Michael Ferguson,Minister for State Development, Construction and Housing
The strong plan the Tasmanian Liberal Government took to the election includes a comprehensive approach to increase housing supply in Tasmania and help more people into home ownership.
Increasing house prices are a growing pain of our strong economy, and a reflection that Tasmania is one of the safest and most desirable places in the world to live, work and raise a family.
That's why we are delivering a range of measures designed to build more houses and make it easier to get into the market. These include;
- delivering 3,500 new social and affordable houses by 2027;
- Investing an additional $10 million into HomeShare to support low-income Tasmanians buy their own home;
- the widely successful HomeBuilder program, a joint initiative of the Australian and Tasmanian Governments, which saw more than 3,900 applications;
- investing $10 million into a 'headworks holiday' to unlock new land supply;
- boosting the First Home Owners Grant from $20,000 to $30,000;
- increasing housing supply with a $2.5 million new secondary dwelling incentive program;
- putting downward pressure on rent prices by delivering a reduction in land tax; and
- increasing the threshold for stamp duty concessions from $400,000 to $500,000 for Tasmanians buying their first home and pensioners downsizing.
Rather than talk our State down, Ms Dow should explain why Labor opposed these sensible and affordable polices, and instead wanted to jack up prices for sub-divisions and cripple new housing developments with their land tax smash and grab.
Tasmanians rejected Labor's half-baked and uncosted promises in favour of the majority Gutwein Liberal Government plan to increase housing stock and help home buyers - and we are getting on with the job of delivering.
