A new report has confirmed what Tasmanians struggling to find affordable housing already know - we are in the midst of a housing crisis, and the only thing the Rockliff Minority Government has built is a track record of failing to deliver.
Housing Industry Australia's Housing Scorecard has Tasmania ranked dead last in the country when it comes to housing performance, with a state score of just 30, a full 58 points behind South Australia.
The report shows Tasmania is the weakest state in the nation on five of 13 indicators, and the second or third weakest on another six. It's an embarrassing indictment on a government that has had more than a decade to act, but continues to let communities like mine in Pembroke down.
For too many people across the state, the dream of home ownership is slipping further out of reach - and even just finding a place to rent is becoming harder by the day. As a renter myself, I know how a lot of Tasmanians are feeling and I'm committing to holding this government to account for its atrocious record.
The Rockliff Minority Government has fast-tracked land that still sits empty, it's fumbled its own planning reforms and allowed red tape to strangle construction of new housing supply.
It's been 11 years since the Liberals promised to make planning fairer, faster, cheaper, and simpler with a single statewide planning scheme. Instead, nothing has happened, the system is becoming more complicated, inefficient, and out of touch with the needs of Tasmanians.
Last month saw the fewest housing approvals in eight years, and just six houses have been built on land with "fast-tracked" approvals in place statewide in the last seven years, not even one per year.
Tasmanians are crying out for more housing supply. Good development opportunities should be supported instead of stunted, and major projects must be green lit to boost the economy and provide thousands of safe, secure, well-paying jobs for Tasmanians.
Labor is back as the party supporting jobs and the economy. The Greens want to block everything, and the Liberals can't get anything done.
Luke Edmunds MLC
Shadow Minister for Finance
