The older parties need to wake up to the seriousness of the housing crisis in Macquarie. A recent report by the Urban Development Institute has found that the price of housing in the outer fringe areas such as the Blue Mountains has soared.
Safe, affordable housing is a right, not a privilege.
The Greens policy is for the not-for-profit sector to provide long-term, affordable and secure rental options for lower-income people to a far greater extent.
Currently in the Mountains, 17% of houses are rental properties, in Lithgow, 22% and in Bathurst it is 31%. Nearly 2 out of 5 renters pay more than 30% of their income in rent. Some are paying more than 50%. For these people home ownership is simply out of their reach. They are forced to struggle with increasing rents and have little security of tenure.
We cannot underestimate the hardship that the lack of affordable housing places on people. Life for people on low incomes in the Macquarie electorate can be a real struggle. A whole generation of young people in the area is struggling to pay the rent.
The situation for home-owners is little better, as mortgage rates climb again. Their fears of being unable to meet repayments are compounded by the increasing uncertainty of long-term, full-time employment as employers switch to Australian Workplace Agreements which reduce employees’ certainty of a decent and regular income.
I challenge the member for Macquarie, Kerry Bartlett to commit to a 20% minimum of all new developments to be set aside for affordable rent or sale. For home-owners, The Greens would provide subsidies and tax incentives to ensure the growth of a greater supply of affordable housing.
The older parties have consistently ignored this problem until very recently. Only now, after housing affordability is out of control, have the older parties taken any notice.
While concentrating on mortgage interest rates and their persuasive effect on voting intentions, the old parties have paid scant attention to the plight of renters.
What is needed is a program of subsides and tax incentives designed to increase the supply of affordable housing for rent for low and middle-income earners. Labor’s new policy to provide tax incentives to the private sector does not go far enough.
The Greens are committed to action on housing. It will be a top priority for our Macquarie election campaign.
14 August 2007
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Carmel, Senator Bob Brown and Senator Kerry Nettle
Rescue the Senate!
Re-electing NSW Senator Kerry Nettle is vital to rescue the Senate from control of the major parties. The Greens act as a brake on both the major parties. A change of Government won't be enough. We need The Greens in the Senate to keep the major parties honest.
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Re-electing NSW Senator Kerry Nettle is vital to rescue the Senate from control of the major parties. The Greens act as a brake on both the major parties. A change of Government won't be enough. We need The Greens in the Senate to keep the major parties honest.
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Carmel, Senator Bob Brown and Senator Kerry Nettle
About Carmel
Carmel is a member of the Blue Mountains Greens. She joined The Greens in 2004 to support Andrew Wilkie stand as the Bennelong Candidate for the Federal Election in 2004. She has practised as a pharmacist for 30 years. She is a Councillor on the P&C State Council and attends Saint Finbar’s, Glenbrook, where she is a cantor and choir member. Carmel is currently studying Horticulture and Landscape Design at Richmond TAFE.
Contact Carmel:
macquarie[at]greens.org.au
Contact Carmel:
macquarie[at]greens.org.au
Get involved
Donate today
Please help us reach beyond our usual constituency and increase people's understanding of the breadth of our policies.
We want to run more, bigger, colourful adverts in the Oberon Review, Bathurst Western Advocate, Blue Mountains Gazette and the Lithgow Mercury.
We also want to letterbox a colourful flyer printed on recycled paper.
Please donate now. You can transfer money to the Blue Mountains Greens Main Account at Blue Mountains and Riverlands Community Credit Union BSB No: 802-259, Member no: 25331. If you do this, please email us the details of the amount and your name and address so we can send you a receipt. Or you can send a cheque or money order to:
Blue Mountains Greens
PO Box 460
Katoomba NSW 2780
Hand out how to votes
A few hours helping out on the polling booth will make a big difference.
Promote our policies
We also have leaflets ready to letterbox and a rolling program of street stalls. If you can help, let us know.
To find out how you can help contact us on:
macquarie[at]greens.org.au
Please help us reach beyond our usual constituency and increase people's understanding of the breadth of our policies.
We want to run more, bigger, colourful adverts in the Oberon Review, Bathurst Western Advocate, Blue Mountains Gazette and the Lithgow Mercury.
We also want to letterbox a colourful flyer printed on recycled paper.
Please donate now. You can transfer money to the Blue Mountains Greens Main Account at Blue Mountains and Riverlands Community Credit Union BSB No: 802-259, Member no: 25331. If you do this, please email us the details of the amount and your name and address so we can send you a receipt. Or you can send a cheque or money order to:
Blue Mountains Greens
PO Box 460
Katoomba NSW 2780
Hand out how to votes
A few hours helping out on the polling booth will make a big difference.
Promote our policies
We also have leaflets ready to letterbox and a rolling program of street stalls. If you can help, let us know.
To find out how you can help contact us on:
macquarie[at]greens.org.au
Authorised by C.Laurence, 19 Eve St, Erskineville
Authorised by C. Laurence, 19 Eve St, Erskinville