Statement - Allan Labor Government admits housing failure

Statement – Allan Labor Government admits housing failure

James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Planning

The Allan Labor Government has today admitted failure on its signature policy promise of delivering 80,000 homes each year for the next 10 years.

Under questioning from the Victorian Parliament’s Public Accounts and Estimates Committee (PAEC), Deputy Secretary for Housing Implementation, Jeroen Weimar, confirmed the Labor Government has failed again on housing.

Mr Weimar admitted that in the 14 months since the promise was made, the Department’s own estimates are that 70,707 homes have been delivered. That represents roughly 60,600 homes over 12 months, 25 percent less than Labor’s promise.

Mr Weimar also conceded that high density apartments – the centrepiece of the Allan Labor Government’s failed housing agenda – are more expensive to build than detached homes, meaning the Government knows it is pushing the market to build the wrong type of homes.

Shadow Minister for Planning, James Newbury, said: “Today’s admission is confirmation the Allan Labor Government has spectacularly failed to deliver on their own housing promise and has set themselves up for future failure.

“Victorians know that every word that has come out of the Premier’s mouth on housing has been spin, without substance. Today, the Premier’s own official has admitted it.

“What is worse, is that because the Government is failing to deliver on their promises, they now intend to grow Melbourne into a mega-city and strip away third-party rights from the community.

“Labor cannot manage money, cannot manage housing and Victorians are paying the price.”

Statement – Allan Labor Government admits housing failure

James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Planning