motion on social and affordable housing

21st February 2025

I rise today to move my motion, the first time I have done this since being elected. And I am particularly pleased that it is happening on such an important issue as this – the fight of our government. Motion 651, that I gave notice on the 17th of October 2024, that this House – 

1. condemns the Liberal and Nationals Coalition for their — 

(a) consistent efforts to undermine and oppose social housing developments in Victoria; 

(b) disregard shown to the wellbeing and dignity of their most vulnerable constituents; 

(2) notes that in — 

(a) 2017, the Member for Brighton opposed a development in Hampton, building 207 new apartments; 

(b) 2021, the Member for Sandringham opposed a proposal to build 1,048 apartments in Highett; and 

(c) 2022, the former Liberal Minister for Housing believed low-income families had no place in the Member for Brighton’s electorate as they would not have the latest sneakers or iPhones. 

And that, as you all know, is the motion. President, I move this for a very serious reason. I move that the House formally condemns the Liberal and National Coalition for their consistent and deliberate efforts to undermine and oppose social housing developments in Victoria. Because housing is a human right. And the Coalition just don’t get it. Their behavior is unfortunately nothing new at all. 

For most Victorians, given the record of the Liberal and National parties when it comes to housing in recent decades has been horrific, nobody can be surprised about their policies. It has been nonexistent.  

And it has been less concerned with helping those who need a roof over their heads, and more concerned with protecting one’s own backyard. 

And it stands in stark contrast to the Conservative movements international friends and allies, particularly in Canada and the leader of the Conservatives Pierre Poilievre, and across the Tasman with our friends in New Zealand and the National, conservative minded, government there. 

President, the so-called NIMBY movement, which stands for “Not in My Backyard.” 

Or as some on the opposite side of the chamber would call it, ‘Not in my Brighton,’ has found a natural political home, right here, in the Victorian Liberal Party – where the mantra has found a natural political home in the Liberal Party. 

Where the prevailing ideology is not about helping first homebuyers but locking them out. 

President, in thinking about the motion today, there is a particular quote I hope you can indulge me in saying. 

And I think it is an important quote, from a former Member in this place, and a former Member across the aisle: 

‘I would urge my colleagues to be brave in pursuit of… their values on housing and on housing freedom. I would urge my colleagues not to be intimidated by selfish people, rich geriatrics who oftentimes may vote for us but who we know always have a predilection towards bigger government and greater regulation to protect their own wealth at the expense of younger people and new migrants. I would urge my colleagues to be brave, because I believe not only is this a very good policy, it is also good politics, because Victoria’s demographics are changing. We must look to the future. We must look to empower younger people, and the status quo is not an option.’ 

President, you may be wondering who made that quote. 

Well, you may well recall that quote was from the good Dr Bach - the much missed and eloquent contributor to the Northeast Metropolitan Region. 

A man who had a real grasp on social issues, and the issues that matter to the people of the Northeast Metropolitan Region: housing, jobs, education - which he cared a lot about as a former teacher and Doctor. 

And who I might add, availed himself of briefings from our Ministers, unlike some others. 

We do miss the good Doctor Bach’s contributions in his role as Shadow Minister for Education. 

And he said it now more than a year ago – on the 2nd of November 2023, in this very place. 

And while you have seen a big movement on this front on our behalf, there has been no movement on it from the other side. 

And while the good Dr Bach used to speak positively of housing, this do-nothing, know-nothing, opposition simply runs away from it at every turn. 

President, the gig is up. 

The Liberals friends in the Murdoch media exposed the racket for what it is – a racket. 

Housing towers in Brighton, Toorak, Malvern, Armadale and Hawksburn are going to ruin Melbourne - so says Steve Price from the Herald Sun. 

These suburbs in my community of Southern Metro, Mr. Price argues, don’t want more housing.  

It would ruin the character of the community. 

It would ruin the shape. 

Well, I couldn’t disagree more – and let me tell you why. 

For those in Brighton, Toorak, Malvern, Armadale and Hawksburn – the suburbs Mr Price had singled out – housing affordability is out of reach.  

Even for those who grew up in those homes. 

You grow up only knowing one community – I know for me that was Glenroy and Coburg – and you feel at home there. 

Your parents live there in your childhood home.  

Nan and Pop live around the corner, just a few minutes’ drive. 

You know the quickest path through the side streets to get to Coles and you feel like you are the only one of your uni and work mates lucky enough to know the best coffee and bagel place in all of Melbourne. 

But then what happens? 

You enter the real world – and you enter the housing market. 

And you can no longer live anywhere near your family. 

It is just too out of reach; too expensive. 

