A Housing Roundtable was conducted in Mackay last week to identify potential solutions to the region’s housing stress following the release of the Queensland Housing Summit Outcomes Report.
The Summit, held in Brisbane in October, brought together all levels of government alongside the construction industry and the real-estate industry along with planners, developers, community services organisations, homelessness advocates and community housing providers.
Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert delivered the report to last week’s Roundtable.
“There is a whole range of different housing needs but what we do need is to make sure we have that range, and we can encourage investors to come into our region and make sure that we have got the rentals and the opportunities for families to be able to buy a home if that’s what they want,” Ms Gilbert said.
The Queensland Government has pledged $56 million in new funding for critical housing supply and housing support initiatives arising from the Summit on top of a $1 billion boost to the Housing Investment Fund, bringing the Fund to $2 billion.
Ms Gilbert said this brings about the opportunity for investors and developers to collaborate with the Government.
“Where we do have people who are interested in being part of the housing solution, we’re encouraging them to come forward and to work with the state government to be able to have a look at how we can assist them get into the market to build that sustainable housing,” she said.
“There’s lots of different outcomes for locals to get involved, so there’s not just one level of government that holds the key to housing, so it’s working to make sure that we’ve got the land, that the red tape is cut.
“We also have lots of programs where people who are getting squeezed out of the rental market, where we’re giving them support to keep them in their homes.
“State government can’t supply everybody with a home, then that takes those houses out of the way of developers.
“We need developers to be able to make money, we need families in homes.”
“If we’ve got people in safe housing, then their health is better, they have a better opportunity of being able to participate in work, which is what every community needs.”
Ms Gilbert has invited those interested to contact her office or the Department of Housing.
“I’m happy to get people in touch with the Department, so that we can sit down and work out what it is that they would like to do and we can show them the programs that are available,” Ms Gilbert said.
Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert
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