Bendigo and Adelaide Bank is calling on the Federal Government to quarantine regional Australia’s fair share of the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF).

Marnie Baker, Bendigo and Adelaide Bank CEO and Managing Director, The Buloke Times

We would like to see 40 per cent of the HAFF directed to regional Australia to support population growth, address the regional housing crisis, and unlock the economic potential of Australia’s regional communities.

We are also calling on the Government to unite with state and local governments to unlock the critical enabling infrastructure that will ensure new homes are connected to the services that are essential to keeping regional Australia a great place to live.

We welcome recent efforts from regional MPs to secure this much-needed investment in regional Australia.

I’m proud to call regional Australia home. As Australia’s only regionally headquartered, ASX listed bank, we play an important role in addressing the supply side challenges of the housing crisis.

Quarantining 40 per cent of the HAFF will provide the certainty the public and private sectors need to funnel investment to where it is needed most. 

This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 13 February 2024.