Housing productivity key for second term Albanese government

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has highlighted housing supply challenges and regulatory reform as priorities for the government’s second term, addressing the National Press Club today.

The Prime Minister said cutting red tape would reduce housing costs and identified faster approvals for housing, energy and infrastructure projects as key priorities.

“If we can cut through on some of the red tape, then that will reduce costs,” Mr Albanese said.

Housing Industry Association Managing Director Jocelyn Martin welcomed the Prime Minister’s acknowledgement of housing supply and affordability challenges.

“HIA is pleased to hear the Prime Minister acknowledge the challenges with increasing housing supply and addressing housing affordability in Australia,” Ms Martin said.

The Prime Minister announced the Treasurer will convene a roundtable with industry leaders in August focused on economic growth and productivity.

Ms Martin called on the government to include housing as a central part of discussions shaping future economic growth and productivity.

She noted the Albanese Labor Government’s campaign commitment to help first home buyers enter the market with 5 per cent deposits, which HIA has advocated for.

“But this in itself will not deliver more homes and boost supply and in order to do so, governments need to help lower the cost of delivering new homes,” Ms Martin said.

“The process of home building in itself is quick and efficient. Government red tape and excessive regulation have been the key reasons why it is so difficult to increase supply.”

Ms Martin referenced the Productivity Commission’s Can We Fix It? Report on Housing Productivity, which called for efforts to “eliminate bottlenecks in the system and provide certainty to the residential building industry.”

HIA’s 2025 Report on the Taxation of the Housing Sector found almost half the cost of a new home comprises taxes, fees and regulatory charges.

Ms Martin said while housing policy is largely influenced at state and local levels, the Australian Government should not avoid ambitious housing policies and reforms.

“This should include policies that would help deliver more land to market to meet demand, attract more workers into the industry and to ease the taxes and unnecessary regulations imposed on building a new home,” she said.

Housing Minister Clare O’Neil reinforced the regulatory burden over the weekend, stating it was “just too hard to build a house in this country” and that “the nation’s housing crisis is in part the result of 40 years of unceasing new regulation across three levels of government.”

The Prime Minister reinforced this point during his National Press Club address.