The Queensland Greens say the State Budget delivered today fails to adequately address the housing crisis, and are calling for a long term plan to diversify state revenue.
Lines attributable to Amy MacMahon, Greens MP for South Brisbane
“This budget will do nothing for everyday Queensland renters who right now face yet another staggering rent rise or whose rental home is being turned into an Airbnb - the best hope that Queensland Labor is giving them is a bed in an overcrowded inner-city hostel.
“The Treasurer is patting himself on the back for finding money for a measly 500 homes when there are nearly 50,000 people languishing on the social housing waitlist and hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders who are struggling to pay their rent or mortgage.
“$320 million for 500 additional social homes is a pathetic effort when, in the same speech, the Treasurer is spruiking our state’s $12 billion surplus.
“At the current commencement rate under Labor’s plan, the best case scenario would be that it will take nearly half a century to house all those people on the waitlist, nevermind that the waitlist is growing every day.
“And while Labor is giving massive tax concessions to wealthy property developers, there are no guarantees that these build-to-rent schemes will actually mean long-term affordable housing for everyday people.
“If the government truly wanted to fix the housing crisis with this budget, they would have committed to using our state’s immense wealth to build hundreds of thousands of good quality public housing homes.”
Lines attributable to Michael Berkman, Greens MP for Maiwar:
“Finally standing up to the coal lobby is great, but we can’t ride the coal royalties wave forever.
“The high prices sparked by war in Ukraine won’t last, and if the Government’s committed to climate action like they say, we need a long term plan to diversify our revenue.
“Show us you’ll take on the big banks and developers too, with a 0.05% levy on the big bank revenue, a 75% tax on windfall developer profits, and an inclusionary zoning strategy to mandate 25% of all new multi-residential developments be delivered as public housing.
“The Greens want an increased 35% base royalty rate on coal as it scales down over the next decade, and an increase to gas royalties to bring in billions of additional revenue.
“This Government is still cosying up to those making the climate and cost of living crises worse, with handouts for property developers and public money for gas corporations in this budget.”