Australians are dealing with a housing crisis three decades in the making. Housing prices and mortgage payments are at record highs relative to income. 

Rising interest rates, cost-of-living pressures, soaring building costs, and a growing housing shortfall have led to decreasing home ownership and a critical shortage of rentals.

Young people, low-income earners, and older single women are facing housing stress and—increasingly—homelessness. 

Home ownership is now beyond most first home buyers unless they can rely on the bank of Mum and Dad. It never used to be like this in Australia. 

We urgently need more housing. The next generation of Australians should be able to afford to live in well-designed, sustainable homes close to family and to their workplaces. 

Every policy lever needs to be pulled on the housing crisis. 

I support sensitive, evidence-based tax reform to improve housing affordability and reduce disincentives to downsizing. 

I’ve hosted community forums in Malvern and Kew, and I’ve collaborated with the Boroondara Council in listening to our community. I’ll continue to work with local and state governments, residents, and community groups, to advocate for a balanced approach to housing densification in our suburbs. 

I supported the Housing Australia Future Fund, and I voted in Parliament for the Help to Buy and the Build to Rent schemes, but I advocated for all three pieces of legislation to be bigger and more ambitious, to rapidly expand our housing stock for sale and for rental. 

To help first home buyers, I support removal of HECS debt from banks’ assessment of purchasers’ capacity to borrow. 

I continue to advocate for more Commonwealth funding of public and social housing, to reduce homelessness and lessen the pressure on the private rental market.

I also support evidence-based policies to discourage property speculation, empty homes, and land banking. 

As an independent whose vote could be critical in a minority government, I’ll push for federal involvement to ensure new housing projects are properly funded, developed with community consultation, and designed with quality and sustainability as a priority.

All three levels of government—local, state, and federal—must work together to deliver solutions to the national housing crisis.

I’ll support:

• Sensitive, evidence-based tax reform to improve housing affordability and remove disincentives to downsizing. 
• Help for first home buyers: when assessing borrowing capacity, banks should focus on capacity to repay loans. Economists and banks agree that income-contingent HECS debts are different from other forms of debt. 
• Significantly increasing the scale of the Housing Australia Future Fund, Help to Buy, and Build to Rent schemes, to rapidly expand housing stock for sale and rental. 
• Evidence-based policies to discourage property speculation, empty homes, and land banking. 
• Investment in public and social housing, to reduce homelessness and lessen pressure on the private rental market. 
• Increases in Commonwealth Rental Assistance to help the most vulnerable Australians. 

HOUSING IN KOOYONG

Housing development in Kooyong must prioritise community consultation, thoughtful planning and design, quality construction, and neighbourhood character, along with affordability and liveability.

In the last three years I’ve worked with local and state governments, residents, and community groups, to advocate for a balanced approach to housing densification in our suburbs.

Kooyong Activity Centres 

Hundreds of constituents have told me of their concerns about the Victorian government’s proposals for multiple ‘Activity Centres’ in Kooyong. These plans -- which have already been repeatedly revised – were conceived without adequate community consultation. This has caused confusion and anxiety. Significant concerns include the potential impact of large-scale developments on local infrastructure and amenity—including schools, roads, traffic, parking, sewerage, and green space. Many in the community are also worried about the impact on heritage and neighbourhood character. 

In response to the feedback I’ve received, I’ve  hosted community forums in Kew and Malvern with council representatives, local groups, and planning and housing experts. I’ve met repeatedly with the State Minister for Planning and the Federal Minister for Housing, and I’ve amplified Kooyong’s concerns in parliament. 

While Kooyong does need more housing, I’ll always advocate for sensitive, quality developments which maintain neighbourhood character. I do not support 20 storey towers in Kooyong.

Social and Affordable Housing in Kew 

In a healthy society, essential workers like nurses, teachers, and police officers can live close to where they work. That’s why I’ve advocated for affordable housing —with preservation of green spaces and active transport pathways—in the development of the VicRoads site in Kew.

I’ll continue to hold the federal and state governments to account on the housing crisis. I’ll push them to work with local government and community to develop transparent, long-term, evidence-based policies for well-designed and affordable housing in our suburbs.