Study of Australian housing scene advocated

Press, 17 August 1984, Page 20

Study of Australian housing scene advocated

The Australian housing situation should be studied by the New Zealand Government to avoid making any of the same mistakes, according to the president of the Canterbury Property Investors’ Association, Mr Jim Glass. Mr Glass was replying to a report in “The Press” on Wednesday which indicated

a 50 per cent increase in urgent housing cases in the last two years. Mr Glass said that this rise was a product of “the present rent freeze, and political uncertainty facing the residential landlord because of proposed changes to the tenancy acts.” He said that the different

states in Australia, each of which had different tenancy laws, offered an ideal opportunity for research and comparison, particularly New South Wales and Queensland. “In Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia we have massive housing shortages and high rents, associated with the implementation of tenancy law along the lines (the Minister of Housing) Mr Goff proposes,” he said. “In Queensland, however, we see the effect of more balanced legislation, namely a housing surplus and low rents.”

Mr Glass called for Mr Goff to fund through the Housing Corporation an independent study of the Australian situation before making any changes to the New Zealand tenancy laws. “I am sure Mr Goff wants to help residential tenants, but he is not going to help them by bringing in legislation that has the effect of taking away people’s rental homes, and putting them on a State housing waiting list,” Mr Glass said. “If the Government brings in this legislation we are going to end up with more homeless people than we have now.”