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Advocacy

Advocacy

HIA speaks for our national membership across all levels of government. We collaborate with our Australia-wide network of regional representatives to present an informed and united front on the issues that affect you and your business.

What matters to our members

HIA is across the most critical issues affecting residential housing in Australia - right now and in the future. Our five-year strategic plan is about addressing all of these, head-on. Our representatives are heavily involved in committees that cover all these key areas. We are dedicated to ensuring our members’ voices are heard when it counts.

house & building

Housing matters

Supporting the Housing Accord commitment to build 1.2million homes over five years and to ensure there is fair and equitable policy and tax reform for the industry to thrive and grow.

landmark

Affordability

Increase home ownership by removing unnecessary taxes and charges on housing, simplify planning rules, and help more Australians own their own home sooner.

briefcase

Quality & compliance

Ensure home building rules are cost effective, achievable and proportional. Limit the impacts of major changes like those to NCC, WHS, building regulatory systems and sustainability reforms.

business

Let business do business

Navigate changes to rules and regulations, prohibitions on goods and services and highlight materials, labour and skilled worker shortages with a "do no harm" approach.

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What we do

It is important to approach government and industry regulators with a solid understanding of the biggest challenges we face. HIA experts work hard to develop qualitative and quantitative research and create powerful and data-driven campaigns that demonstrate why change is necessary.

Explore some of our high-profile endeavours

Modernising The NCC

The National Construction Code needs to be knocked down and rebuilt from the ground up. HIA has put together a significant suite of transformational recommendations to make compliance easier for residential building professionals.

Explore the regulatory changes we believe will help drive up housing supply and increase affordability for all Australians.

Learn more

NCC 2025

Access HIA’s extensive resource library covering Australian Standards, the latest regulatory updates, adoption dates and how to comply.

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Small Business Conditions Survey

Residential building industry small businesses are resilient but facing significant challenges. Here's how they're faring in 2026.

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HIA Planning Blueprint Scorecard

HIA's Planning Blueprint Scorecard grades the planning system of each state and outlines key areas of improvement to achieve the Accord target of 1.2 million homes.

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Housing the Regions

Australians are moving to regional centres. Here's how we can help them build more homes and strengthen their communities.

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One House, One Approval

A refreshed and simplified pathway to deliver one approval for the construction of a single house on a block of land zoned for housing.

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Taxation's major impact on housing

HIA engaged the Centre for International Economics (the CIE) to undertake a review of taxes, fees and charges on new housing and apartments.

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Missing Middle Housing Report

We must explore gentle density housing solutions including more townhouses, micro-lot houses and triplexes in existing populated areas. Review the report.

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All Hands on Deck: Construction workforce requirements report

Trade shortages loom as a major threat to the Housing Accord’s target of building 1.2 million homes over the next five years.

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Pre-fab and modular construction

HIA's final report identifies the regulatory barriers for off-site construction in housing. These barriers can be time consuming and costly, resulting in inconsistent outcomes for industry and consumers.

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Ban on engineered stone

Our expert guidance on how to understand the engineered stone ban and minimise the health risks of silicosis. Learn more about how we’ve helped the industry deal with this huge regulatory change.

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The changing voice of the construction industry

The construction industry has become more culturally and linguistically diverse. However, the industry is still lagging other industry sectors when it comes to attracting skilled migrants.

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NCC 2022 changes

We’ve been working hard for our members to minimise the outcome of NCC 2022 changes that have impacted the residential building industry. Explore the latest changes and updates to the National Construction Code.

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How it works

Your voice, heard

Our service committees consult with members in their region about their evolving challenges and opportunities from the frontlines of the industry - what's really going on, on-site and beyond.

Our priorities, aligned

Local representatives join forces at the HIA National Policy Congress and work together to reach common ground so HIA can approach government and regulators from a position of power.

Expert research and development

HIA experts collate national data from our members, conduct research, and lead investigations into the factors contributing to what needs to be addressed, strengthening our stance.

Present to government

We present formal submissions on issues including the Budget, workplace diversity, migration, sustainability, new planning and approval rules, and much more.

The ultimate goal of HIA's advocacy is to initiate meaningful change on behalf of our members. We advocate for significant government policy and regulation amendments that benefit you as part of the residential building industry.

How the National Policy Congress represents you

Our national committees communicate their region's position on building industry issues at HIA's National Policy Congress (NPC). This annual event brings the Association's industry leaders together to create better outcomes for our members and set the direction of HIA's advocacy going forward. 

We develop position (policy) statements from these robust NPC discussions that represent our members' majority outlook on Australian building regulations, home ownership, business compliance and operations, and emerging key policy issues.

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What we present to government

HIA's latest responses to government policy around the housing industry, plus the latest news and economic forecasts for the sector. We submit these consistently throughout the year, ahead of and in response to what’s happening everywhere across Australia, from the regions to the highest level of government.

