Question Time

Benchmarking Adelaide Report

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA (Hartley—Leader of the Opposition) (14:10): My question is to the Premier. Is Adelaide less liveable under Labor? With your leave, sir, and that of the house, I will explain.

Leave granted.

The Hon. V.A. TARZIA: The Benchmarking Adelaide 2025 report found that Adelaide had moved down four spots for liveability, affordability and wellbeing, with the third highest share of income spent on rent. Residential vacancies in Adelaide are below 1 per cent, and Adelaide is now amongst the bottom 8 per cent for home ownership affordability in the English speaking world.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS (Croydon—Premier) (14:10): I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question. It goes to housing policy, which is a priority of this government, which stands in stark contrast to governments that have gone before it, particularly the last one. I am not too sure the Leader of the Opposition fully appreciates the way to address the housing crisis is to increase supply. To that end, what this government has undertaken is the most comprehensive housing policy agenda that we have seen in the state for some time. The way—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The Minister for Planning is on his final warning.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: The Minister for Planning has been, in conjunction with other key portfolios within the government, focusing on a comprehensive policy agenda to pull every lever that is at this government's disposal, in fact the state government's disposal writ large, to actually address the housing supply. So let's look at some of the measures that have already been enacted that are making a material difference. We have got one of the biggest releases of land that has ever occurred in the state's history. The state government is using this balance sheet through Renewal SA to procure and develop strategic infill in locations such as Keswick and Prospect Corner. We see it occurring, of course, at Thebarton at Southwark as one example.

We are investing in infrastructure, and none more important than water infrastructure. The former government allocated a whole $150 million to water infrastructure expenditure. We are spending $1.5 billion in the regulatory period on water infrastructure and pipes. Pipes are being laid in the ground of a size that haven't been laid in the ground for many, many decades in South Australia. The Leader of the Opposition, I am more than happy to afford him with a brief by SA Water on just how quickly that is being rolled out. You can go and visit some of those sites as we speak.

More than that, we have also undertaken important reforms for the rental sector, as the Leader of the Opposition referred to, that the Minister for Consumer Affairs brought through this parliament, which I think ultimately enjoyed bipartisan support, although there was a campaign from your predecessor against it in a way that raises genuine conflict of interest questions. But we have delivered reforms to improve renters' rights in South Australia in a complex market because we see that being important. Then, of course, on top of all of that, there are the efforts and investments that we are making in public housing. We are a government that stands alone in this regard. For 15 of the last 16 years in South Australia, we have seen governments reduce public housing stock. We have stopped the sell-off. We have stopped that sell-off—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: But under my government, we are—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Members on my left will come to order. The member for Hammond, the member for Chaffey, you are on your final warnings.

The Hon. P.B. MALINAUSKAS: The outgoing member for Morialta had his turn. He sat around the cabinet table. He decided to sell off housing stock, and in this government we have stopped selling off public housing stock and we are increasing public housing stock because we believe in the role that it plays within the community. On top of all of that, of course, there is the tax reform that we have made by abolishing stamp duty for new builds of first-home buyers in the state of South Australia. That is a serious policy. You observe the problem; we do something about it.