RENEW OUR LIBRARIES

How the West reaches its Best:

  • Ensure sustainable funding for public libraries to maintain and enhance service levels that meet the diverse needs of communities across WA and support the implementation of the WA Public Library Strategy 2022-2026

Public libraries are well-loved community facilities. WA is home to 233 public libraries with over 637,000 active members. Every year, these libraries help Western Australians borrow nearly 11 million physical items; over 3.4 million digital items; and welcome 7.6 million visitors – that’s about three visits for every person in WA.

Public libraries are changing to meet the growing and diverse needs of our community. No longer just about books, libraries are places where people gather, share knowledge, and feel connected. Libraries play an important role supporting literacy, bridging the digital divide, and providing a range of services for those in need.

The shift in community expectations is placing pressure on public libraries. While the services provided have changed, funding has not. The State Government provides direct support for public libraries through the provision of funds for library resources, however this is out of step with the needs of modern libraries and is falling behind what is required to keep up with the growing population and inflation.

Additional State Government funding support is needed to ensure the ongoing sustainability of library services. It is estimated that this would require a funding commitment of $30 million over four years.

In the 10 years to 2022-23, State Government funding for public libraries has increased by just 4%, while WA’s population has grown by 15%, and inflation by 28%. Funding for print and e-resources also lags behind other States. In 2021-22 expenditure for print resources in WA was only $3.5 per capita, behind other States such as Queensland ($4.3), South Australia ($4.5) and Victoria ($5.9).

The existing funding arrangements also do not take into account the cost of providing new services. For example, the growing use of digital resources is also adding to the cost of running libraries. In 2021-22, 3.4 million e-resources were borrowed, with an average cost of $26.15 per e-book and $80.38 per audiobook. Most of these e-resources licences expire after one year, which means public libraries need to continually repurchase them.

Local Governments are increasingly shouldering additional costs to ensure the service meets community expectations. The sector is contributing $3 million in additional funding for print resources and $1.4 million in additional funding for e-resources in 2021-22. Additional funding support from the State Government would allow Local Governments to redirect resources from covering the shortfall in library stock to focus on their main role to fund library operations and the services that the community expects from modern libraries.

Further investment in public libraries will also support the achievement of the goals set out in the WA Public Library Strategy 2022-26 and the State Government’s Digital Strategy. These aim to strengthen communities, cement the role of libraries as important assets and ensure digital access for all. No funding has been made available for the implementation of these strategies. Without funding, these important goals remain out of reach.

NO LONGER JUST ABOUT BOOKS, LIBRARIES ARE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE GATHER, SHARE KNOWLEDGE, AND FEEL CONNECTED

MEETING GROWING DEMAND FOR SPORT AND RECREATION FACILITIES

How the West reaches its Best:

  • Provide a long-term commitment to increase the Community Sport and Recreation Facilities Fund (CSRFF) to $30 million per annum to meet the needs of the State’s growing population
  • Publish a 10-year regional level sporting plan to strategically guide investments in sports infrastructure across WA

Local sport and recreation facilities play an important role in supporting WA’s active lifestyle. They provide a place where people of all ages, skills and abilities can enjoy the benefits of physical activity and social connection and deliver broader community benefits such as improved health, lower crime rates, more jobs, and economic growth.

With the State’s population growing and a more diverse range of people participating in sport, we need to make sure the community has access to high quality facilities that meet their needs. One example is facilities to support the increasing participation of women and girls in sport, as highlighted by SportWest.

The Community Sport and Recreation Facilities Fund (CSRFF) is an important source of funding to support Local Governments and community sporting groups to invest in facilities. But the fund is oversubscribed each year, with many valuable projects missing out.

In the 2024-25 State Budget, a temporary funding boost was given to cover the costs of the 2023-24 CSRFF projects, which had seen an increase in demand. To keep up with the State’s growing population, it is essential to commit to raising the CSRFF funding to $30 million each year on a long-term basis.

