In the middle of an unprecedented period of housing unaffordability, Tasmania cannot afford the miss an opportunity to deliver nearly 2,000 new homes – which is one of the key reasons why Labor is standing strongly against the Liberals’ bill to stop the UTAS move to the city.

Labor wants more housing for Tasmanians, and we want the jobs that come with new construction – including apprenticeships for our young people.

Labor stands for safe, secure and well-paid jobs. This is a chance to deliver a pipeline of work for the building industry, with construction of these houses set to create and sustain employment for years and help train a generation of new workers.

We must acknowledge the only serious answer to Tasmania’s housing challenge is to build more homes, and to build them faster. Developing housing at the Sandy Bay campus represents a chance to deliver a mix of apartments, medium density units and stand-alone housing – ideal for teachers, nurses, engineers and all the workers we’re struggling to find enough of.

The Liberal-Lambie Coalition plan will block one of the biggest housing projects in Tasmania. It will see unused land, and buildings that have long been vacated, remain vacant indefinitely. Blocking this project represents a huge backwards step in housing construction, and a blow to housing supply in Tasmania.

By saying no to this development, the Liberals are effectively saying no to addressing the housing crisis and saying no to thousands of safe, secure, and well-paid jobs.

Dean Winter MP
Labor Leader