The Queensland government has joined prospective homebuyers on the private market after ditching a plan to convert disused university beds into emergency accommodation.

Getting the Griffith University campus beds up to scratch will be too costly, and it’s better value to buy existing homes and apartments, Deputy Premier Steven Miles told parliament.

The repurposing of 200 student beds for emergency accommodation at a Brisbane campus was among the measures announced at a state government housing summit last year.

Cost estimates found “substantial works” would be required to bring it up to fire safety standards, especially considering its location near bushland, Mr Miles said on Wednesday.

Instead, the state government has entered into contracts to buy 64 properties to be used as social housing, at a total value of about $25 million.

“After consulting with Queensland’s leading housing advocacy group QShelter, we’ve made the decision to purchase homes directly on the private market, to get more people into accommodation quicker,” Mr Miles said.

“Accommodation that will remain in the state’s social housing stock permanently.”

The state opposition is questioning how much the government has spent on the Griffith project, and why it’s taken so long to announce it’s not feasible.

“(It’s) been six months for them to come to the conclusion, and I don’t know how much money has been spent in that time,” Liberal National housing spokesman Tim Mander said on Wednesday.

“How long have they known? When did they enter into these contracts for the 64 houses?”

Rather than adding to housing supply, Mr Mander said the alternative policy would make things worse.

There is a combined total of 165 rooms in the 64 homes, more than the 100 rooms anticipated at the Griffith campus, Mr Miles said.

The university beds were a temporary option, and this decision delivers better value for money with more homes available sooner, he added.

The plan “makes more sense” given the challenges at the Griffith site, QShelter executive director Fiona Caniglia said.

“In the longer term, this funding will go further and achieve sustainable housing outcomes for as long as people need them,” she said.

It comes as the Queensland Greens introduce a bill mandating a minimum level of public housing in all new builds above a certain size

The laws would require 25 per cent of homes in developments with 10 or more dwellings to be handed to the state as public housing.

“Queensland will continue to be a state where developers want to do business, where they know they can make money,” Greens MP Amy MacMahon told reporters on Wednesday.

“What we’re saying is, this is part of the cost of doing business here.”

Nick Gibbs
(Australian Associated Press)