As well as more funding for sport and recreation facilities, we also need to improve planning for regional level sporting facilities – a gap that was identified by the State Infrastructure Strategy. The catchment areas for sport and recreation facilities are vast and often cross Local Government boundaries, making infrastructure expensive to build, operate, and maintain. Better planning will ensure equitable access to regional-level sporting infrastructure and inform investment priorities in the Perth and Peel regions and major regional centres.

The Department of Local Government, Sport, and Cultural Industries (DLGSC) has assessed the Statewide need for public open space for sport and recreation, with the next step being a gap analysis to inform future provision in the sporting landscape. This work will inform planning efforts for regional-level sporting facility infrastructure requirements, locations, operational responsibilities, land use, community infrastructure plans, and investment decisions.

The State Infrastructure Strategy has recommended developing a 10+ year regional- level sporting facilities plan to identify gaps in current provision and explore opportunities for shared spaces. The implementation of this strategy is a priority and should be supported by dedicated funding.

Local Governments must be involved in the development of the Strategy. Local Governments play a major role in planning, developing, and maintaining regional-level sporting facilities and with their local area knowledge are crucial stakeholders in securing land, planning, and delivering these facilities.

INCREASE INVESTMENT IN ARTS AND CULTURAL FACILITIES

How the West reaches its Best:

  • Establish a $30 million per annum Community Arts and Cultural Facilities Fund to support the development and enhancement of arts and cultural infrastructure across WA

Arts and culture make our communities vibrant places to live, offering a range of benefits that contribute to overall well-being. Access to arts and culture fosters social cohesion, mental well-being, and education while also driving economic outcomes through tourism and generating activity.

The DLGSC Western Australian Cultural Infrastructure Framework 2030+ acknowledges these benefits and aspires to position WA as the most culturally engaged State in Australia. However, the ability to achieve this goal is being held back by the lack of dedicated funding for arts and cultural infrastructure. This issue was reflected in the 2022 State Infrastructure Strategy, which reported that only a small budget allocation is available for arts and culture, with no focus on regional needs.

Art Gallery, WA

The creation of an ongoing Community Cultural and Arts Facility Fund, similar to the CSRFF, would provide the necessary capital funding to support the ambition of the DLGSC’s Cultural Infrastructure Framework 2030+ and drive positive social and economic outcomes across the State. Other jurisdictions already have dedicated funding streams for cultural infrastructure, such as the State Regional Cultural Fund in New South Wales and the Multicultural Community Infrastructure Fund in Victoria.

There also needs to be a greater focus on investing in arts and culture infrastructure in regional areas. While DLGSC’s Strategic Directions 2016-31 outlines a vision for the WA arts and culture sector, many priorities are centred around the Perth CBD, neglecting community arts and cultural centres in wider metropolitan and regional areas.

Local Governments are providers and operators of a variety of cultural facilities, including almost all the State’s Regional Arts and Entertainment Centres. But they need support to ensure that facilities are well maintained and meet community needs. There are no targeted funding programs to support Local Governments operating and maintaining community cultural and arts centres, with funding support primarily delivered through State and Australian Government grant programs – which are often oversubscribed. Funding for the arts and culture sector that is made available through Lotterywest and the DLGSC focuses on one-off arts programs and performances, rather than infrastructure.

As a result, existing cultural assets are run down. Research led by the Australian Local Government Association has reported a significant need for replacement of Local Government buildings and facilities, including cultural infrastructure, due to poor condition, function, and capacity.

ACCESS TO ARTS AND CULTURE FOSTERS SOCIAL COHESION, MENTAL WELL-BEING AND EDUCATION

MORE ACCESSIBLE COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE

How the West reaches its Best:

  • Provide funding to Local Government to improve the physical accessibility of community facilities and infrastructure, ensuring equitable access for all residents

Communities that are welcoming and inclusive enable people with disabilities or mobility issues and older individuals greater opportunity for participation, self-representation, and economic engagement. Approximately 411,500 Western Australians live with disabilities, with one in three facing challenges accessing buildings.

As our State’s population grows and ages, our community infrastructure needs to ensure inclusive access. The Western Australian State Disability Strategy highlights infrastructure as a focus for creating inclusive communities. The Strategy’s Second Action Plan outlines how State Government agencies can ensure that community infrastructure is accessible to everyone.

