{{propApi.title}}
{{propApi.text}} {{region}} Change location{{propApi.title}}
{{propApi.successMessage}} {{region}} Change location {{propApi.title}}
{{propApi.text}} {{region}} Change location{{propApi.title}}
{{propApi.successMessage}} {{region}} Change locationMore tax on housing is not the answer to inflation
More tax on housing is not the answer to inflation
Member and guest login
Enter your email and password to access secured content, members only resources and discount prices.
Did you become a member online? If not, you will need to activate your account to login.
If you are having problems logging in, please call HIA helpdesk on 1300 650 620 during business hours.
Forgotten password
Need some help?
If you are having problems logging in, please call HIA helpdesk on 1300 650 620 during business hours.
If the email address you have entered is registered, you will receive an email with further instructions.
Become part of the HIA community
Enables quick and easy registration for future events or learning and grants access to expert advice and valuable resources.
Create a guest account
Enter your details below and create a login
Send me exclusive tips, early access to new launches, and special offers. I can change my mind at any time.
By clicking Get started now you agree to the terms and conditions and privacy policy.
“HIA’s 2026–27 Pre-Budget Submission outlines a suite of supply-side reforms across taxation, finance, infrastructure, planning, skills and regulation to support delivery of the Government’s target of 1.2 million homes by 2029,” HIA Managing Director, Jocelyn Martin said today.
“Importantly, it highlights that persistent housing undersupply is contributing to inflation pressures, worsening rental conditions and constraining economic growth.
“Housing supply is no longer a cyclical issue, it is a macroeconomic problem. If we want to ease inflation, improve productivity and restore affordability, we must remove the barriers preventing new homes from being built.
“Housing is already one of the most heavily taxed sectors in the economy. Further tax changes, including to negative gearing or capital gains tax, would undermine investment, reduce feasibility and worsen affordability,” she said.
“HIA has also calling for a review of cumulative macroprudential settings, warning restrictions on lending are locking first home buyers out of the market and adding pressure to rents without addressing the underlying supply problem.
“To unlock stalled apartment projects, HIA has proposed a national program to expand state-based pre-sale finance guarantee schemes. Across the country there are projects ready to go but stuck because of financing constraints. This is a solvable problem if housing supply is treated as a national priority.
“We estimate that the nation could need as much $5 billion boost to ‘last-mile’ enabling infrastructure funding to get homes shovel-ready sooner.
“Addressing construction workforce shortages is also central to lifting supply. HIA has called for the long-term continuation of employer apprentice incentives, funding for pre-apprenticeship programs, targeted trade migration pathways and improved skills recognition processes for migrants.
“Housing targets will not be met without a larger workforce. Business as usual will not deliver the trades numbers Australia needs,” Ms Martin said.
HIA has also urged the Government to reduce regulatory burden by moving the National Construction Code to a five-year amendment cycle, providing free access to Australian Standards and cutting cumulative red, white and green tape adding unnecessary cost to new homes.
“The 2026–27 Budget will be a test of whether housing supply is taken seriously. The focus must be on stability, coordination and reforms that increase supply, not measures suppressing it,” concluded Ms Martin.
For more information please contact:
Housing Industry Association National Policy Congress Communique
The Housing Industry Association’s (HIA) National Policy Congress (NPC) met on the Gold Coast on 16 April 2026 for its annual meeting. The NPC comprises elected representatives from regions across Australia, together with the Chairs of HIA’s eight specialist committees.
HIA recognises long standing member with prestigious industry award
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has honoured one of its most respected and long‑standing members, Graham Walker, as the 2026 recipient of the Sir Phillip Lynch Award of Excellence – acknowledging decades of outstanding service to both HIA and the broader residential building industry.
Victorian government announces new Cabinet
The Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan, has today announced a new Cabinet following the announcement earlier this week that several long-time MPs will retire from the Ministry and the Parliament at the end of the year.
New Victorian Building Minister must delay building code changes
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) congratulates Nick Staikos on his appointment as the new Victorian Minister for Housing and Building and suggests he gets an early win on the board by immediately announcing a delay to the implementation of National Construction Code (NCC) changes due to commence on 1 May 2026.