I know I had that experience. 

I know many families across Victoria are experiencing that currently. 

You hear a lot in this place about aspiration. 

The aspirational class and people’s aspirations for a better life - this is the next battle in aspiration. 

The future of it all.  

The Australian dream, the Victorian dream, or as the Premier said back in November, the fight of her life – the fight of all our lives. 

We must make it manageable for families to stay together. 

And get them into the housing market.  

President, the disrespect in which this debate is happening has been shameful and wrong. 

Many in this chamber would remember the time the Member for Northern Victoria weighed in on the debate about social housing. 

Do you remember what was said?  

That it would be somewhat inappropriate for a low-income family to move into Brighton. 

Not in my Brighton, not in my Bayside. 

Her principal objection to building social housing in the area was the prospect that a low-income welfare-dependent family would have to attend the same school as other kids, with different sneakers and iPhones. 

From a Liberal Housing Minister. 

Not sure why the Liberals have a housing minister if they don’t want to build housing.  

Four years of failure, four dark years from 2010 to 2014. 

Years of incompetence and paralysis. 

Where the Coalition let social and affordable housing take a back seat while they went to work carving up Melbourne for unrestricted development with no consideration for the future. 

I think many of us would remember the time when the then Minister for Planning in the other place, the Member for Bulleen, who earned himself the nickname “Mr. Skyscraper” – we actually have a plan.  

He had a knack for letting private developers rip without any plan: with no infrastructure ready, no schools, no hospitals. 

And most importantly, President, no plan for families. 

And to this day, they still take any and every opportunity to make sure working people can never get a leg up. 

In November, the Premier made a bold new announcement to establish 25 new activity centres across Melbourne. 

These activity centres would build more homes where Victorians need them – around public transport hubs like train stations, shops, doctors and chemists. 

In my community of Southern Metro, it is a fact that more and more young people are looking to move further and further away for their home, because it is becoming simply unaffordable. 

For the average student, who is juggling university with casual jobs to afford rising rents - suburbs like Brighton are simply unaffordable. 

That is why the Allan Labor Government is investing in housing and investing in the future for young people. 

Housing supply is critical to making sure we address rising rents. 

It is possibly the most basic economics lesson you can give; the fundamental laws of supply and demand. 

Though for some the rationality of a market economy is not strong enough to counter the Liberal Party’s NIMBY tendencies.  

Enough so that when the Premier announced these new activity centres, the Party once again showed their true colours. 

The Member for Brighton in the other place, doubled down and rocked up with an armada to protest new housing – in true Liberal fashion. 

 The photos were a treat, Mr President, and I would encourage you to have a look at them, if you haven’t the chance by now. 

At some point between Robert Menzie’s reign and the modern day, the Liberal Party transformed itself from a libertarian party into a conservative party. 

They’re less concerned with empowering ordinary Australians - first homebuyers and renters - and more concerned about their own backyard. 

Stopping ordinary people moving in down the street has taken higher priority in the minds of Liberals like the Member for Brighton. 

It is a pattern of behaviour. 

In 2017, when a proposal suggested building 207 apartments in Hampton, the Member for Brighton folded his arms and opposed it. 

Similarly, the neighbouring Member for Sandringham decided to oppose a proposal for over one thousand apartments, 1048 to be exact, locking out hundreds and maybe a thousand young professionals, parents, families, and students from living in a beautiful suburb like Sandringham. 

That’s not to mention the fact that the lack of housing supply means that when younger people do want or need to move out of their parents’ house, they won’t be even able to buy or rent a place nearby. 

The prospect of young people being able to actually live in the places they grew up in frightens those Opposite. 

Because it’s not about helping first homebuyers to them. 

It’s not about making sure there are enough homes and apartments available for renters to stay in. 

They want to freeze time and let the world pass them by, with no concern for where these renters and prospective homeowners will go. 

Kicking the can down the road – or out of your backyard – doesn't fix the problem. 

And ultimately, forcing Melbourne to sprawl into suburbs forever and ever will cause trouble for the inner city too with time, as congestion builds up and there’s more pressure on our inner suburbs. 

To make sure there are enough homes to house our growing population, we have to build homes where it just makes sense, and that includes train stations. 

Building more homes around train stations takes pressure off our roads, which means people get to work faster, and also reduces our carbon emissions. 

The Allan Labor Government is working hard to make sure young people can and will have a future in our city. 

Melbourne is projected to have the same population as London has today in around 25 years. 

And if one were to visit London, they’d see that they have several apartment complexes with higher density built around train stations – because that's the smart thing to do. 

