Cassy O'Connor MP | Greens Leader
The Productivity Commission’s Report on Government Services (RoGS) has exposed the Rockliff Government’s failure to tackle the housing and rental crisis.
Despite the Liberal announcements, self-promotion and spin about their funding for social housing, the total social housing stock between 2021 and 2022 decreased by twelve homes.
It is therefore, no surprise, the liveability of public housing is also declining. This means those who can get homes will have to travel further to access services like healthcare and schools.
It is also a bigger problem for Tasmanians with more specific housing needs. With a very limited supply of homes available, people with disability can have huge difficulty finding fit-for-purpose homes.
The proportion of Tasmania’s public housing meeting the amenity and location needs for people with a disability has deteriorated from 79.7% in 2016, to 73.4% in 2021. Under Jeremy Rockliff, the State has dropped from the second worst of any jurisdiction, to the worst.
Housing quality and satisfaction indicators have also deteriorated across the board. Tasmanians are suffering under a government obsessed with a mega-stadium, ignoring the desperate need of Tasmanians struggling to find a home and to pay the rent.
Today’s figures paint a tragic picture of what should be a basic human right – a safe and secure home. All of this is only exacerbated by the Liberals’ refusal to regulate short stay accommodation.
Instead of tackling the housing crisis, the out-of-touch Liberals are pushing an unneeded, expensive stadium.
When Tasmanian are struggling to put a roof over their heads and to cover the rent, there is no case for Jeremy Rockliff’s billion dollar white elephant at Macquarie Point.