A MAJORITY LIBERAL GOVERNMENT WILL:
- Invest an additional $315 million into social and affordable housing and homelessness initiatives across the State, bringing the total investment to over $615 million over seven years, including the current year – a record investment by any government in Tasmania. This includes:
- Extending our social housing building pipeline to 2027, by investing an additional $280 million. This will mean 2000 extra homes, on top of the 1500 already being built over the next three years. That is 3500 new social houses.
- Investing $20 million for new supported accommodation facilities for older Tasmanians in the North and North-West of the State.
- Providing $15.3 million for innovative new youth housing and homelessness initiatives, including an Under-16 Lighthouse Project, modular youth housing for 16 to 24-year-olds, and a Dispersed Youth Foyer model.
We will also:
- Increase the First Home Owners Grant Boost from $20,000 to $30,000 until 30 June 2022 to support first home buyers into home ownership.
- Provide $2 million to develop a comprehensive long-term Tasmanian Housing Strategy to address Tasmania’s housing needs over the next 20 years, across the full spectrum of public and private housing.
- Invest $3.45 million to conduct comprehensive reviews of Tasmania’s three regional land use strategies.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will also deliver on the initiatives announced in the State of the State Address in March this year by:
- Investing $10 million into a ‘Headworks Holiday’ for new residential subdivisions to unlock new land supply.
- Investing an additional $10 million into HomeShare to support low-income Tasmanians buy their own home.
- Increasing the property value threshold for our 50% stamp duty concession for First Home Buyers and Pensioners Downsizing.
- Increasing housing supply with a $2.5 million new secondary dwelling incentive program.
- Put downward pressure on rents to assist in our tight rental market, by delivering a reduction in land tax.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will invest an additional $315 million for social and affordable housing and homelessness initiatives across Tasmania.
This is on top of the more than $300 million allocated in last year’s Budget, making the total investment into housing and homelessness services to over $615 million over seven years, including the current year – a record investment by any government in Tasmania.
This investment is delivering more homes for Tasmanians, in all areas of the State.
Since coming to Government, we have:
- Delivered 1138 more homes and supported accommodation for applicants on the social housing register.
- Assisted 450 low income households into home ownership for the first time.
- Added 76 more places in homeless accommodation.
- Released 325 affordable serviced lots to the market, targeting low-income buyers.
- Brokered 253 private rental tenancies for low income Tasmanians.
- Placed 324 households into rapid rehousing.
Our $300 million investment into housing and homelessness services in the 2020-21 Budget has also enabled an accelerated delivery of social housing across the state.
Right now, in our pipeline, there are 552 new dwellings under construction which will be added to social housing and supported accommodation and 103 more places for homeless accommodation. We remain on track to meet our targets to deliver up to 1,500 new social housing dwellings by June 2023.
Extend our social housing building pipeline to 2027, investing an additional $280 million
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will build even more homes for Tasmanians in need.
To maintain the momentum and keep the construction pipeline full to provide certainty to the construction industry, a re-elected Majority Liberal Government will build an additional 2000 homes for people on the social housing register by 2027.
The new homes are in addition to the 1500 to be delivered by June of 2023.
In total, we will build 3500 new homes for Tasmanians on the social housing register by 2027.
Further, all new homes and refurbished social housing homes are built to Liveability Housing Design Guidelines, or AS1428 accessibility standards.
This means that these new homes are universally designed and suitable for a range of tenants including the elderly and people living with disability.
Invest $20 million for new supported accommodation facilities for older Tasmanians in the North and North-West of the State
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will provide more supported accommodation options for older Tasmanians living in the north and north-west of the State.
An investment of $20 million will deliver two supported accommodation facilities.
These new homes will provide similar facilities to the 25-unit social housing complex the Liberal Government recently opened in Goulburn Street in Hobart, as part of our plan to deliver more homes for Tasmanians most in need.
Provide $15.3 million for innovative new youth housing initiatives
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will continue to invest in new services and innovative new youth housing models, to support more young people into housing.
We are already delivering key projects including a new youth at risk project in Launceston, youth foyer facilities in Burnie and Hobart and the expansion of Thyne House in Launceston into a youth foyer model.
We will provide:
- $10 million for the ‘Under 16 Lighthouse Project’. This project will continue to progress the recommendations of the Under 16 Youth Homelessness Taskforce. It will include a residential care pilot program for young people under 16 who are not in the care of the state and are unable to live at home. The pilot will run over 3 years and provide a family like environment, accommodation and a program of therapeutic care with a focus on family restoration.
- $4.3 million to deliver modular youth housing for 16 to 24 year-old young people transitioning to independence from a variety of contexts including exiting Ashley Youth Detention Centre, Out of Home Care or Shelters. The initiative will provide 20 modular youth homes across four sites around the State. Funding will also be provided for new ‘Youth Coaches’ who will provide ‘readiness for independence’ support across key life domains including education, employment, health and wellbeing and community participation.
