Labor has been crystal clear about our strong support for housing on UTAS’ vacant land above Churchill Avenue. Tasmania cannot afford to miss an opportunity to deliver nearly 2,000 new homes in an unprecedented period of housing unaffordability.

We welcomed the Liberals backflipping on their policy and following us yesterday. Will the Greens do the same?

Rosalie Woodruff was happy to point out the Liberals’ backflip to the media, but she failed to outline whether the Greens will continue to stand in the way of 2,000 new homes for Tasmania, or whether they’ll add their support.

It’s a puzzling position to take considering that Tasmania is in the middle of a housing crisis, with building activity at decade lows. Why would they want to stop a project that will deliver much needed housing? Why would they want to stand in the way of a state-of-the-art $500 million science and technology facility? Why would they want to stand in the way of thousands of construction jobs?

We must acknowledge that 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.

How do the Federal Greens feel about blocking the construction of 2,000 new homes?

Shane Broad MP
Shadow Minister for Housing
Shadow Minister for Planning
Shadow Minister for Building & Construction