Latest submissions
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15 Oct
Consultation Draft National Silica-Related Diseases Research Strategy

HIA provided a response to the Consultation Draft National Silica-Related Diseases Research Strategy.

12 Oct
Implementing carpentry registration and licensing Consultation Paper

Imposing registration and licensing on trades represents a significant impost, further degrading the capacity to deliver homes and other domestic building work. This submission, therefore, is not limited to responding to the Consultation Paper, rather, it addresses more broadly the significant risks that imposing registration and licensing on trades will have on the sector.

06 Oct
Anambah to Branxton Draft Structure Plan

HIA supports a robust and enduring Anambah to Branxton Structure Plan, but it must be based on accurate and current evidence. It should facilitate projects capable of delivering housing in the near term rather than constrain them through potentially incorrect mapping, unsupported assumptions or inappropriate sequencing.

03 Oct
Locked Out: Fixing Tasmania's Land Supply Crisis

Tasmania is building only half the homes it needs, delivering 2,456 new homes in 2024/25 against a National Housing Accord target of 5,022, the lowest performance of any state. The challenge is not a lack of demand, buyers or building capacity. Instead, Tasmania faces a critical shortage of serviced residential land.

Industry updates

Affordable Building approvals Construction Residential
New home sales in Victoria remain depressed
“New home sales in Victoria dropped by 23.3 per cent in the September quarter 2026, reversing the hopeful improvement that was underway earlier in the year and returning to their depressed 2023-2024 levels,” stated HIA Executive D...
Oct 26
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Building approvals Construction Affordable Residential
New home sales slump
“New home sales fell by 17.5 per cent in the September quarter 2026, reversing the recovery that commenced in 2025,” stated HIA Chief Economist, Tim Reardon.
Oct 26
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Compliance Employee conditions Insurance Mental health Safety Small business Work Health and Safety (WHS)
Workers' compensation shake-up puts costs in focus
This week, the Queensland Government introduced legislation into Parliament to reform the state's workers' compensation scheme by specifically addressing the rising impact of psychological injury claims and fraud on the Scheme's l...
Oct 26
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Building approvals Building developments Construction GST Regulations Residential Tax
New home shortfall costs Tasmania the equivalent of 2,800 nurses for two years
Tasmania’s failure to build enough homes has cost the state budget an estimated $642 million in stamp duty and GST over the past two years, which is enough to pay the salaries of 2,807 registered nurses for two years, according to...
Oct 26
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Compliance Construction Energy efficiency Environment Regulations Residential Supply chain
Housing industry backs scope 3 rollback to ease growing compliance burden
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has welcomed the Federal Opposition's announcement that it would remove Scope 3 emissions reporting requirements, describing the move as a practical step towards reducing growing compliance b...
Oct 26
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Affordable Building developments Construction Medium rise construction Planning Residential Regulations Tax
Labor’s Absentee Owner Surcharge ‘cut’ won’t deliver affordable housing
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) acknowledges the Victorian Labor government’s announcement today that it will cut the Absentee Owner Surcharge (AOS) for its preferred projects.
Oct 26
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Construction Environment Outdoor Residential Supply chain Suppliers
WA brick supply update - what members need to know
HIA continues to engage with manufacturers, suppliers, government and industry stakeholders regarding the ongoing brick supply challenges affecting residential construction across Western Australia.
Oct 26
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Apprentice Business operations Construction Regulations Residential Tax
Minimum trust tax a new tax on tradies
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) is warning that the Federal Government's proposed minimum tax on family trusts would amount to a new tax on tradies, builders and small family businesses, while creating costly business disru...
Oct 26
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Compliance Licence Regulations
CBOS has split in two: who to contact now
From 1 October 2026, CBOS no longer exists as a single agency. The Tasmanian Government has split its work between two regulators, Building Standards Tasmania (BST) and Consumer Affairs Tasmania (CAT).
Oct 26
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HIA remembers Kevin Brock
It is with great sadness that I advise of the passing of HIA Life Member Kevin Brock, aged 87.
Oct 26
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Apprentice Business operations Business structure Construction Regulations Small business Superannuation Tax Wages
Come walk a day in the shoes of small business
Before introducing another tax, another reporting requirement, another compliance obligation or another cost increase, HIA is calling on government ministers and policymakers to spend a day in the shoes of a small business owner.
Oct 26
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Affordable Apprentice Building approvals Construction Education Residential
Technical colleges key to building Victoria's future workforce
"The Housing Industry Association (HIA) welcomes the Victorian Liberal and National Parties commitment to establish tenTechnical Colleges to help address the state's growing shortage of skilled tradespeople and strengthen pathways...
Oct 26
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