HIA Executive Director ACT/Southern NSW, Geordan Murray, said builders and residential construction businesses from communities across the region, from Wagga Wagga and the Riverina to the South Coast, Canberra and surrounding districts, would join a small business forum at Parliament House to share firsthand accounts of the challenges facing local businesses.

"The people who build homes across our region are coming to Canberra today because they want politicians to understand the pressures facing small businesses on the ground," Mr Murray said.

"These are family-run businesses employing local people, taking on apprentices and supporting their communities. They are also the businesses feeling the cumulative impact of rising costs, workforce shortages, mounting regulation and an ever-growing tax burden."

Mr Murray said the housing industry was already grappling with rising costs, workforce shortages and significant barriers to increasing housing supply.

"For years, governments have added new taxes, charges, compliance obligations and regulatory requirements on small businesses. Individually they might seem manageable, but together they create a significant burden on the businesses responsible for building new homes.

"The new laws being debated also include further restrictions on investment in residential rental stock, flowing on from the proposals in this year's budget.

"The proposed changes to trust taxation are occurring against a backdrop of increasing pressure on small businesses, which are already navigating higher costs, more regulation and weaker market conditions.

"You can't say on one hand that housing supply is a national priority, while making it harder for small businesses to invest, expand and employ people.

"Every additional burden placed on small business ultimately finds its way into the cost of delivering new homes."

HIA members will participate in a parliamentary small business forum hosted by Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson MP, where business owners from across the region will have the opportunity to take their concerns directly to federal policymakers and outline the day-to-day challenges facing small businesses.

Meanwhile, HIA representatives will also appear before the Senate inquiry examining the legislation.

"Our members aren't coming to Canberra to talk politics. They are here to explain what it's like running a small business in regional communities and growing suburbs at a time when every new tax, cost and regulatory requirement makes the job harder," Mr Murray said.

"If governments are serious about increasing housing supply and improving affordability, they need policies that support the small businesses delivering new homes, not measures that make their job harder.

"Today's discussions are an important opportunity for decision makers to hear directly from the people who are investing, employing and building in our communities every day."

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