Local Governments play a vital role in the implementation of these efforts through Disability Access and Inclusion Plans (DAIP). These plans ensure people with disabilities have equal opportunity to access buildings and facilities, such as community centres, recreation facilities, parks, and playgrounds.

The DAIP Minister’s Progress Report for 2021-2022 shows promising steps towards more inclusive communities, with several case studies from Local Governments showcasing positive change. However, further funding support from the State Government can help to speed up this progress.

In April 2023, WALGA partnered with the Office of Disability to facilitate consultation for the proposed reforms to the Disability Services Act 1993 (DSA). Feedback from Local Governments during these consultations emphasised that a lack of funding is a major hurdle to make community facilities more accessible.

While new infrastructure projects are now incorporating universal access requirements, upgrading existing infrastructure is more challenging. It requires significant additional funding and specific planning for each case. Local Governments are increasingly raising rates to generate the necessary revenue for access upgrades. For example, the Town of Cambridge’s 2023-24 budget includes a 2% rate increase to fund access upgrades to toilets at two recreation facilities.

Disability Access, City of Mandurah

APPROXIMATELY 411,5OO WESTERN AUSTRALIANS LIVE WITH DISABILITIES, WITH ONE IN THREE FACING CHALLENGES ACCESSING BUILDINGS

ACTIVE TRAVEL

How the West reaches its Best:

  • Provide funding to address gaps in the Long-Term Cycle Network to make it feasible and easier to travel by active modes

The Long-Term Cycle Network (LTCN) was developed in consultation with Local Governments on the basis of the Perth and Peel @ 3.5 million framework. It provides a blueprint for State and Local Governments to work together to deliver continuous networks to provide much needed active transport options. Once delivered this will improve active transport infrastructure and opportunities in Greater Perth.

Both State and Local Governments build and manage paths to encourage safe, attractive, active transport. However, there are missing links that hinder users being able to safely access important places like railway stations, community centres as well as reach the primary paths. The LTCN has identified these gaps. Now we need to address these.

Local Governments played a crucial role in developing the LTCN by identifying key routes for cyclists, pedestrians and those using eRideables like eScooters. The LTCN identifies links that are non-existent, existing but need significant improvement and existing but needing some improvement to provide a fit-for-purpose level of service.

The State Government’s Stage 1 submission to Infrastructure Australia identified that only 41% of the 1,297km of identified primary network, and 34% of the 1,564km of identified secondary network are complete. The remainder of these networks are either non-existing or require significant upgrades and replacement.

Additionally, the local active transport network requires significant investment, though this has not yet been clearly defined. Most of these routes are on local roads and land. A significant shift to active travel in urban areas will contribute to achieving the transport sector’s emissions reduction targets. This will take time, and we need to start now by funding transport studies, design, and consultation with residents and other stakeholders to develop the projects, as well as funding for construction.

The Perth component of the WA Bicycle Network Grants Program provides around $3 million per year and includes funding for related activation activities. This is a small fraction of what is required to deliver safe and attractive active transport opportunities at a scale that can transform how people move around their neighbourhoods and the city.

To accelerate progress filling gaps in the LTCN, new funding is needed to realise its full potential. An initial investment of $20 million per year over four years should be allocated to initiate this program.

 

Cycle Path, Perth Metro

 

E-Scooter, Town of Cambridge

 

ONLY 41% OF THE 1,297KM PRIMARY NETWORK AND 34% IF THE 1,546KM SECONDARY NETWORK ARE COMPLETE

HOUSING

How the West reaches its Best:

  • Create a comprehensive, long-term strategy to address the entrenched shortage of social, affordable and key worker housing, including:
    – Measures to increase the availability of temporary accommodation solutions to address immediate housing challenges
    – Working with Local Governments to efficiently unlock underutilised Government-owned land for housing initiatives
  • Reviewing the Government Regional Officers Housing (GROH) Program to improve coordination and responsiveness to regional housing needs and provide Local Governments with greater scope to invest in GROH housing
  • Review the role and operations of Development WA to support housing developments in areas where private developers will not enter
  • Fund a dedicated Local Government training program for key skills shortages in Town Planning and Building Surveyors, including allowing access funds from the Construction
THE SHORTAGE OF SOCIAL, AFFORDABLE, AND KEY WORKER HOUSING PRESENTS A CRITICAL CHALLENGE FOR COMMUNITIES ACROSS WA

