LNP Commits to Securing Queenslanders’ Housing Foundations
The LNP’s key priorities for securing our housing foundations include:
- Enhancing housing affordability through increased land availability.
- Assisting Queenslanders in achieving homeownership.
- Developing strategic plans for every Queensland region to identify the necessary infrastructure and services for future growth.
- Collaborating with local governments to implement Regional Plans and provide more housing options for Queenslanders.
- Improving project management to ensure infrastructure is delivered on time and within budget.
- Strengthening project management capabilities within the public service.
- Delivering road projects designed to reduce congestion and get people home faster.
- Investing in water security and flood mitigation initiatives.
- Ensuring the Olympics and Paralympics are delivered with a focus on value for money and independence.
- Driving long-term benefits for all Queenslanders from the Olympics and Paralympics.
The LNP has committed to delivering 53,500 social homes by 2044. The plan to achieve this involves collaboration with faith-based and charity organisations, including the Brisbane Catholic Archdiocese and the Salvation Army, to build housing on surplus land. Current planning regulations will be amended to make this process easier and it will be completed in partnership with the community housing sector. An initial review has identified enough land for 2000 homes, and it is estimated that up to 10,000 homes could be built through this initiative.
The LNP highlights concerns about the growing issues in the housing system, with more individuals facing homelessness due to systemic cracks. It stresses the need for stability and reliability for those who assist the homeless, positioning them as “heroes” in this critical work. The commitment has been made that under an LNP government, all funding allocated in the budget for housing support and homeless services for the next four financial years will be guaranteed, ensuring continued support for those in need.
The LNP has committed to delivering:
- establishing eight new supported accommodation services for young Queenslanders
- enhancing after-hours outreach services for the homeless
- Creating or replacing ten domestic and family violence shelters for vulnerable women and children
- Extending the uplift funding to specialist homelessness until 2027-2028, emphasising the importance of long-term agreements to help attract and retain staff to these services.
The LNP promises to unlock housing for Queensland’s future by:
- Delivering 1 million new homes by 2044
- Creating updated regional plans and expedite approval processes
- Establishing a $2 billion infrastructure fund to support housing projects
- Increasing housing approvals by 25% within the next 5 years
- Providing 53,500 more social and community homes
The LNP commits to a major boost for homeownership in Queensland. They will:
- Eliminate stamp duty for first-time homebuyers on all new properties.
- Introduce a shared equity program.
- Enable property owners to rent out a room right away while keeping their First Home Owner Grant.
- Increase the stamp duty exemption threshold to $700,000 for first-time buyers of existing homes and partially up to $800,000, for first home buyers.
- Establish a Minister for Homeownership.
The LNP will introduce the Boost to Buy Program which will:
- Help 1,000 first-time homebuyers by closing the deposit gap through a new shared-equity program, providing a significant boost toward home ownership.
- Allow first-time buyers with a 2% deposit to move from renting to owning with government-backed equity.
- Increase housing supply, by offering up to 30% equity on new homes and up to 25% on existing homes, with a maximum property value of $750,000.
- Provide the option to “buy out” the government when it suits Queenslanders, making it easier to enter the property market sooner and at a lower cost.
The LNP will break down the barriers to building homes by:
- Fast-tracking development approvals and building new homes more quickly.
- Cutting through the red tape hindering new constructions by conducting a Productivity Commission Regulatory Review of the building sector.
- Increasing the number of tradespeople in Queensland by expanding vocational training opportunities.
- Speeding up utility connections for new housing projects, setting performance targets for government-owned utilities to help Queenslanders move into their new homes sooner.
Strict Approach to Youth Offending
The LNP takes a tough stance on youth crime, focusing on both stricter penalties for serious offenses and early intervention to prevent future criminal behaviour.
Key elements of their approach include:
- Adult Crime, Adult Time: The LNP plans to treat young offenders who commit serious crimes like adults, with harsher punishments for offenses such as murder, grievous bodily harm, and unlawful use of vehicles. This reflects their belief that serious crimes should have serious consequences, regardless of age.
- Criminal History in Sentencing: Under LNP proposals, youth offenders’ full criminal history, including police cautions and breaches of orders, will be considered during sentencing. This marks a shift from current practices, where past youth crimes may not be factored in. They argue that carrying over this history into adulthood will ensure better accountability and serve as a deterrent.
- Early Intervention Programs: The LNP also advocates for crime prevention through education and support, proposing initiatives like special schools and programs such as the $40 million “Right Track” program. These initiatives aim to re-engage at-risk youth through mentoring and community connections to prevent them from entering a life of crime.
- Judicial Reforms: The LNP proposes removing the legal provision that requires “detention as a last resort” for young offenders, arguing that this will allow courts more flexibility in handing down harsher sentences. They also support reopening the Children’s Court to media for increased transparency.