Michael Ferguson,Minister for State Development, Construction and Housing
The Tasmanian Liberal Government has created an innovative grants program to help put roofs over the heads of more Tasmanians.
The Ancillary Grants Program provides $10,000 to support the construction of ancillary dwellings (also known as Granny Flats) as a way of adding extra living space to an existing home or backyard.
This is a $2.5 million program and so far almost 150 Ancillary Dwelling Grants have been issued, with building works already underway in many cases.
I would encourage anyone who hasn't already done so to consider taking advantage of this initiative and lodge an application before the end of June.
Ancillary dwellings are self-contained additional living spaces with a floor area of up to 60 square meters that add to an existing residence. They come in many forms and can be detached, like a granny flat, semi-detached, such as sharing an outside wall, or internal, like a self-contained downstairs area.
This program will help more Tasmanians add additional living quarters to their home, and support those looking for somewhere to rent.
Once built, applicants are required to make their new ancillary dwelling available for rental for at least two years. This is how the program is stimulating additional housing supply at a time when our population is growing.