- $1 Million over four years for a ‘Dispersed Youth Foyer’ initiative that will identify 10 Housing Tasmania properties suitable for conversion into three to four-bedroom share housing properties for young people.
The Lighthouse Project also includes the creation of new youth wellbeing officers in the Strong Families Safe Kids Advice and Referral Line to support young people under 16 who are at risk of homelessness and provide advice to service providers and families.
Lighthouse will also see the continuation, over the next four years, of enhanced community youth support services implemented during COVID-19 for young people under 16 who are at risk of homelessness.
The initiative will be made available for young people under 25 years in need of housing who are also seeking access to vocational training and employment.
Increase the First Home Owners Grant Boost from $20,000 to $30,000 until 30 June 2022
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will help more Tasmanians into their first home with a boost in the First Home Owners Grant from $20,000 to $30,000.
The grant currently in place until 30 June 2022 provides $20,000 for eligible first home buyers who want to purchase a newly-constructed home or build a new home of their own.
This will now be boosted to $30,000 and backdated to 31 March this year.
This will have a positive flow-on effect for Tasmania’s booming building and construction industry, creating more work and more jobs, especially following the end of the Homebuilder grants.
Invest $2 million to develop a Tasmanian Housing Strategy
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will develop and implement a comprehensive long-term Tasmanian Housing Strategy to guide Government priorities and actions, and ensure that the provision of housing, both public and private, meets the needs of our growing state and community.
The Strategy will set a 20-year vision for housing in Tasmania and will address issues such as future growth, affordability, accessibility, ageing, planning and construction, and sustainability. It will help to ensure that housing can meet the needs of all Tasmanians, including the most vulnerable, those in the workforce and people as they age.
The Strategy will also consider innovative approaches, including the use of build to rent models and incentives to increase the resilience and diversity of housing options and opportunities for all Tasmanians.
Developing a Tasmanian Housing Strategy was recommended by the Premier’s Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Committee. The Strategy will be developed in consultation with the Tasmanian community, including in determining housing wants and needs, and will build on our current policies designed to boost housing supply and put downward pressure on rents.
Update Tasmania’s Regional Land Use Strategies
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will allocate $3.45 million to conduct comprehensive reviews of Tasmania’s three regional land use strategies.
The three regional land use strategies have not been substantively reviewed since they came into effect in 2010 and the new investment will complement the $500,000 already budgeted to establish the updated baseline data to underpin the review of the three regional land use strategies.
Updated strategies based on the latest data of population growth and residential demand will ensure the planning system remains fit for purpose and continues to promote sustainable residential development and infrastructure.
The funding for this measure will also be used to bolster the resources of the Planning Policy Unit in the Department of Justice and to support the three local government regional authorities, to participate in the reviews.
These policies are in addition to other initiatives announced by the Liberal Government in March this year, including:
$10 million Headworks Holiday for new residential subdivisions to unlock new land supply*
We know there is around 5000 hectares of privately-owned vacant residential zoned land across Tasmania, which could deliver around 60,000 lots for residential development across the State.
That’s why a re-elected Majority Liberal Government will take immediate action to remove barriers and costs to encourage further land activation.
Land-owners who wish to activate residential zoned land that is not currently being developed will benefit from a $10 million Headworks Holiday for new residential subdivisions. The Headworks Holiday will provide up to $5,000 per residential lot for power and up to $5,000 per residential lot delivered for water and sewerage infrastructure.
Invest an additional $10 million into HomeShare to support low-income Tasmanians buy their own home*
The HomeShare scheme opens the door to home ownership for those who have enough income to make the step, but just need a helping hand.
HomeShare provides the purchaser with Government equity (ownership) in the home of up to $100,000 or 30% of the home’s value, whichever is the lesser.
To take part, purchasers must meet income and asset limits that are quite generous.
For example, a couple with two children and an income of up to $133,242 and up to $100,000 in financial assets, would qualify for the program.
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will invest a further $10 million into HomeShare, meaning at least another 100 households can realise the dream of home ownership through the program.
We will also ensure the program is widely advertised during the course of this year to encourage Tasmanians to take advantage of the scheme.
Increase the property value threshold for our 50% stamp duty concession for First Home Buyers and Pensioners Downsizing*
To support first home buyers and pensions looking to downsize, we provided a 50% stamp duty concession in 2018, for properties valued at $400,000 or lower.
Since then, house prices have grown and to ensure that our policy recognises today’s strong housing market, a re-elected Majority Liberal Government will increase the threshold for the 50 per cent stamp duty concession for first home buyers and pensioners downsizing for properties valued up to $500,000.