The extent of the housing crisis is reflected in a recent WALGA survey which found:

  • 100% of respondents view housing as a major challenge in their Local Government area.
  • 87% perceive the supply of housing for purchase in their Local Government area to be ‘worse’ or ‘much worse’ than five years ago.
  • 95% consider the supply of rental housing in their Local Government area to be ‘worse’ or ‘much worse’ than five years ago.
  • 87% regard the affordability of housing in general in their Local Government area to be ‘worse’ or ‘much worse’ than five years ago.

 

The situation is acute in rural and regional areas, where construction costs are up to 60% higher than in metropolitan areas. This severe shortage of housing makes it difficult for businesses to attract and retain staff, limiting economic development opportunities.

The State’s housing challenges have largely been attributed to COVID-19, which has added to the cost and time to build new homes due to severe labour and material shortages, and an increase in activity because of Australian Government and State Government housing stimulus programs.

However, housing shortages in WA are not just a recent issue. Housing shortages in WA stem from prolonged underinvestment in social, affordable and key worker housing.

Addressing this entrenched problem requires a comprehensive, long-term strategy to ensure lasting solutions across the entire housing pipeline. We must focus on getting the policy settings right to not only address the current housing shortage, but also to secure an adequate supply of social and affordable housing, diversify the housing stock, and create well-designed neighbourhoods for the future.

Collaboration among all levels of Government, industry stakeholders, and community organisations is essential to develop effective solutions. The Treasury Housing Supply Unit will play a central role in leading this agenda. A review into the WA housing market will be an important part of the long-term solution, to ensure that these issues do not recur in future years.

THE SITUATION IS ACUTE IN RURAL AND REGIONAL AREAS, WHERE CONSTRUCTION COSTS ARE UP TO 60% HIGHER THAN IN METROPOLITAN AREAS

ADDRESSING HOUSING SUPPLY

Temporary Housing Solutions

Given that many of the strategies to boost the supply of housing will take time to take effect, we need to look at interim measures to increase the availability of housing in the near term such as temporary accommodation solutions.

An example is Tiny Homes on Wheels (THOWs), which are emerging as a new type of affordable housing that can help address the immediate housing shortage. However, they don’t easily fit into current regulations, causing uncertainty for those wanting to use them as their homes.

Currently, THOWs that can be moved on their own wheels are classified as caravans and are regulated under the Caravan Parks and Camping Grounds Act 1995 and its accompanying 1997 regulations. This classification exempts them from being treated as buildings, which means they aren’t subject to the same planning and building rules as other types of housing.

Under the Regulations, a person can only live in a caravan or sleep in a vehicle on private property for three days within any 28-day period. Local Governments can extend this to three months, and the Minister for Local Government can extend it up to 12 months. While a 3-month approval may suit some circumstances, it can be insufficient, particularly in the context of long-term rental shortages being experienced in regional areas. The option of delegating the capacity to issue 12-month approvals to Local Government has been investigated but is not possible under the current legislation.

To address this, Part 2 of the Caravan Parks and Camping Grounds Regulations 1997 should be amended to allow Local Governments to:

  • Permit camping on private property for longer than three months.
  • Establish policy to guide approvals for stays longer than three months, ensuring that such arrangements are appropriate for their communities and suitable for circumstances where caravans, predominantly in the form of Tiny Homes On Wheels, can be occupied on a more permanent basis.

 

The goal is not to allow caravans to become permanent fixtures on private lots, but rather to use them as temporary housing solutions for longer periods to help ease the current housing crisis.

These amendments would enable Local Governments to ‘opt in’ by creating policies for longer-term THOW use on private land, while not forcing any Local Government to do so if they don’t want to. Local Governments could stipulate through policy that THOWs would be an appropriate form of accommodation for longer term occupation, compared to traditional caravans or other temporary accommodation, which might still be better suited for short-term use.

