Homing in on help
HINCHINBROOK MP Nick Dametto has again urged Labor to amend a policy that would make it more attractive to buy a home in regional Queensland.
Mr Dametto said Labor had continued to reject calls by Katter’s Australian Party to expand First Home Owners’ Grants to existing homes, saying the refusal had exacerbated the housing crisis in regional Queensland.
He said that under his plan, qualifying first-home owners would be able to access the $15,000 grant to buy an existing detached home or for improvements and renovations to a property under $300,000 in rural and regional Queensland. They could choose one option but not both.
Mr Dametto said an oversupply of housing stock in small country towns was among the issues affecting regional Queenslanders, particularly coastal rural communities and in the west.
“The state government should amend the current FHOG policy to include existing homes in regional Queensland to help regional communities grow and entice people to relocate to these areas,” he said. “We have very little rental stock and an oversupply of good homes on the market, this is a great way to get them moving.”
Mr Dametto said he requested a meeting with the Treasurer to discuss amending the grant in next year’s state budget.
He also asked affected local government areas such as Hinchinbrook Shire, Mount Isa City and Charters Towers
Regional councils for their support.
“Expanding the grant will give first-home owners the opportunity to substantially renovate an existing home, resulting in a boost in the renovation building trades,” he said.
KAP leader Robbie Katter said it was disappointing but not surprising that KAP was once again leading the charge on innovative policy solutions for the regions.
Mr Katter said the commercial banks’ lending criteria was applied prohibitively in
rural communities, echoing his calls for the establishment of publicly owned Regional Development Bank that better serviced borrowers irrespective of their geography.