ANNE STANLEY MP 
OPPOSITION WHIP 
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR WERRIWA 
 

STANLEY: NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT TO HELP LOCAL TRADIES IN TROUBLE 

Housing construction work is about to fall off a cliff and the Morrison Government has no plan to help tradies in trouble, says Anne Stanley MP, Federal Member for Werriwa. 

“The pipeline of work in the housing construction industry is drying up and will result in a sharp decline in work for around 10,000 tradies and over 3,000 small and family businesses working in construction in Werriwa, unless urgent action is taken,” she said. 

Federal Labor called on the Federal Government over five weeks ago to develop a National Housing Stimulus Plan to stop massive job losses in the housing construction industry.  

“Almost one million people work in the construction industry, with around 10,000 of them working right here in Werriwa,” Ms Stanley said. 

“The Government needs to stop delaying and urgently develop a plan to help save the jobs of almost 10,000 local tradies and over 3,000 small and family businesses.”   

Before COVID-19 hit between 170,000 to 160,000 homes were expected to be built this year. Now it is predicted to be as low as 100,000. 

To help fill this gap, Ms Stanley has called on the Government to: 

1. work with state governments, the private sector and superannuation funds to invest in more social and affordable housing and the repair and maintenance existing social housing; and
2. build more affordable housing for the true heroes of the COVID-19 crisis - nurses, cleaners, aged care workers, supermarket workers, bus drivers, and other front-line workers – closer to where they work. 

Before COVID-19 hit, families in Werriwa were struggling to buy and rent a home: 

• 20% of households in Edmondson Park were in mortgage stress
• 11% of households in Edmondson Park were at risk of having their electricity disconnected

This is on top of national data which shows that home ownership rates are at the lowest level in 60 years and at the last Census, more Australians were homeless than ever before. 

“While housing has been key to this health crisis, it can also be a key part of economic recovery. 
 
“In times of economic shock, housing construction has played a vital role in national economic recovery. 

“Now is the time to act,” Ms Stanley said.  
 
“The Government needs to act before more local tradies in Werriwa lose their jobs, and more small and family businesses hit the wall.”