Question without Notice to the Minister for Housing

Friday 18 June 2021

Amy MacMahon:

From the $1 billion housing trust announcement only $40 million per year will actually be spent on social housing. Can the minister explain to the 47,000 people waiting for social housing how 3,600 new homes will be built with only $160 million?

Leeanne Enoch:

I thank the member for the question. In terms of the fact that this is only the member for South Brisbane’s second budget, we can give a bit of leeway in terms of understanding how budgets work and how things happen. My office has certainly reached out to ensure the member for South Brisbane is fully briefed this afternoon and can understand how this all works.

However, what I think is a little harder to understand is why the Greens are on a unity ticket with the LNP on this matter—peddling this idea about not understanding how an investment fund works. We know why they are on a unity ticket. It is because they helped the member for South Brisbane get elected. The LNP and the Greens are so slow when it comes to the whole idea of an investment fund. If they were any slower they would need to get watered once a week. That is how slow they are. I make it clear that they do not understand how the fund works. I am sure that this afternoon the member for South Brisbane will get that information and will hopefully be across it.

This $1 billion housing investment fund is anticipated to generate annual cash returns. This is part of a broader set of investments that this government is making of $2.9 billion. This is the largest concentration of investment in social housing in this state. This is not just about building. It is about spot purchasing. It is about head leasing. It is about partnering with the private sector. It is about partnering with the community housing sector. It is about generating enough stock and seeing nearly 10,000 new properties added to the stock over the life of our strategy. It is an action plan that looks at innovative ways to build housing stock in this state.

I see the member for South Brisbane is continuing to shake her head. She is looking very similar to what those in the LNP do regularly when we talk about social housing. They continue to be on a unity ticket. It is a great shame. This side of parliament, the Palaszczuk government, will continue be very proud of the massive investment we have made in social housing. This morning the Treasurer and I were at a breakfast hosted by QCOSS. Let me tell members that the sector is absolutely ecstatic with this announcement. They fully understand how it works. We are proud of this announcement. We are proud of this investment in social housing. The sector is absolutely ecstatic.