KAP calls for housing submissions from regional and rural Queenslanders

6th January 2022

Nick Dametto MP.

Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) Deputy Leader and Hinchinbrook MP Nick Dametto is calling on the community to get their voices heard regarding the current housing and homelessness issues in the Hinchinbrook and Traeger electorates.

The Productivity Commission is conducting a review of the National Housing and Homeless Agreement (the Agreement) which examines how well the Australian, State and Territory Governments have achieved the objectives, outcomes and outputs outlined in the Agreement.[1]

The impact of social and economic factors, including the coronavirus pandemic, on housing and homeless in Australia are also factors that will looked at during the review.

Mr Dametto said that despite the review being administered by the Federal Government, with one of the KAP’s core values being Governments must implement policies to make home ownership attainable for all Australians, it was necessary to advocate on the matter.

“KAP fundamentally wants to see the current Governments empower Queenslanders to own their home and unfortunately I believe Queensland’s current social housing system fails to do so,” said Mr Dametto.

“We will continue to advocate for the First Home Owners Grant scheme amendments and we will continue to push for rent-to-own options, allowing social housing tenants payments to go towards eventually owning the property.

“At the end of last year, we saw the Communities and Housing Minister open a new $3.8m social housing complex in Kirwan. As much as I do applaud the Government for investing in North Queensland’s social housing system, the new complex only provides a home to 14 families or individuals.[2]

“I encourage rural and regional Queenslanders to provide your stories and point out the flaws in the current social housing system. I wish you didn’t have any bad experiences to talk about, but sharing these stories can be very powerful in terms of creating change.”

Submissions are due by Monday 21 February 2022 and can be submitted via the Australian Government Productivity Commission website, Housing and Homelessness Agreement page https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/housing-homelessness

—ENDS—

[1] https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/housing-homelessness

[2] https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/townsville/social-housing-complex-helps-with-accommodation-shortage/news-story/a28d4e3302f08aa1d48b7c20d0573e91