Queensland councils have sent a strong message to the State and Federal governments that they want action to address the state’s housing crisis including calling for a National Housing Summit.
Councils voted in support of a raft of motions aimed at addressing significant housing availability and affordability issues across the state, as they met at the Local the Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) Annual Conference in Mackay to debate and discuss key issues impacting their communities.
Delegates also called for the Commonwealth to host a National Housing Summit to address what councils are describing as a crisis.
LGAQ President and Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson said the issue was not isolated to any one part of Queensland.
“Councils and their communities across the state are being impacted by housing affordability and diversity challenges.”
“There are communities facing shortages, rapid price rises and big dips in rental vacancy rates.
“We are uniting on their behalf with a strong message that this is an issue that cannot be resolved by councils alone,” he said.
Councils voted to call on the State Government to fast-track action to work with councils to address a broad range of housing issues in partnership with industry and government – including improving the understanding of land use planning priorities across both levels of government.
A recent study undertaken by the Western Queensland Alliance of Councils, in conjunction with the Regional Australia Institute, highlights the severe under-investment in housing in regional Queensland over many years.
Flinders Shire Council Mayor Jane McNamara said Queensland’s rural housing crisis was threatening to derail the initiatives rural and remote councils are putting in place to diversify their economies and industries and to reverse population decline.
“The market has failed,” she said.
“Now we need to look to innovative solutions to counteract the impact of the crisis on our economies and communities.”
Councils specifically called for the State to work with them on modifying the first homeowners grant to allow it to be available for renovation of existing housing stock.
This would allow residents to purchase and live in affordable accommodation in rural and remote communities.
Mayor McNamara said councils had done the research and the leg work.
“We now need the State and Federal governments to work with us on addressing supply issues in our regions – to ensure all Queenslanders have access to safe and affordable housing,” she said.
Additional housing related motions passed by councils included a call to the Federal Government to increase support for housing supply in remote and discrete First Nations communities to address levels of overcrowding in these communities.
The motions passed at today’s Annual Conference will also inform the LGAQ’s statewide Housing Action Plan, which aims to define the housing priorities of the Queensland local government sector as well as to outline possible solutions.
For more information, please contact:
Sarah Vogler, External Relations Director
Local Government Association of Queensland