ADJOURNMENT
Ms COMER (Petrie) (16:56): Tonight I want to use my time in parliament differently. I want to give the floor, in a sense, to a young person from my community. Their name is Mali.
They are 14 years old and shared, through the Raise Your Voice speech competition, what they believe is one of the biggest issues shaping their generation's future. Their words deserve to be heard in this parliament, so tonight I want to read them exactly as they wrote them. Mali said: My name is Mali and I am 14 years of age.
The biggest issue shaping my future is housing affordability. Currently, Australians are facing a completely uncertain housing market. Many people are worried that they will be permanently homeless or stuck in unstable rental situations.
A home should be a secure place not a financial, lifelong burden. The action I want Parliament to take is to transform our investment structures to prioritise more affordable housing close to public transport. We need the Government to commit to these investments in housing to ensure that no Australian is left without a home.
We need to build stronger communities that support adolescents and young adults as they start their careers. I need Parliament to treat this housing crisis as a generational housing emergency and create a better future for all Australians that guarantees safer housing. I could not agree with Mali more.
At 14 years old, they have put into words something I hear from young people across our community. They're thinking about their future—the career they might have, where they might live and whether one day they'll be able to afford a home of their own. Young Australians should be able to look forward to a future with hope.
They should not grow up believing that secure housing or homeownership will always be beyond their reach. Mali also makes an important point about where we build homes. Housing needs to be connected to public transport, jobs, schools and services.
That is why the federal government have put housing at the centre of our agenda. Our Homes for Australia plan brings together more than $47 billion in housing measures focused on building more homes, supporting first home buyers, improving outcomes for renters and growing social and affordable housing. At the heart of that work is a simple reality: Australia needs more homes.
Through the National Housing Accord, governments are working towards 1.2 million new, well-located homes over five years. The federal government is also investing $3.5 billion through the Housing Support Program to unlock supply. And, just as Mali called for housing close to the infrastructure people need, we have established a new, $2 billion Local Infrastructure Fund.
That investment will help deliver the roads, water, sewerage and electricity needed for new developments, supporting up to 65,000 additional homes over the next decade. We're also investing heavily in social and affordable housing because a secure home should not depend on how much money someone earns, and that investment is reaching my and Mali's community. In Redcliffe, 30 new social homes are being delivered through the Housing Australia Future Fund.
Across our broader community, there are also 82 social and affordable homes at Mango Hill and 116 homes planned for Deception Bay. That is on top of our other housing projects already underway, including 60 homes in Margate, 36 homes in Deception Bay, 152 homes in Carseldine and 82 homes that have already been delivered in Redcliffe. These are not just numbers.
They are homes where people can build a life, families can raise children, older Australians can feel secure and young people can imagine their future. We're also helping Australians into homeownership through the Australian government's five per cent deposit scheme. There is so much more work to do.
No government can pretend that the housing challenge that has built up over decades can be solved overnight. But Mali is absolutely right to expect this parliament to take their generation's future seriously—because, when a 14-year-old is already thinking about whether they and their friends will one day be able to afford a secure place to live, we should listen.
Mali, thank you for speaking up, and my commitment is to ensure that you, your friends and your generation and all of Australia have safe, secure housing. House adjourned at 17:01 Federation Chamber Thursday, 17 September 2026 The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( M r Boyce ) took the chair at 09:42.