WA Labor to deliver Bunbury housing and construction workforce boost

• Re-elected Cook Labor Government to fund new priority places for regional building and construction apprentices to build more homes sooner
• $25 million Regional Housing Support Fund to unlock new Bunbury housing projects
• Regional first homebuyers to save up to $17,765 with additional stamp duty relief

A re-elected Cook Labor Government will create new opportunities for regional Western Australians to complete a building and construction apprenticeship and earn while they learn on the job.

WA Labor has committed $27 million to expand the Cook Labor Government’s Group Training Organisation (GTO) wage subsidy program, which assists local small-to-medium-sized building and construction businesses with the cost of taking on an apprentice or trainee. This will boost the number of places from 775 to 1,000.

To specifically bolster regional WA’s residential construction workforce, this highly successful program will offer higher incentives for budding regional tradies for the first time. This will build the sector’s capacity in Bunbury and other regional areas to build more homes sooner.

Bunbury will also benefit from a new $25 million Regional Housing Support Fund, which will provide grants of up to $5 million to unlock and bring forward new housing projects and land supply in regional WA.

The grants will support key worker, community housing, local government, regional subdivision and other regional housing projects, assisting with costs such as earthworks decontamination and enabling infrastructure for gas, telecommunications and other connections.

A re-elected Cook Labor Government will ramp up delivery of social homes across the State with a $79.5 million funding injection, which will increase the number of additional social homes to be delivered this financial year to 1,000, with a further 1,000 social homes to be added next year.

The South West will also share in WA Labor’s $104 million commitment to double the Government Regional Officer Housing (GROH) construction program if re-elected.

Bunbury first homebuyers will be able to access increased stamp duty relief, resulting in savings of up to $17,765, with no transfer duty to be payable on homes purchased up to a value of $500,000 (up from $450,000).

Under the changes, regional first homebuyers purchasing a home valued up to $750,000 (up from $600,000) will pay a reduced rate. The stamp duty threshold will also be lifted for purchases of vacant land valued up to $350,000 (up from $300,000) to encourage more regional housing supply.

WA Labor’s $145 million Regional Housing package builds on the Cook Labor Government’s strong investment in boosting housing supply and choice in the South West, including the Withers Renewal

Project, returning 80 vacant and short-term rental properties to the long-term rental market through incentive schemes, and about 50 people experiencing chronic homelessness being housed and supported in Bunbury through our pilot Djuripiny Mia program.

Since the Cook Labor Government’s record $4.5 billion investment in housing and homelessness measures, about 150 social homes have been added in the South West, including more than 50 in Bunbury – with over 100 under contract or construction across the region.

Comments attributed to Housing Minister John Carey:

“We need more workers to build homes in regional WA, which is why we are committing to fund new priority supported training places and higher incentives for regional building and construction apprentices to train and work with local businesses."

“We’ve seen a major improvement in the rental vacancy rate in Bunbury, which has increased to 4.2 per cent, so we know our housing plan is working.”

Comments attributed to Collie-Preston MLA Jodie Hanns:

“Only WA Labor has a plan to create more training opportunities for up-and-coming tradies to build more homes in regional WA and help meet the region’s future housing needs."

“Only a re-elected Cook Labor Government has the necessary experience and runs on the board to deliver the housing Collie-Preston residents want and need.”

Comments attributed to Bunbury MLA Don Punch:

“WA Labor’s regional housing commitments will support the delivery of hundreds of homes and potentially thousands of lots in regional WA, including here in Bunbury."

“To build on our significant work to date, I’m proud to be taking this comprehensive package of new commitments aimed at boosting housing supply and affordability in Bunbury and regional WA to the upcoming State election.”

Comments attributed to Murray-Wellington MLA Robyn Clarke:

“The Cook Labor Government has been working hard to build more homes and improve housing affordability and choice across the South West region."

“Our commitment to offer higher incentives and support for regional construction apprentices is incredibly exciting for those considering a career in the building sector, as they will be able to train closer to home while helping to boost housing supply in regional WA.”