Fini Group managing director and FJM Property director Adrian Fini told an industry breakfast yesterday that if councils and the State Government turned their attention to housing affordability, the issue could quickly be solved.
“I always say if we stop building roundabouts for a year in Perth, we could solve this problem overnight,” he said.
“Sometimes that’s the kind of attitude we do need at a local government and State Government level.
“If we actually stopped laying new bitumen on quite nice roads and just patched the potholes, if we stopped building new round-abouts, which most local governments say cost between $250,000 and $800,000 each, the problem would disappear. “It’s about a desire for wanting to solve the problem. It’s more about everyone saying we’re going to pick a project and we’re going to go and do it.”
Mr Fini said with the state of the economy and housing market, local councils and the Government had a once in 50-year opportunity to deliver quality and affordable homes.
“We’re obviously in an environment of low interest rates, a depressed and maybe further depressed housing market in WA, so it’s the best opportunity that I’ve seen in my career to actually deliver affordable housing,” he said.
“I think many of the Government and local government people here should recognise this opportunity.”
Mr Fini also talked about the need for diversity in housing stock to appeal to changing demographics, planning reforms including getting rid of the blanket approach to zoning and a tax overhaul for developers.
