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Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s press conference on his HomeBuilder scheme, designed to boost the construction industry, is interrupted by a man urging the media to get off his reseeded lawn.

The great Australian dream has long included a house, a picket fence and a healthy patch of lawn. But as the Prime Minister was encouraging Australians to invest in their homes, the great source of pride was forgotten by some.
Key points:

  • The Prime Minister’s press conference was interrupted by a man demanding people get off his grass
  • The Googong homeowner said the grass had been freshly seeded
  • Scott Morrison was in the NSW township to announce his HomeBuilder grants scheme

This morning Scott Morrison was mid-sentence at the launch of his Government’s HomeBuilder scheme designed to stimulate the construction industry and keep builders employed when an irritated voice interrupted.
“Can everyone get off the grass, please? Come on,” a homeowner yelled from his front steps.
“Hey guys I’ve just reseeded that,” he added.
There was some momentary awkward shuffling and mumbling, but the man’s frustration was short-lived, acknowledging his thanks to the moving press pack with a thumbs-up, which was returned by Mr Morrison, who then continued.
Mr Morrison was announcing grants of up to $25,000 for eligible Australians to build or substantially renovate their homes, in an attempt to boost new construction projects between now and the end of the year.
“This is about targeted taxpayer support for a limited time using existing systems to ensure the money gets used how it should by families looking for that bit of extra help to make significant investments themselves,” he said.
“If you’ve been putting off that renovation or new build, the extra $25,000 we’re putting on the table, along with record-low interest rates, means now’s the time to get started.”
Who qualifies for the $25k HomeBuilder scheme?
The Federal Government has unveiled its HomeBuilder package, offering $25,000 for people to upgrade or build their homes but access to the scheme’s free money won’t come cheap.
Read more
The announcement took place at the major redevelopment site of Googong, New South Wales, just across the border from the ACT.
It is the kind of development Mr Morrison’s scheme is seeking to replicate.
The township promises the suburban dream, with green grass central to its marketing scheme: “A life where your family grows, your neighbours are neighbourly and your children are practically free range.”‘
Googong is slated to have more than 6,000 homes by the time it reaches completion, and has been under construction for more than a decade.
As the press conference wrapped up, Mr Morrison joked to reporters: “Make sure you get off that bloke’s lawn!”
“Nothing wrong with a proud homeowner,” commented a Government official.
“He’s put a lot of time and effort into that,” another added.
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