17 July 2024
The cost-of-living crisis in Australia has in many ways been driven by a reduction in supply of housing for our expanding population. Home ownership has become a dream for many in society and in recent years, the spike in rental prices have made many people question if they will be able to afford leased accommodation.
This housing crisis in regional areas is escalating into a health and employment crisis, affecting local employment, essential services, and the delivery of major national projects. The lack of worker accommodation is particularly detrimental not only to farmers but also to industries such as construction, manufacturing, and tourism.
TasFarmers has long been lobbying to improve policy settings to meet housing demand in regional areas. Last year, we advocated for federal funding of 30,000 homes in regional areas over five years to ensure farmers and workers have suitable accommodation.
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Additionally, we wrote to the state government, urging decisive action to address the problem as a priority. Specifically, we requested that the state government facilitate farmer-led investments in worker accommodation due to a shortage of housing stock across the state.
Feedback from our members also highlighted the scarcity of housing in regional areas and how previous restrictions under the Residential Tenancy Act created barriers for primary producers in attracting and retaining essential workers needed for their operations.
We have collaborated closely with Primary Employers Tasmania and Fruit Growers Tasmania during the recent state election to advocate for the exclusion of farmhouses from the Residential Tenancies Act, and for a reduction in bureaucratic hurdles after employment ends, to align Tasmania with legislation in Victoria and NSW.
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Last week, Minister for Small Business and Consumer Affairs, Madeleine Ogilvie announced after listening to our concerns, that amendments would be made to exempt farmhouses from legislation that required substantial notice periods to be provided by employers.
It was also pleasing to hear that our advocacy for allowing multiple dwellings on a single title, as well as the need to allow the use of temporary modular or transportable accommodation, will be permitted through an amendment to the act, enabling greater on-farm accommodation for workers.
As has been stated before in this column; by collaborating closely with farmers on the policy setting, pressure can be alleviated from the regional rental and property markets.
We believe these announced improvements will support primary producers across the state in expanding their businesses and contribute to Tasmania achieving a $10 billion farm gate value in agriculture by 2050.