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The Palaszczuk government will kick off its Housing Summit this Friday with a round table featuring key government and non-government stakeholders.
It is the first step toward the Queensland Housing Summit, set to take place in October, which will also feed into the national cabinet’s consideration of housing issues and the cost-of-living crisis.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk expressed her belief that there is “nothing more important than having a roof over your head”, adding that “affordable housing is critical to maintaining our great Queensland lifestyle”.
She expressed that many of the primary causes of the housing crisis are national and therefore require national solutions before conceding that “all levels of government have a role to play in improving the current housing situation”.
“I fully understand this is a tough time for many Queenslanders. We all know that recent interest rate increases by the independent Reserve Bank of Australia have made it tough for homeowners,” she said.
The state’s Deputy Premier Steven Miles said a pathway forward, produced in partnership with those who have responsibility for housing, is urgent, citing research from the Property Council of Australia that illuminated how Queensland’s population expanded by 750,000 in the decade between 2011 and 2021, with 90 per cent of this growth concentrated in the state’s south-east.
He acknowledged that a “compounding set of circumstances including massive population growth, supply chain and workforce restraints and multiple weather events have created a housing challenge”.
According to Housing Minister Leeanne Enoch, the knock-on effects of population growth outpacing land supply delivery have resulted in unprecedented levels of pressure being placed on the rental market as well as impacted social housing, with action needed to address the raft of issues facing the sector.
She stressed the need for a multi-organisational approach, imploring for collaboration as change can’t be conducted by a single entity, adding that the housing sector “is calling for positive action and solutions, and we know building more social housing is only one piece of the puzzle”.
“Better strategy from council is also needed to make an impact on the housing ecosystem,” she said.
Government representatives at the round table include the Premier, the Deputy Premier, as well as the public works, communities and housing ministers with the Brisbane lord mayor and the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAC).
Other notable non-government stakeholders in attendance will include Q Shelter, QCOSS, the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ), Property Council of Australia, Master Builders and the Planning Institute of Australia.
It is set to tackle a range of issues, including the unlocking of land and housing supply, fast-tracking social housing and, crucially, the need for urgent collaboration on housing by all levels of government.
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