‘Aussie battlers’ miss out on homes grants

PRIME Minister Scott Morrison’s $688 million HomeBuilder plan was heavily criticised yesterday for failing to help Aussie battlers.

But Mr Morrison hit back, saying the $25,000 grants were targeted to prevent scammers “having a lend” and using it to put new cabinets in every kitchen in the country.

The grants are aimed at people building a new home up to the value of $750,000, or those looking to carry out substantial renovations between $150,000 and $750,000.

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese said the strict criteria meant many people would not be able to access the cash.

“We’re concerned about the targeting of this package,” he said. “This package today will require $150,000 of expenditure at a time of economic uncertainty,” Mr Albanese said.

“Not many people have $150,000 ready to go, ready to sign a contract, when their jobs and the economic uncertainty that is out there will provide a hindrance to that investment.”

The HomeBuilder plan also came under fire for failing to provide any social housing.

Labor housing spokesman Jason Clare said: “There’s not many Australian battlers who have a lazy $150,000 to renovate their bathroom or the kitchen.”

Mr Morrison went on a media blitz yesterday to explain that the grant was specifically targeting major renovations to try and avoid the scams that plagued Labor’s pink batts scheme during the global financial crisis.

“If it’s replacing every kitchen cabinet in the country, then, you know, someone’s going to have a lend of that, there’s no doubt about that,” Mr Morrison said on 2GB.

“I’ve heard Anthony Albanese bang on about that today. They clearly haven’t learnt the lessons from when they spent all that money all those years ago. So we’ve been very careful about that. It uses the same systems that the state governments have when they do their new construction grants.”

National Electrical and Communications Association chief executive Suresh Manickam

complained: “What we really need is industry-wide measures that will support lower value projects, which will protect jobs while benefiting more Aussie households.”

However, Urban Taskforce chief executive Tom Forrest was happy with the grant.

“This direct stimulus for the construction sector is very welcome,” he said.

“As current works-in-progress are completed, this stimulus will help fill the order book and keep thousands of workers employed in the residential construction sector.”