That is how you build up a city instead of building out, and how you keep pressure off the roads while reaping the benefits of a growing community. 

I understand that wanting Victoria’s economy to be more dynamic, prosperous and diverse may not be the first instinct or an inclination for the Liberals. 

After all, in the past thirty odd years they’ve had two governments who in their own way left their own stain on this state. 

The last Liberal Government managed to cobble together a dysfunctional team. 

One that mass approved skyscrapers with a plan to deal with the population crunch. 

One with members such as the Member for Northern Victoria in the housing driver’s seat while also opposing social housing developments in Brighton because of kids owning iPhones. 

And before that, the Coalition unleashed the mania that was the Kennett Liberal Party. 

Nothing reflects the contempt the Liberal and National Parties have for young people like closing over 300 public schools. 

Whole families were destroyed, parents sacked, and students were thrown out of their schools and disrupted from their learning. 

They don’t do, they block. 

But we do. 

We heard in October, when the then-Leader of the Opposition said on Raf Epstein that ‘there is nothing there’ and we ‘haven’t dealt with the issues blocking houses from being built.’ 

What does that even mean?  

This is what we are doing. 

He said they would have a different approach, that they would scrap the Activity Centres, because you can’t put them in ‘established areas.’  

What does that mean? 

If they won’t put them there, will they put them anywhere? 

They are not experts in building homes, they’re experts in blocking them. 

It is entirely hypocritical for the Coalition to talk about housing, when there is no other political party in this room that has worked harder to stop the construction of higher density housing in their respective electorates. 

It’s also why they will never be able to deal with the housing markets pressures if elected. 

They are not leaders in any regard. 

The Liberal Party would not even attempt to lead the state and bring constituents along with them, they would try to keep things as they are, twiddling their thumbs in hopes things would magically get better. 

Economic lessons: 

The Australian market is at a structural disadvantage compared to other comparable OECD, and advanced economics, on housing market metrics. 

For instance, a Parliamentary Research Paper from New South Wales found that the elasticity of the Australian housing market was at 0.5 – that is considered intermediate, and far below our peers like the United States, who have an elasticity of 2.0, or four times our levels, or Sweden at 1.4. 

Why is this important? 

I want to quote from the report: 

‘The elasticity of supply is a measure of the responsiveness of housing supply to an increase in demand or house prices. Technically, this covers both the supply of new-build housing and the supply which occurs from within the established dwelling stock. However, the latter is difficult to observe and has not been subject to much previous research. Housing supply elasticity has therefore become synonymous with new housing supply. It is defined as the percentage change in housing stock that arises due to a 1% change in price. For instance, suppose a rise in demand for housing increases house prices by 1%. If housing supply elasticity is 0.62, it can be expected that the housing supply will expand by 0.62% in response to this 1% increase in price.’ 

Thank you to Professor of Economics Rachel Ong ViforJ and Professor of Property and Housing Economics Chris Leishman, for their work in this space. 

As you can see, if there is an elasticity level greater than one, it means that a price increase in the market causes a proportionally larger increase in the housing stock. 

But it is not clear that happens in Australia – or Victoria. 

That is where Government comes in. 

And the Allan Labor Government is committed to coming in – we must fill this gap. 

And the basic law is that for housing stock per capita to increase over time, new homes need to be completed at a rate that surpasses population growth. 

Unfortunately, Australia is below the OECD average on dwellings per 10 thousand people – with Italy the highest at 600, Australia just above 400 and the OECD average at just below 450. 

Yet despite all of that, recent ABS data has showed Victoria was number one in the country for home approvals, home construction starts, and home construction completions. 

So, we are at a structural disadvantage as a country, but as usual, Victoria is punching above its weight – doing more. 

We’re delivering more social and affordable homes. 

And that means the SRL – which is not only Australia’s largest infrastructure project in history, but Australia’s largest housing project. 

But we know we need to do more. 

Now we are building more homes a year as a percentage of the current housing stock than the OECD average, but we are also growing faster – so the question of how to grow that stock is a big deal, and a big question. 

We’re building more homes than any other state. 

That means more than 60,000 home completions over the last 12 months – nearly 15,000 more homes than New South Wales. 

And I could only imagine how many more it would be over South Australia, that state the Victorian Liberals so desperately want us to copy and be like. 

The numbers couldn’t be starker. 

ABS data released shows Victoria built 60,606 homes over the year – a 7.5 per cent increase year on year, while New South Wales built 46,573 homes – a 3.9 per cent decline year on year. 

But if it were up to the Victorian Coalition, we would have achieved nothing like this – they would have just blocked and blocked and continued to block. 

