The residential construction industry contributes $100 billion to the Australian Economy each year and employs over 1 million people. The sector also contributes about 10 percent of all tax revenue collected each year. It is a sector worth paying attention to, supporting and celebrating the hard work of its participants.

For 80 years HIA has represented the interests of residential builders, subcontractors and the manufacturers and suppliers who work with our industry across Australia. 

Unfortunately, a number of the issues that HIA was formed on 80 years ago are still facing our industry today – chronic skills shortages, ever increasing scope of regulations and access to build ready land. I’m hopeful that someone standing in my place in another 80 years is not still talking about the same issues.

Home ownership is the bricks and mortar that has helped Australia build a stable and vibrant society.

A well housed population is more productive, cohesive and healthy.

It is now widely understood though that we are simply not building enough homes.

The delivery of housing in all forms, across our cities and in our regions must be a national priority.

A lack of housing supply is impacting house prices, driving up rents and affecting where people can live and work. The opportunity to build and own a home has become out of reach for too many. This is fundamentally wrong and must be the highest priority for political parties across the spectrum to address and resolve.

Australia needs to maintain housing supply at around 240,000 new dwellings per annum, year on year to meet demand and put downward pressures on affordability.

Yet right now the policy and economic environment is acting as a hand break on our industry resulting in only 170,000 new homes being delivered.

In Melbourne alone, by 2034 a mere 9 years time, the population is to jump from 5.2 million to a staggering 6.5 million people. This equates to another city the size of Adelaide and more than double Canberra’s population.

Hence – BAU solutions to match housing supply to the growing population won’t cut it. And this will particularly be felt in areas like we are standing today in Melbourne’s North West.  

HIA’s 2025 Federal Election Campaign title is Let’s Build. Words which might seem like a simple call to action but they are underscored by a level of frustration.

For years HIA has advocated that housing supply matters and that successive failures to recognize and address barriers to housing supply now mean that it can take over 2 average incomes to service  a mortgage and in areas like North West growth corridors where are today can take over 7 years for first home buyers to save for a deposit.  

And although the majority of young Australians still aspire to own their own home, home ownership rates are steadily declining 65% of 30-34 year olds were able to buy their own home 40 years ago, now that figure is 50%. 

We know that a roof over your head provides security, safety and improves opportunities to education and employment.

It is important to say we are pleased to hear that all levels of government and both major parties are willing to understand that we need to build more homes. We are pleased to hear of support for apprenticeships, training places, commitments to infrastructure spending, support for first home buyers and efforts to deliver more social and affordable housing.

But every one of us knows more needs to be done and that housing is a priority for voters at this upcoming election. 

In HIA’s Let’s Build Campaign making housing of all forms and in all locations a national priority means:

• Addressing the 83,000 more tradies we need right now– by reforming our schools system to promote a trade as a career of choice 20 years ago when I did my carpentry apprenticeship here in Melbourne – through school it was uni uni uni and only do a trade if you were failing – unfortunately we hear this stigma still exists and its wrong, we need to target apprentice retention – its hard enough to get them into a trade but with 50% drop out rate apprentice retention is critical, recognizing employer support for apprentices and streamlining and simplifying our skilled migration system for in-demand trades.

• It means removing the barriers to the supply of housing by committing all layers of government to work together towards planning reforms and long term funding for key last-mile infrastructure, reducing the level of tax and fees on housing, and addressing the red tape that takes longer to navigate than it takes to build the home, supporting innovation rather than more regulation and providing long term targeted support for social and affordable housing beyond the election cycle.
  We need a Housing Supply Minister who takes responsibility for approval for all policy affecting housing supply and affordability.  

• Making housing a priority means establishing financial settings that encourage home ownership and support building businesses, including expanding placements in the Home Guarantee Scheme and other housing support measures, including enabling use of a proportion of super towards life’s most important purchase. 
  Our financial institutions need to come to the party and recognise their role in reducing the mortgage buffer and modernising the progress payment system to improve cash flow for builders. We must invest in Australia’s manufacturing sector and support small businesses to thrive.  We must invest in our regional areas with 1/3 of the population or 8.6 million people now living outside of our metro cities. These areas are not just an adjunct of inner city Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra policies and rather need dedicated policies and a seat at the National Cabinet table. 

We all now know there’s no one silver bullet to address our housing challenges we need a combination of many things from all levels of government.

HIA calls on all sides of politics to commit to pulling out all stops and implement a multi-pronged plan to secure a strong supply of future housing matched to growing demand.  

A plan that addresses long term structural issues in delivery of adequate housing.

A plan that requires bold leadership and coordination across all areas of government.

A plan the recognises that not one single policy area can address these challenges. A plan that goes beyond a single election cycle.

But most of all we need bold leadership. We need a party who is willing to commit to work with industry to achieve long term housing reform.

At this election HIA wants to see all contenders step up to the plate with an urgent willingness to take on our housing issues. Let’s not wait another 80 years let’s build the homes we need now. 

Let’s Build Australia

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