2024 is drawing to a close, yet the Housing crisis continues unabated in Australia. Right across the nation including in regional areas, housing is less affordable and harder to find than at any point in our lifetimes.   

House prices continue to grow, and the average home now costs more than 16x the average annual income. Renters are applying for 10, 20 or 50 properties without success, because in many towns vacancy rates are below 1 per cent. 

For an average aged care worker, it would take up to 19 years to save for a home deposit. For a childcare worker – some of our most underpaid and undervalued workers – this figure is an astonishing 30 years. How can it have gotten to this? 

The sad reality is that for an entire generation of Australians, home ownership – or even a secure rental – feels out of reach and unattainable.  

The simple and sad fact is that hard work and homeownership have become disconnected in this country. Whereas it used to be that anyone with a decent job could buy a home, it is now your parent’s wealth that often determines your chances of home ownership. 

As a regional Independent, I also know that the housing crisis is experienced differently in the regions. In my electorate of Indi, I heard from a family of five on two good incomes crammed into a two-bedroom unit. I hear from key workers – in teaching, healthcare or construction – who can’t take up vital jobs in our regions because there’s simply nowhere to live. We know young couples right across Australia are putting off having children because of the lack of affordable and secure housing. The situation in the regions is dire. 

One woman told my office recently that “we are trapped in this constant cycle… We will never be able to give our kids stability or a permanent home.” 

Unfortunately, I’m concerned the Government doesn’t fully realise what the housing crisis looks like in regional Australia. Despite more than $30 billion in new housing commitments, as this Government is quick to spruik, it has delivered no funding or programs specifically focussed on increasing supply in the regions.  

So, while Labor, Liberals and the Greens play political games over housing legislation in the Other Place, I remain focused on solutions to the housing crisis in regional, rural and remote Australia.

By listening to my community, local governments, builders and developers, I know that a major barrier to building new housing is the lack of critical enabling infrastructure. This means the sewerage, water connections, electricity poles, roads and footpaths that must be built before new houses can go up.  

It’s not shiny, but it’s critically important. Unfortunately, regional communities struggle to attract the capital investment from developers to build this infrastructure, and regional councils with low rate-payer bases can’t fund it on their own. 

It’s why, for more than two years, I’ve been calling for a Regional Housing Infrastructure Fund that would help build the paths, poles and pipes to unlock more housing.  

It’s why I’m glad that both major parties have now adopted versions of my policy – even if it is a little late. The Government’s Housing Support Program and the Opposition’s Housing Infrastructure Fund show that as an Independent, when we listen to the needs of our community to come up with solutions, we can influence the policies of the major parties and the actions of government.  

Unfortunately, neither major party has a plan to address the unique housing supply challenges facing regional communities – they’re too focussed on the major cities and the outer suburbs.  

That’s why I’m introducing my Fair Share For Regional Housing Bill today. We must amend key housing legislation to ensure regional communities get a fair share of housing funding. We need to give local governments and utilities companies a bigger, fairer, slice of the pie – because without them the builders, developers and community housing providers simply won’t be able to build the houses we need in regional Australia. 

This Bill amends the Housing Australia Act 2018 and the Housing Australia Future Fund Act 2023 to specifically address the regional housing crisis. 

Firstly, my Bill amends the objects of Housing Australia and the HAFF. It adds that an object of Housing Australia – and a function of the HAFF – is to address the housing needs of people in regional, rural and remote Australia.   

Secondly, it requires the Minister to scrutinise the action needed to ensure Housing Australia distributes at least 30 per cent of its funds – including through the HAFF – to projects in regional, rural and remote Australia. The Minister would also have to table in the Parliament reports on how it has complied with this requirement – ensuring we all know whether the Government is doing enough for regional Australia. 

Thirdly, it makes it absolutely clear in the legislation that both local governments and utility providers are eligible for HAFF funding and should be supported by Housing Australia.  

Fourthly, it would increase transparency by requiring Housing Australia’s Annual Reports to set out the amount of funding distributed to each State and Territory, to each Council and water corporation, and to each area of regional, rural and remote Australia. This will give the public line of sight on exactly where Commonwealth housing funding is going. Because right now, we can’t see it. 

Fifthly, the Bill ensure critical enabling infrastructure is eligible for HAFF funding. The current legislation does not make this clear – so I’m making sure that Housing Funds can build the supporting infrastructure that unlocks homes close to where people work, study and play.  

Finally, my Bill requires the statutory review of the HAFF to consider how the HAFF has met housing needs in regional, rural and remote Australia. 

This Bill is needed, because the Government and the Opposition are too focused on the cities when it comes to the housing crisis. Regional communities risk being left behind.  

This Bill will equip regional Australia to tackle the housing crisis head on – to build the homes that will support our regions for years and decades to come. With more well located and affordable housing – we can attract the workforce we need and ensure everyone has somewhere to call home.