How are we going to achieve this? 

The More Homes Bill. 

This Bill is a game changer – and will slash stamp duty on eligible off-the-plan apartments, units and townhouses. 

This 12-month concession will cut upfront costs for getting into a home – making it more affordable for all Victorians. 

This will boost construction, and the concession will affect across the state, fighting the houses crisis. 

The concession provides a deduction, and a big one, of 100 percent of construction and refurb costs when determining how much stamp duty is payable. 

While 348.8 million was cut from the social housing fund in the Liberal National Coalitions 2011-2012 budget, we are doing the opposite. 

While they cut another 1.8 million from housing assistance and support programs the year later, we are doing the opposite. 

While they cut another 13.1 million from housing assistance and support programs the year after that, 3 years in a row, we are doing the opposite. 

And President, to sum up the last Liberal Government, or four years of cuts, they cut another 210 homes from the social housing acquisition program in the Liberal National Coalitions last budget in 2014-2015. 

Well done to everyone who was involved in crafting this Bill. 

And President, I encourage my community of Southern Metro to look into this plan if they haven’t already, and see what we are doing. 

You can learn more at www.sro.vic.gov.au/temporary-plan-duty-concession. 

Our plan has also included approving the big projects that Victorians want – right near the places that Victorians want to live, which includes my beautiful community of Southern Metro. 

President, at the end of 2024 we approved three new residential buildings in Docklands – that means almost 1 thousand homes added on the Waterfront. 

And there are the 915 new homes to be built in new buildings at Collins Wharf – nearly doubling the joint. 

This half a billion-dollar project includes two 28 story buildings and another 16-story building. 

Housing 

President, as you know, the Allan Labor Government is the only government that can deliver for our regions in Victoria. 

It was 25 years ago that much of regional Victoria turned red. 

And for good reason. 

And lucky for us too – because part of that crop was our Premier, the Member for Bendigo East. 

Because it is not just the cities that need more homes built. 

But it is the regions. 

Our regions face a massive challenge of resources and getting the tradies out to regional Victoria to build new homes. 

But that is what the Allan Labor Government is doing. 

We are getting on with it. 

Duties Amendment (More Homes) Bill 2024 

And President, I am sure as a house we will have an opportunity to further discuss this Bill at great length, but to reiterate a few points. 

We introduced the Duties Amendment Bill 2024. 

And as the Treasurer made clear, and I quote:  

It is a temporary measure to encourage more off the plan purchases of apartments and townhouses by providing a land transfer duty benefit to purchasers, including investors, who are not eligible for existing off-the-plan concessions that are currently available for first home buyers and owner-occupiers. 

As the motion signifies, the Liberal and National Coalition have shown no regard for the wellbeing and dignity of their most vulnerable constituents. 

And it is these sorts of Bills that aim to do that. 

And by opposing them, the Coalition has shown themselves for what they truly are. 

It is the same for the Short Stay Levy. 

That Bill was passed without amendment in this place on the 17th of October 2024, and later passed in the Legislative Assembly on the 29th of October.  

Thankfully. 

Thankfully, sounder heads prevailed. 

But it is this that shows what the Coalition is about. 

When the Coalition opposed the Short Stay Levy, they are telling their communities – the most vulnerable in their communities – that they will oppose Homes being built in Victoria. 

That they are opposing Homes Victoria’s work in building and maintaining social and affordable housing across Victoria. 

Mr Welch claimed we vilified the outer suburbs, and particularly called out urban ghettos in his adjournment matter on the 29th of October. 

When talking about social homes. 

Is that what he truly thinks of Victorians in these communities? 

That they live in ghettos? 

Has he ever ventured out of Yan Yean? 

Has he ever ventured out of McEwen? 

Does he even know what my community of Southern Metro - that includes many public housing towers and social and affordable housing in the Electorates of Prahran and Albert Park in particular – looks like? 

Notes – added 

President, democracy is about choices. 

Our side believes in social housing – the leader of the opposition does not.  

Nor do his shadow cabinet. 

The last time they were in power, they just cut cut cut.  

Let’s not forget that in 2021, the then-Leader of the Opposition jumped on the back of a ute in Hawthorn to oppose a social housing project the Government is delivering in Bills Street. 

A housing project that I know very well, having had the honour to visit with successive Ministers for Housing, first Minister Brooks in the other place, and of course now Minister Shing in this place.  

While the then-leader of the opposition tried to block those houses, we built them – he is a blocker, but we build things. 

At the Bills Street Hawthorn development, tenants have been moving in since the 18th of July last year. 

