Last week, I spoke to a woman in my electorate whose story has stayed with me. Cherie lives in a two-bedroom house with her husband and three neuro-diverse children in Wodonga.  

The high cost of living, and the additional costs of care and support for her children, mean Cherie’s family are in severe financial distress.

They now face a 10% rent increase – which they simply can’t afford.  

Their search for a new rental is fruitless, knocked back in application after application after application.  

Cherie told me that “We are trapped in this constant cycle of renting and moving every year… We will never be able to give our kids stability or a permanent home.” 

I wish I could say this were an exceptional story, but it isn’t.  

That’s why I’m working every single day to put forward practical solutions in this place that will help families in my electorate to find that stable home.  

For more than two years, I have been working for greater Commonwealth investment in the enabling infrastructure we need to unlock more housing. 

I knew this was where we should focus because it’s what I heard from families trying to build new homes, from local governments trying to unlock more housing, and from the builders and developers ready to break ground.  

As the Independent Member for Indi, I have taken stories like Cherie’s and the experiences in my region and created policy solutions that would meet those needs – specifically to open up more land for housing. 

So I welcome the Coalition’s recent announcement of a housing infrastructure fund, which mirrors my calls for a $2 billion regional housing infrastructure fund. 

It’s why I welcomed the Government’s Housing Support Program when it was announced last year – just one week after I put my infrastructure plan to the Prime Minister.  

The goods news is we now have both major parties singing to the same tune – an understanding that if we’re going to solve this housing crisis, it’s going to start with more pipes, paths, and poles.  

It also shows the crucial role of the crossbench in driving forward the policy debate in this country. From the housing debate to integrity to the energy transition – the crossbench is working constructively with industry, experts and the community to put forward practical and ambitious policies that address the challenges we face as a nation.   

I can’t stomach it when the major parties play politics over housing – it does nothing to help people like Cherie and her family. 

It’s why every single day, I am working hard with community to deliver solutions that will help more Australians into stable and secure homes where they and their families can thrive.