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“This proposal is a step in the right direction, especially for the home building industry which has been mired in excessive red tape and regulation,” HIA Managing Director Jocelyn Martin said today.
“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,” added Ms Martin.
“It is pleasing to hear that construction is one of the sectors identified to benefit from this, alongside financial services, resource and energy.
“For too long, the home building industry has become increasingly and excessively regulated, which has inflated the cost of building a new home.
“Our 2025 Report on the Taxation of the Housing Sector found that almost half of the cost of a new home are taxes, fees and regulatory charges.
“In creating this body, it is important that Australia also attracts the foreign investment needed to build more homes of all types, whether detached or apartments.
“Unfortunately, recent proposals and moves to ban foreign investors and businesses to invest in Australia’s housing market are deeply misguided.
“At least one in ten detached homes built in Australia are built by overseas-backed businesses. Foreign investors were also the key in building more units during the mid-2010s apartment boom.
“We do hope that in the creation of such body that they also identify the need to reform these policies, remove the barriers and attract more foreign investment as well.
“HIA is calling on all parties of government to take a sensible approach to housing policy, one that does not pander to short-term political gains.
“Cutting unnecessary regulation for the home building and financing industry is certainly a good laudable step forward,” concluded Ms Martin.
Read more on HIA’s advocacy on how the Government can help remove the barriers to building more homes in Australia.
Workplace laws are set for more changes in 2026.
Australia’s residential building industry has entered the new year with confidence still on shaky ground for small businesses as rising costs and policy uncertainty continue to cloud the outlook.
Tasmania’s housing market slowed in November, with building approvals falling sharply compared to October. Approvals for new homes dropped almost 20 per cent, and even after seasonal adjustment, the decline was 5.8 per cent.
Australia’s home building industry is expected to strengthen through 2026, supported by gradually improving building approvals and a recovery in demand, but the pace of growth will ultimately depend on how quickly interest rates can fall further, according to the Housing Industry Association.