The ANAO has confirmed that it will consider investigating the Federal Government’s Housing Support Program as part of its 2025- 2026 audit program.

Member for Mallee, Dr Anne Webster, officially requested that the Auditor- General examine probity and potential bias in the program.

Dr Webster said she became concerned that, despite a critical housing shortage across her electorate, including Mildura, Swan Hill, Horsham and scores of smaller towns, none received funding in the Government’s Program funding round announcement last month.

Allocations

On January 16, the Federal Government issued a press release from the minister responsible, Catherine King, announcing the allocations to the Housing Support Program in Victoria.

The only places in Victoria to be extended funding for enabling housing infrastructure were in Marong, Morwell, Ararat and Beaufort, according to the release.

Further analysis suggests the bulk of the funding, more than 70 per cent, was allocated to projects in Labor-held electorates – Ballarat, McEwen and Bendigo.

No Mallee funding

“It was alarming that no funding was allocated to my electorate of Mallee, which is over a third of the state of Victoria. I have twelve shires and not one received any support,” said Dr. Webster.

“Mallee shires do not have the wealth of larger city councils and desperately need a government injection of funding for deeply necessary housing in small communities.

“It leads me to question whether the Program was granting funds in accordance with stated criteria, and whether that criterion was appropriate in the circumstances.

“Consequently, I wrote to the Auditor-General, Dr Caralee McLiesh PSM, and an investigation has been initiated.

“I welcome this undertaking by Dr McLiesh and the ANAO, because housing and sky-rocketing rents are such a problem – not just in my electorate, but across the state of Victoria.”

Acute shortage

The Shadow Minister for Infrastructure Transport and Regional Development, Bridget McKenzie said regional Australia was suffering from the most acute shortage of housing in decades, which had been exacerbated by the Government’s decision to bring in more than a million new migrants in two years.

“We face an urgent problem in the housing and rental markets, and we urgently need to fast-track housing projects with enabling infrastructure such as roads, sewage and water,” Senator McKenzie said.

“And we need to have confidence that any allocations under this Program are being applied where the need is greatest, not where it is politically convenient.”

Pledge

The Liberal Nationals Coalition has pledged $5 billion to invest in enabling infrastructure like water, power, sewage and access roads to unlock necessary new housing supply for 500,000 new homes and keep the Australian dream of home ownership alive. Under this pledge 30 per cent of the funding will go to rural and regional Australia. 

This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 18 February 2025.