However, a number of overall statewide policies and practices have been put into place through the state government’s 10-year affordable housing strategy.

This is despite Launceston recording the highest growth in property value for regional areas in the country, according to the latest CoreLogic report, released on Wednesday.

A government spokesperson said it recognised that growing demand had created challenges in the housing market, particularly in Hobart.

“We have a number of policies aimed at boosting private residential housing supply, including extending the $20,000 first home owners grant to June 2019, providing first home buyers with a 50 per cent stamp duty concession for existing homes up to $400,000, and extending the payroll tax rebate scheme until 2021 to employ an additional 3000 new trainees and apprentices.”

Launceston’s property values rose by more than 11 per cent, and the next closest was Latrobe, in Victoria, which recorded about 8 per cent.

Hobart eclipsed growth for capital cities, recording an 8.8 per cent growth. The next closest was the Australian Capital Territory, with a 3.3 per cent growth.

Data from the latest quarterly housing report showed nearly 1000 new households had been assisted through the affordable housing strategy.

“It’s also important to note that Tasmanian building approvals are leading the nation in growth. The number of building approval in the year to October 2018 was nearly 50 per cent higher than the last year of the former Labor-Green Government.”

However, Labor Leader Rebecca White used the release of the report to launch an attack on Housing Minister Roger Jaensch and accused him and the department of secrecy.

She said the CoreLogic report showed the average Hobart house prices have now overtaken Adelaide and Perth and a chronic undersupply of housing was placing increased pressure on renters.

“Meanwhile the government is keeping information about the true extent of the housing crisis hidden from Tasmanians,” she said.

She said the government’s Human Services dashboard should have been updated before Christmas with the September quarter data but it hadn’t yet.

“What that means is that Tasmanians – and importantly those Tasmanians languishing on housing wait lists - can now only access housing statistics up to June 2018,” Ms White said.

However, the government spokesperson rejected the accusations as a “Labor conspiracy theory”.

“The latest housing data is not being withheld, it is being finalised and will be released soon.”

Communities Tasmania separated from the Department from Health in July last year.  Each separate Department releases their statistics independently from the other.

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