If the opposition had their way, not only would the homes have not been built, but the jobs around them would not exist. 

This development has provided 206 social and affordable homes and has created 890 jobs. 

I think that’s just great. 

Since November 2020, we have built more than 15 thousand homes or are in the process of building them, as part of capital programs right across government. 

That includes the Big Housing Build, Regional Housing Fund, Ground Lease Model 1, Public Housing Renewal Program and the Social Housing Growth Fund. 

That includes more than 10 thousand homes which have been built or are on the way to be built as part of the Big Housing Build – and the more than 5 thousand households, that means families, friends and everyone in between. 

Those people who have moved in or are almost ready to move into their brand-new homes. 

And I have seen it firsthand -the difference a new home makes. 

Like in Bang Street, just a few hundred metres from my office. 

We are delivering over 13 thousand 300 social and affordable homes as part of the 6.3-billion-dollar Big Housing Build and Regional Housing Fund.  

And last year, we announced the location of 1 thousand of them – a game changer for the communities where they are located. 

These new and refurbished homes, include 700 public housing homes – making it easier to get a roof over your head. 

In regional Victoria over 3,100 homes are complete or underway under the Big Housing Build and planning is well underway to deliver more than 400 homes through the renewal of regional neighbourhoods like Delacombe in Ballarat, Benalla West, Virginia Hill in Bendigo and Ormond Road, Geelong East.    

But we have done more than that – and we are continuing to do more than that.  

We are currently delivering 1370 new homes across four Ground Lease Model sites at Essex Street in Prahran, Simmons Street in South Yarra, Barak Beacon in Port Melbourne and Bluff Road in Hampton East.  

I  also visited Markham Avenue in Ashburton with my good friend, the Member for Ashwood in the other place. 

He knows the value of social housing. 

Along with Dunlop Avenue in Ascot Vale and Tarakan Street in Heidelberg West, which are providing another 304 social homes and 204 affordable homes. 

Check dates 

President, this side of the chamber is committed to delivering. 

And that is what this motion is all about. 

It is about showing what those opposite are really about. 

From our new building watchdog with teeth to protect Victorians – directing builders to fix substandard work, before, during and after the settlement and move in date. 

This will help make homes more affordable, reducing the need for costly repairs and endless pain because of dodgy builders. 

Or the new land we unlocked in Kew, closer to transport, the amazing schools of Southern Metro and the parks that define our community. 

This will deliver more than 500 new homes in Kew. 

I want to thank the Minister for Precincts in the other place for his work on this. 

As part of our landmark, nation leading, and forward-thinking Housing Statement – at least 10 percent of the dwellings on these sites will be affordable homes. 

We have a plan for affordable housing. 

The Liberals and the Nations do not. 

President, the Allan Labor Government is going to deliver at least 9 thousand homes across 45 sites right across our state. 

And we will achieve this by having a plan. 

By unlocking and rezoning surplus government land. 

As the Minister for Precincts wisely said: ‘the status quo isn’t an option.’ 

And we know that is true. 

We can’t go on like this – we need to make a change. 

We can’t allow those opposite to continue to say, “not in my backyard.” 

We can’t allow those opposite to continue to say, “not in my Brighton.” 

This isn’t just a challenge some communities need to face. 

We are all in this together. 

Our plan for 50 activity centres across Melbourne is just that. 

From Broadmeadows, Camberwell, Chadstone, Epping, Frankston, Moorabbin, Niddrie and North Essendon, Preston and Ringwood. 

As Dr Stephen Glackin, an expert on urban planning from Swinburne University has said, he was taken aback by the scope of the overhaul – our boldness.  

Our vision. 

Because that is what this side of the chamber is about. 

That bold vision – doing what matters. 

Because as Dr Glackin correctly said, it is the right thing to do. 

It is the right thing for Melbourne. 

And while the Coalition continues to undermine homes being built in Victoria, I want all my community of Southern Metro to know that it is their fault. 

That they are the blockers. 

The ones not getting things done. 

And the Allan Labor Government are the builders. 

Don’t just take our word for it. 

You can see the results. 

The community knows we can build things. 

From the Northeast Link and Metro Tunnell to countless level crossing removals – so many that I have lost count. 

To record numbers of schools and train stations. 

Under the leadership of Daniel Andrews and the Andrews Labor Government, to now, the Allan Labor Government’s bold plan to get millennials into homes – we are the only party that can get it done. 

And that is what we will do. 

And by moving this motion today, the house record will show, that left of center governments are the only governments that deliver housing in Victoria. 

So, I encourage the Greens to get behind this motion as well – put your vote where your values are. 

I commend the motion to the house.