Wednesday, 10 September 2025

Ministers statements: housing

Jacinta ALLAN (Bendigo East – Premier) (14:11): Here in Victoria we are not just keeping up with the housing race across Australia, we are leading it. We are number one in home approvals, number one in home starts and number one in home completions.

Members interjecting.

The SPEAKER: The member for Polwarth can leave the chamber for half an hour.

Member for Polwarth withdrew from chamber.

Jacinta ALLAN: In the last 12 months Victoria has built nearly 60,000 new homes – 15,600 more than New South Wales, 26,000 more than Queensland. This morning, along with the Minister for Planning, we released our plan to continue to build more homes with the draft maps released for 25 new train and tram activity centres – more homes where families want to live, near train stations but also close to jobs, close to services and close to the people they love. It is in places along the Upfield line, where we have removed level crossings and are running more trains from next year, and it is along the Belgrave and Lilydale lines in places like Hawthorn, Glenferrie and Auburn – some of Melbourne’s most connected suburbs, like this morning in Kew at the junction of the 48 and 109 trams. Consultation is open right now to hear from the local community. That of course builds on the consultation that has already been happening.

But we know not everyone agrees. Just this morning someone in this place said that no-one asked for these homes. Well, I say this –

Members interjecting.

Jacinta ALLAN: I again thank the member for Sandringham for his reminder about the house. Maybe no-one at a Brighton branch meeting asked for this, but I say this: anyone under the age of 50 is asking for this every single day – a chance to live close to where they grew up, close to family and close to the jobs and services that they need to build their future.