Housing industry insights
Advocacy & policy
News & inspiration
Support & guidance
Member perks
Industry insurance
For your business
Apprentices
Building it right
Building materials & products
Managing your business
Managing your safety
Building your business
Other subjects
A rewarding career
Study with us
A job in the industry
Grow with us
Our podcasts
Our initiatives
Get involved
Awards
Awards winners
Industry events
Most popular products
Top categories
For your business
{{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:
New rules add thousands to the cost of a new home as Tasmania falls years behind on housing
From today, every new home built in Tasmania must meet the full Livable Housing Design requirements. The Housing Industry Association says this adds thousands of dollars to the cost of building a home, at a time when Tasmanians can least afford it.
Rules for managing the risk of falls have changed - are you up to date?
Changes to Western Australia's requirements for managing the risks of falls will commence on 1 October 2026, introducing new expectations for builders, contractors and workers undertaking tasks where there is a risk of falling.
Livable Housing Design: final stage now in force
As of today, 1 October 2026, all new building work in Tasmania, unless exempt, must comply with all requirements of Part H8 Livable Housing Design of NCC Volume Two.
ACT housing approvals slump puts 2030 target under pressure
“The ACT’s housing supply pipeline is weakening, with building approvals in the three months to August halving compared with a year earlier,” said HIA Executive Director ACT and Southern NSW, Geordan Murray.