Media Statements
Statement - Labor housing promise in tatters as new builds trend down
Statement – Labor housing promises in tatters as new builds trend down
James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Planning
18 July 2024.
The Allan Labor Government’s housing promise is in tatters as new data reveals new builds have fallen, continuing a trend in the wrong direction.
Despite repeatedly promising – and then backing away from – a commitment to build 80,000 homes each and every year for ten years, new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows just 55,653 homes were built over the past 12 months, down 2698 from the same time last year.
This data confirms that since Labor announced their Housing Statement in September 2023, the rate of new homes being built in Victoria has actually fallen – not increased.
Since coming to office, Labor has introduced or increased 56 taxes and charges, including 30 which are property-based, with taxes making up more than 40 per cent of the cost of building a home.
Shadow Minister for Planning, James Newbury, said: “This new data proves that the Allan Labor Government’s damaging policies have hurt the property sector and caused the industry to go backwards. Premier Jacinta Allan needs to drastically scale back her harmful property tax agenda.”
James Newbury, Shadow Minister for Planning