Australia news live: firefighter dies in NSW; Bragg says ‘every back yard’ could fit a new house or granny flat

By Nick Visser · The Guardian World

Shadow housing minister urges Liberals to seriously address housing affordability. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Bragg to say it’s ‘not a good thing’ homes are ‘largely unaffordable’ Andrew Bragg’s housing speech this afternoon will urge the Liberals to seriously consider policies that will seriously address housing affordability for younger people. It is not a good thing that first homes in this country are largely unaffordable. Try telling a 30 year old who has been working and saving for 10 years that it’s good that house prices continue to rise faster than their salary. Housing cannot be a zero sum game. It cannot be treated wholly as an investment opportunity. Australia is a home owning democracy. If people don’t own homes, our system falls apart. We also have to make sure that migration policies are driving people into the country who can actually build homes. We are short 80,000 tradies. Last year, we only received 4,000 on visas. I’m very grateful that people listen to police and firefighters, particularly on the Central Coast, because the situation could have been far, far worse. We lost more than a dozen houses, but no lives were lost on the Central Coast, and I think that’s because of the hard work and dedication of firefighters, but also the fact that members of the community were prepared, listened to emergency services, and got out when they were told to. Continue reading...