13th May 2015 – Senate Motions — That constraints on land supply are the principal cause of worsening housing affordability

Bob Day, on behalf of themselves and Senators David Leyonhjelm, Christopher Back, Matthew Canavan, John Williams, Cory Bernardi, John Madigan, Barry O'Sullivan and Bridget McKenzie, moved:

That the Senate—

(a) questions the restriction of land for new housing and subsequent pricing policies by state and territory land management agencies; and

(b) highlights the constraints on land supply which are the principal causes of worsening housing affordability.

Jan McLucas explained the Labor Party’s opposition to this motion:

The opposition cannot support the motion before the chamber. Labor recognises that timely and planned release of land for housing improves housing affordability. However, the issue of land release is but one element of a complex array of issues that affect the affordability of housing.

Scott Ludlam explained the Greens’ opposition to the motion:

The Greens do not have any objection to questions around restriction of land for housing development ... What we do object to, and why the Greens will not be supporting this motion, is that asserting that the constraints on land supply are the principal cause of worsening housing affordability dramatically oversimplifies an incredibly complex problem.

Both McLucas and Ludlam referred the people presenting this motion to the Senate Economics References Committee report Out of reach? The Australia affordable housing challenge.

This division is related to an earlier division, Motions — Housing Affordability, on the 18th of March 2015.