national spokesperson Kate Colvin said greater action must be taken now to alleviate the housing crisis.

“Despite being one of the richest nations in the world, Australia is facing a full-blown housing crisis with more than a million low-income Aussies living in housing stress.

“Since the start of the Covid pandemic, rents have increased 26 per cent, hitting record highs in many suburbs.

“The winding down of the National Rental Affordability Scheme will see Australia lose almost 30,000 affordable homes, effectively negating any impact of the Housing Australia Future Fund.

“We welcome the Fund as a great start, but all the evidence shows that much more is needed if we are to give low and modest income Australians the stability and security they need.”

Senator Helen Polley, Senator for Tasmania, 11 October 2022

TASMANIAN GOVERNMENT MUST ADDRESS HEALTH ACCESS AND TRANSPORT IN NEW SOCIAL HOUSING

The Tasmanian State Government must ensure adequate health access and transport requirements alongside proposed social housing at Rocherlea.

There are 4,000 Tasmanians currently waiting for social housing in Tasmania which is why it is such welcome news that the State Government is securing 14 new dwellings at Rocherlea and 104 dwellings in total in the Launceston and Meander Valley municipalities.

If these dwellings are to serve the community properly, the State Government must provide adequate access to health and transport services if it is to be regarded as a long-term investment within our community.

Northern Tasmanians already know that Metro Bus services across the state do not meet demand. Most Tasmanians also know how hard it is to get into see a GP in a timely manner, and how difficult it can be to find a GP if you are not an existing patient. If these issues aren’t addressed increased dwellings in the area will only place greater pressure on our transport system and primary health services.

Currently, there are two medical centres offering GP services in the northern suburbs. Both are located on Invermay Road and both service the majority of the northern suburbs. Thankfully one of the practices has just opened their books again after not receiving new patients. However, there is still only 7 GP’s in total servicing the greater northern suburbs.

Health services are being stretched day in day out. To see a doctor at either of these practices can take up to 2 weeks. Neither of the practices offer bulk billing services and as far as I am aware neither practice has a long term plan to increase patient access with more GP’s and better clinical services.

Ultimately there must be greater forward planning and resources within the northern suburbs to be able to support these earmarked residential dwellings. If the State Government is going to build 1,000 social housing dwellings over the next 10 years, transport infrastructure and health access must be able to meet demand.

Currently, the State Government is only building 200 social housing dwellings per year, not 1,000 as promised.

I am calling on the State Government to release the economic modelling regarding these new dwellings for Rocherlea and modelling for the total boost in social housing for the greater Launceston area, including the detailed 104 dwellings announced on Monday.

I urge the State Government to prepare our communities from a health and transport perspective now.


Media release – Ella Haddad MP, Shadow Housing Minister, 11 October 2022

Rental crisis goes from bad to worse

The Quarterly Rental Review from CoreLogic has shown that Tasmanian renters continue to be put under more pressure from the housing affordability crisis, fuelled by the Liberal Government’s inaction and complacency over nearly a decade.

Rents have increased 7.3 per cent over the year in Hobart, with the average rental now costing $551 a week, or nearly $29 000 a year.

That is $56 a week, or nearly $3 000 a year higher than Melbourne. Meanwhile Tasmanian wages continue to stagnate and lag behind the rest of the country by $10 000 a year on average.

The report also shows that the rental vacancy rate continues to fall compared to last year. State Government data shows that the situation is even worse in regional Tasmania.

As the report also notes, rising rents and the soaring cost of living more generally are leaving many Tasmanians with no choice but to move back into share houses or to look for housing further and further away from where they work or where their kids go to school.

The Government has failed to get the basics right on housing for nearly a decade. Jeremy Rockliff and Guy Barnett must act now to ease the rental crisis in Tasmania.