New Home Construction, City of Bunbury

Unlocking development-ready land

In recent years, the State Government has indicated that it will make ‘lazy land’ available to develop mixed use tenure housing developments as a key strategy to address WA’s land supply shortage.

The State Government and Local Governments can work together to build on this program and unlock land for housing initiatives. Local Governments hold substantial land assets, much of which is earmarked for development. In bringing this land to market, Local Governments are committed to making sure that the lots meet their strategic objectives, particularly for housing affordability and diversity. Profits from land sales are reinvested back into the community.

Local Governments also have a thorough understanding of ‘lazy land’ within their communities that is owned by the State Government and could be used to address housing needs.

A starting point for this discussion should be an audit of development-ready land in each local area. This audit should identify Local and State Government-owned land that is vacant, zoned, and serviced. It could also identify vacant properties available for spot purchasing by Local or State Governments to inject into the market.

Having a single point of contact within the State Government for Local Governments to engage with on identified opportunities and proposals would also help advance these initiatives.

87% PERCEIVE THE SUPPLY OF HOUSING FOR PURCHASE IN THEIR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA TO BE ‘WORSE’ OR ‘MUCH WORSE’ THAN FIVE YEARS AGO

Address the shortage of GROH Housing in regional areas

Ensuring there’s enough housing for essential Government employees, like teachers, police officers, and health workers, is essential to the sustainability of regional and remote communities in WA.

The Government Regional Officer Housing (GROH) Program provides housing for these essential workers, but it’s currently not meeting the needs of regional communities. According to WALGA’s housing survey, 64% of respondents believe that the lack of GROH housing is “very challenging” or “extremely challenging” for their local area.

In many cases, efforts to address the shortages of GROH housing through the State Government’s Spot Purchase Program are placing extra pressure on local housing markets.

With WA’s regional population forecast to grow by 18% by 2031, addressing the need for adequate GROH housing is urgent.

 

A LACK OF GROH HOUSING MEANS A LACK OF ESSENTIAL WORKERS THAT ARE VITAL TO REGIONAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS WA

The State Government has invested additional funding into the GROH Program, most recently through a further $43.8 million in the 2024-25 State Budget. However, funding alone will not address the broader issues with GROH Program design, which go beyond the provision of dwellings. Recommendation 74 of the 2022 State Infrastructure Strategy highlights the need for a review of GROH to include responsiveness to the needs of agencies, tenants, and regional locations, as well as the appropriateness of models to specific regional property markets.

Although a GROH review was undertaken in early 2023, the findings have not yet been released and should be made public as a priority to help inform solutions to housing challenges in the regions.

A place-based and collaborative approach to GROH will provide a more agile service that better meets the needs of tenants and the wider community and ensure faster delivery. Increased strategic planning and collaboration could be achieved by transferring GROH policy and development to the Treasury Housing Supply Unit.

Greater collaboration and early engagement with Local Governments in providing GROH housing is critical to ensure the program meets the community’s needs. Local Governments are key partners in providing accommodation in regional areas due to their understanding of the unique needs of local communities, and can help to identify and address existing shortages, and plan for the future.

Local Governments can also directly invest in housing to lease to the State Government through the GROH Program. This is already occurring, for example, the Shire of Broomehill-Tambellup invested $1.55 million for three GROH properties, the Shire of Koorda $350,000 for one property, and the Shire of Kojonup $1.15 million for three GROH properties. However, the sector’s capacity to invest is limited by the prohibitive costs of headworks GROH build specifications and leasing terms. These requirements should be reviewed to give regional Local Governments more opportunity to invest in GROH housing to support their communities.

Role of Government in housing development

The public sector plays a critical role in stepping in where the market fails, through the State’s land development agency, Development WA. The role and operations of Development WA to support housing developments in areas which will deliver a benefit to the community should be examined as part of the solution to the housing crisis in WA.

