The Hodgman Liberal Government is Building Tasmania’s Future by backing the more than 20,000 people who work in our critical building and construction industry.
Today, we tabled legislation that will – as promised – extend the $20,000 First Home Builders Grant through to 30 June 2018.
This is about boosting our housing sector to create jobs – our number one priority – and giving even more Tasmanians the opportunity to realise the dream of building their first home.
The Taxation and Grants Legislation (Housing Construction Amendments) Bill 2017 will also change the way stamp duty on house and land packages is charged, potentially providing a sizeable saving.
Currently, people buying a house and land package generally pay stamp duty on the combined value of the land and the house agreed to be built on it.
Our Bill will change this so that they will now only pay stamp duty on the value of the land and anything already on it at the time of sale.
It’s another step – together with our continuing the doubled First Home Builders Grant for a further year – that demonstrates our strong support for the building and construction industry.
The Liberal Government has already implemented nation-leading building reforms and is continuing to move towards a single Statewide planning scheme.
Around Tasmania, we are also investing directly in construction through a range of infrastructure projects, including our $73.5 million Affordable Housing Action Plan, which will build 900 new homes, the redevelopment of the Royal Hobart Hospital, and our $90 million Northern Cities Major Development Initiatives.
This Budget has delivered even more for building and construction, with new funding for upgrades of our hospitals and our schools, including $11.4 million for a new St Helens District Hospital.
More Media Releases from Guy Barnett
More Media Releases from the Minister for Building and Construction