Increase housing supply with a $2.5 million new secondary dwelling incentive program*
Secondary dwellings can increase housing supply in areas already close to existing infrastructure, services and amenity.
That’s why a re-elected Majority Liberal Government will deliver a $2.5 million Secondary Dwelling incentive program.
We will provide a $10,000 incentive for the first 250 landowners who construct a new secondary dwelling and make it available for long-term rental for at least two years.
Secondary (ancillary) dwellings are extra living quarters, with a floor area of less than 60 square metres, which are self-contained but additional to the primary home on a block, such as a granny flat. They allow households to accommodate changing family needs, add value to the family home, and also increase housing supply.
To support this initiative, we will provide a ‘no permit required’ process for landowners to construct ancillary dwellings, such as granny flats or self-contained studios, on their properties.
Put downward pressure on rents, to assist in our tight rental market, by delivering a reduction in land tax*
A re-elected Majority Liberal Government will deliver a reduction in land tax of up to $613 per annum to nearly 70,000 land tax payers, including thousands of shack owners.
We will increase the land value thresholds at which land tax becomes payable from $25,000 to $50,000 and increase the top threshold by $50,000, from $350,000 to $400,000. These changes will result in an additional 4,100 landowners paying no land tax in the year ahead.
These new thresholds will better reflect today’s strong property market, and will help to put downwards pressure on rents in our tight rental market.
The full details of this policy is available here: https://tas.liberal.org.au/securing-tasmanias-future-delivering-land-tax-relief-landowners-and-shackies
Current work underway right now:
- 552 new dwellings contracted right now, which will be added to social housing and supported accommodation.
- 103 more places in homeless accommodation being built right now.
- Contracts for 764 new social homes being negotiated and finalised under the first tranche of the Community Housing Growth Program.
- Continued delivery of our $125 Million second Affordable Housing Action Plan (2019 to 2023).
- Developing a new Apartment Code, to simplify planning approvals for medium-density apartment and townhouse developments, to help meet the growing demand for inner-urban apartment living.
- 2020-21 State Budget included $15 million for energy efficiency upgrades in social housing properties.
- $3m upgrade to the Oakleigh Court unit complex in Hobart.
- Continued roll-out of the $15 million for public housing heating and energy efficiency upgrade initiative.
- Almost $5m for new Launceston Youth at Risk Centre.
- $4.6m expansion of Launceston’s Magnolia House Women’s Shelter.
- $5.6m expansion of Launceston’s Thyne House and transition it into a youth foyer model.
- New $10m Burnie Youth Foyer.
- New $10m Hobart Youth Foyer.
- New $8m youth crisis and transitional accommodation facility in Burnie.
- New men’s shelter in Devonport.
- Huntingfield land release project, to provide around 470 residential lots.
- Continuation of $16.8m Safe Spaces program in Burnie, Launceston and Hobart.
- $20m for the Tasmanian HomeBuilder grants.
- $19.4m for the extension of the First Home Owners Grant.
Our record in Government:
- Over 1000 social homes for applicants on the housing register delivered since coming to Government.
- Developed the Affordable Housing Strategy.
- Rolled out first Affordable Housing Action Plan, exceeding its targets.
- Waiver of historic Commonwealth Housing Debt.
- Purchase of Balmoral Inn, Glenorchy for use as a supported accommodation facility.
- 18 temporary accommodation units for homeless men at Bethlehem House added.
- Added 10 two-bedroom accommodation pods at the Hobart Women’s Shelter.
- Secured 7 additional family sized units managed by the Hobart Women’s Shelter.
- $12 million was allocated to deliver proactive upgrades as part of the COVID-19 stimulus packages.
- Converted former Waratah Hotel in Hobart into 24 bed Supported Accommodation Facility.
- Developed and Expanded the Safe Night Space pilot program to a $16.8 million 24/7 wrap-around service in Burnie, Launceston and Hobart.
- Increased funding to the Private Rental Incentive Scheme to increase the pool of available houses by up to 75 houses and a further 20 houses for Rapid Rehousing.
- Developed the Housing Land Supply Act 2018, unlocking land for approximately 700 residential lots.
- Introduced the nation-leading Short Stay Accommodation Act 2019.
Labor-Green record:
- Left over $90 million backlog in public housing maintenance
- Failed to waive the Commonwealth Housing debt.
Costings:
The cost of the housing and homelessness initiatives in this policy is $315 million over five years (including $305 million in capital investment).
The cost of the Tasmanian Housing Strategy and review of the Regional Land Use strategies is $5.45 million over four years
* The cost of these initiatives have been included in other policy documents or have been funded as part of the Premier’s State of the States address to Parliament in March this year.