Sarah Courtney,Minister for Building and Construction
The Hodgman Liberal Government is a strong supporter of our building and construction industry, and we want to boost dwelling construction so more Tasmanians can be in a position to own their own home.
The Hodgman Liberal Government will extend the first home builders grant in the upcoming budget so more young Tasmanians can realise the dream of building their first home.
The extension comes after we doubled the first home builders grant to $20,000 in the 2016-17 Budget.
We understand that there is high demand for new housing, and the first home builders grant is one part of our multi-pronged approach to address housing stress in Tasmania.
According to the latest ABS figures, Tasmania continues to lead the nation in the annual growth in building approvals.
The number of dwelling approvals grew 24.1 per cent in March 2019 compared to March 2018, with Tasmania one of only two jurisdictions to record growth. This is in stark contrast to the sharp fall in ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ approvals, which was down by 22.4 per cent over the same period.
This initiative will give Tasmanians a greater opportunity to build and own their own home, adding to supply, and complementing the action the Government is taking through our Affordable Housing Strategy.
The extension of the grant will have positive flow-on effects for Tasmania’s booming building and construction industry, creating more work, and more jobs.
