Fed: Housing groups say stimulus is urgently needed

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2009
Fed: Housing groups say stimulus is urgently needed

By Susanna Dunkerley

CANBERRA, Feb 10 AAP - Private builders and public housing groups say the government's
economic stimulus package will benefit their sectors.

The government has put $6.6 billion on the table to increase the national stock of
public and community housing by about 20,000 units.

The package contains measures worth $42 billion aimed at heading off a looming recession
and jobs losses of up to 300,000.

The Master Builders Association (MBA) on Tuesday told a Senate inquiry the plan would
deliver a welcome boost to the sector.

"This will provide much needed jobs ... the housing sector is extremely sluggish at
the moment," MBA chief executive Wilhelm Harnisch told a public hearing of the inquiry
in Canberra.

The housing sector was in dire need of the stimulus.

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) said the plan was better than cutting charges
or taxes associated with new homes.

But HIA policy officer Chris Lamont said some amendments would be needed to speed up
the housing approval process.

"There is a requirement for an amended procurement strategy ... in order to deliver
this package efficiently and quickly," he told the inquiry.

The public housing sector also welcomed the plan, saying there was a shortfall of 180,000
low-income dwellings.

National Affordable Housing Summit chairman Julian Disney said it was a "very badly
needed package".

"The gravity of the need ... is huge," he said, adding there were up to a million Australians
finding rental properties unaffordable.

AAP sld/rl/tnf

KEYWORD: STIMULUS INQUIRY

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