In regional WA, housing development projects are often not commercially viable. Limited land availability, high costs associated with water, wastewater, and power supply headworks, and the high cost of construction often means that building a house can cost more than its market value once complete. This leads to a shortage of privately developed land, resulting in insufficient housing stock. Consequently, it can be difficult to secure accommodation in regional areas, and businesses face challenges in attracting the necessary workforce.

Similar issues occur for many infill projects in the metropolitan area, which often do not proceed as the significant costs associated with upgrading infrastructure such as water and sewerage, and the higher land costs mean that they are not financially viable for commercial developers, compared to greenfield developments.

Development WA can play an important role to ensure these projects that deliver a benefit to the community can proceed. Development WA’s requirement to operate at a profit and exceed a hurdle rate of return should be reviewed. There may be broader benefits in using parcels of land held by the State Government and Development WA in a strategic manner to facilitate exemplar examples of medium and high-density housing and meet urban infill targets, as well as strategic housing projects in regional WA. These projects may deliver significant economic and social benefits at break-even point, even though they don’t meet the required hurdle rate.

Development WA can play an important role to progress projects that benefit the community but are not viable for private developers.

To fully harness this potential, Development WA should consider a broader mandate including outcomes for the community, not just financial returns.

Consideration of Development WA’s required rate of return could also assist with smoothing the release of land across the economic cycle. Under the current arrangements, Development WA faces similar challenges to private developers during economic downturns. Development WA could play a role to ensure the continued release of land and help the construction industry maintain confidence in the development pipeline, avoiding workforce shortages and housing construction gaps when the economy shifts.

Regional Development Assistance Program (RDAP) should also be examined to ensure it is delivering on its intentions to support Local Governments with headworks and other land development costs in regions constrained by a lack of housing, where private development is not viable. The level of funding for this program was increased to $7 million per annum in the 2023-24 Budget, which was an important step to align the funding available with the expanded scope of the program to include larger regional cities.

Further improvements to the program could be made by:

  • Reducing headworks charges in some or all regional areas for affordable housing development, taking into account local land markets and economic conditions.
  • Separating projects in smaller towns from projects in larger towns and cities.
  • Funding a broader range of projects of regional significance, administered through Voluntary Regional Organisations of Councils and Regional Subsidiaries.

New Home Construction, City of Bunbury

OVERCOMING HOUSING WORKFORCE CONSTRAINTS

In WA, the shortage of construction trades workers has been a persistent challenge, driving up costs and delaying the completion of much-needed homes.

However, skills shortages in the housing sector extend beyond trades, and includes a range of critical professions that are also important for housing development.

We need to take a broader look at the skills needed to ensure we have well-planned neighbourhoods with adequate supply of affordable houses into the future.

Town planning and building surveyor positions are amongst the hardest positions to fill in WA. These roles are essential to ensure Local Governments can efficiently perform important planning and regulatory functions to protect the wellbeing of the WA community, including facilitating approvals for new housing developments, assessing sites, engaging with the community and planning our suburbs. The WA Department of Training and Workforce Development has listed them as top priority occupations on the Skilled Priority Occupation List due to high demand and persistent recruitment challenges.

These issues are expected to persist in the coming years. The extent of the issue was highlighted in a WALGA survey which revealed that more than half of existing building surveyors plan to leave the profession within the next 10 years. This will create a significant knowledge gap, with many of those remaining being unregistered cadets or requiring supervision.

Without enough town planners and building surveyors, delays may be experienced as Local Governments will struggle to provide essential services and meet legal obligations that are vital for the community’s well being and housing development.

This shortage will also hinder the implementation of proposed building and planning reforms which are designed to speed up the process to bring houses to market.

To tackle these skills gaps, we need more funding for training, education, and professional development in these crucial professions.

Funding should be provided for a dedicated Local Government training program for town planners and building surveyors, to support education and professional development in these key areas, helping to build a more resilient and capable workforce for the future. Allowing Local Governments to access the Construction Training Fund (CTF) to support the recruitment and training of building surveyors would also provide valuable support to address this growing area of skills shortage.

THERE IS A CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF TOWN PLANNERS AND BUILDING SURVEYORS, WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL TO DELIVERING MORE HOMES