Nationals WA have promised to get rid of stamp duty for first home buyers and spend hundreds of millions of dollars on ‘shelved’ country health projects if elected into state government next year.
At its state conference in Bunbury today Nationals WA leader Shane Love outlined plans to abolish what he said was an “unnecessary” tax for younger people looking to buy a house.
It comes as house prices rise in much of the state and rentals get more expensive and harder to come by.
“This is a measure that will assist up to 20,000 young people as they make a move into the housing market for the first time,” Mr Love said.
“There’s a market in Perth that is red-hot for property at the moment and that’s repeated right across the state and in any of the larger regional centres.
“Rather than trying to keep track of the ever-moving cost of housing, the best measure is simply to abolish this unnecessary tax.”
Country housing and rent prices have been rising and become harder to come by. (ABC News: Hayden Smith)
Recent data from the Real Estate Institute of WA showed median house prices have climbed to almost $800,000 in Busselton, more than $600,000 in Broome, and $530,000 in Albany.
The proposed stamp duty reform is a point of difference from the WA Labor government which waived the tax only for first home buyers purchasing homes of up to $450,000 dollars in its latest budget.
Nationals WA also promised to pump $500 million into healthcare in regional Western Australia which would include upgrades to the Meekatharra hospital and a Geraldton oncology unit.
Nationals WA leader Shane Love said millions will be spent on regional health projects if elected into government in 2025. (ABC South West: Jacqueline Lynch)
Mr Love stopped shot of committing to full upgrades of other projects the party had raised concerns about in opposition including the ageing and remote Tom Price Hospital and Margaret River Hospital.
He said further projects would be funded in coming months.
Nationals WA is yet to meet with Liberals WA to discuss the plans.
Federal Nationals weigh in
Federal Nationals leader David Littleproud travelled to Western Australia to throw his support behind Nationals WA.
He said the commitment to housing would go hand in-hand with his promise to make “tough decisions” on migration.
“Young people in particular need hope, and they’ve lost hope,” he said.
“What we need is practical solutions that will give them hope, but we also need to buy some time to build supply. That’s common sense.”
The Nationals WA state conference in Western Australia was held in Bunbury. (ABC South West: Jacqueline Lynch)
