The Nationals WA have unveiled a billion-dollar commitment to deliver an unprecedented investment into Government Regional Officer Housing (GROH) and social housing in regional and remote areas.
Leader of The Nationals WA Shane Love MLA unveiled the Building Regional Homes Program today, which will deliver up to 1,000 new GROH homes and 500 additional social housing properties in regional WA over the next decade.
The Building Regional Homes Program will invest $100 million annually for the next 10 years to expand both GROH and social housing stock across regional WA.
“Housing is the biggest issue facing WA right now. That’s why The Nationals are committed to Building Regional Homes,” Mr Love said.
“This is a long-term plan to deliver a long-overdue expansion of GROH housing, providing high-quality, affordable accommodation for key workers like teachers, police and healthcare professionals which are desperately needed in our regions.
“And we’re supporting our most vulnerable regional residents by transitioning hundreds of properties to social housing.”
For every two new GROH homes constructed, an existing GROH home will be transferred to social housing for a 15-year period, before being sold on the private market. All proceeds from these sales will be reinvested directly back into the program, creating a sustainable, long-term housing program for regional WA.
“This will deliver a net increase to GROH and social housing year-on-year, provide certainty for the construction sector in regional and remote areas, and support long-term procurement and planning, ensuring WA taxpayers get the best value for their money,” Mr Love said.
“And in time, this program will help create a steady stream of affordable housing for first home buyers as this housing enters the private market.”
Mr Love said every regional area would benefit from the Building Regional Homes Program, with a focus on areas with the greatest need, with the Pilbara, West Kimberley and Goldfields identified as high-priority areas.
“These are some of the most challenging regions to attract the essential staff we need to ensure our regional communities are safe, sustainable, and successful.”
The Nationals WA have also announced an audit of all public construction projects within 200 days of forming Government to identify constraints impacting housing supply.
“This audit will help us reprioritise infrastructure spending and create a 10-year plan to fast-track housing construction and shift the focus back to what matters most – getting homes built for WA families,” Mr Love said.
“We’re Building Regional Homes, because nothing is more important than having a place to call home.”
The Nationals WA Housing Spokesperson and Legislative Council candidate Rob Horstman said there would also be opportunities to work with local governments in a meaningful way to boost GROH supply even further.
“Local governments have a strong track record of delivering infrastructure investment in their communities faster and more cost-effectively,” Mr Horstman said.
“The Nationals will work closely with local governments on a model which can leverage this investment to deliver additional housing, while also ensuring those with smaller ratepayer bases aren’t left behind.
“Under our plan, the burden will never fall on local governments to fund the full cost of housing for essential Government employees.”
Mr Horstman also slammed WA Labor’s track record on regional housing.
“Since 2017, WA Labor has added just 58 new GROH homes, while WA’s population has grown by over 400,000, and their track record on social housing is even worse, with the number of new homes actually going backwards,” he said.
The Nationals WA have committed over $2 billion towards solving WA’s housing crisis including:
• $1 billion for the Building Regional Homes Program to build over 1,500 new GROH and Social Homes in regional WA.
• $1 billion for the Regional Headworks Fund to unlock land for development
• $160 million to abolish stamp duty for first home buyers, helping young Western Australians enter the housing market.
• $20 million to deliver HomeBuild Relief Payments for up to 2,000 WA families impacted by construction delays
• $10 million to support homelessness initiatives across WA
