Below is a summary of the key housing and homelessness content from the final PESRAC report and the Premier’s State of the State report 2021 (both released 16 March 2021)
- PESRAC report is available here
- Premier’s State of the State address to Parliament is available here
The PESRAC final report makes the following recommendation on Housing:
The State Government should develop a comprehensive Tasmanian Housing Strategy and drive practical actions to deliver more sustainable housing market outcomes across Tasmania for all Tasmanians. The strategy should encompass:
- population growth and settlement planning
- ageing and shifts in household composition
- land availability
- the interface between public and private markets
- taxes
- approvals and permitting
- sustainable housing – energy and water efficiency
- construction workforce availability; and
- alignment of essential social and economic infrastructure.
State of the State Initiatives:
- $150,000 for Master plan to redevelop the New Town site (Salvation Army) including new social affordable housing units and crisis accommodation
- A “broader housing policy framework that looks at the full array of housing market issues across both the public and private sectors”
- $10 million “Headworks Holiday” for new residential subdivisions, with up to $5000 per residential lot for power, and up to $5000 per residential lot for water and sewage infrastructure (not clear that CHPs can access this)
- Apartment Code to establish appropriate Permitted and discretionary assessment pathways for medium-density residential development (no mention of affordability or inclusionary zoning for these developments)
- A ‘no permit required’ pathway for landowners to construct ancillary dwellings on their properties, and the first 250 new ancillary dwellings that are made available for long-term rental for more than two years will receive a $10,000 payment. (This could potentially help some renters, but is not clearly targeted at low income households. How this would be managed and monitored is not clear)
- $500 000 to begin the work needed for a new Tasmanian-based therapeutic residential care program for Tasmanian young people with exceptional needs
- (already announced) $300 million into “the largest ever program of social and affordable housing in the history of the state”
- (already announced) “targeted actions to boost supply, support home ownership and put downward pressure on rents…”
- (already announced) “Ambitious pipeline” contracted now are 552 new dwellings to be added to social housing and supported accommodation, 103 more places in homeless accommodation, 764 social houses currently being contracted
- (already announced) extend funding for family and sexual violence service providers at the increased level of COVID-19 funding until 30 June 2022
Home ownership:
- Advertising and $10 million for HomeShare
- Conveyancing duty concession threshold increased from $400 000 to $500 000 providing relief of 50 percent
- Reset land tax thresholds; double the land value at which land tax becomes payable from $25 000 to $50 000
- Increase the maximum land value threshold from $350 000 to $400 000