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.
If you are having problems logging in, please call HIA helpdesk on 1300 650 620 during business hours.
Enables quick and easy registration for future events or learning and grants access to expert advice and valuable resources.
Enter your details below and create a login
“We currently have a housing crisis in the ACT, and part of the solution is to identify and start work on a sustainable pipeline of land for residential building in the ACT,” said Greg Weller, HIA Executive Director ACT & Southern NSW.
“Last financial year the ACT approved the lowest number of detached houses since records started in the 1960’s. Over recent years when the Suburban Land Agency conducts a ballot for land, it is not uncommon for these to be oversubscribed by thousands. That tells us we have a problem.
“Kowen Forest is a good solution and identifying a long-term pipeline of land is something that we have been calling for in our pre-election housing priorities, to take the pressure off Canberrans who currently feel like every land sale will be the last.
“The current Indicative Land Release Program is too short a horizon, is not transparent enough and does not report against its success.
“The ACT has to accept that the current approach to planning is pushing families into surrounding developments in NSW, putting more cars on the road for longer, potentially negating some of the environmental benefits they are seeking to achieve. The ACT also misses out on revenue through land tax, rates and registrations.
“We continue to support increasing density within the city’s existing footprint and have long said that the discussion shouldn’t be one or the other regarding infill or greenfield. So, we also encourage a future government to look at existing limitations such as the Lease Variation tax on new housing in existing suburbs.
“If the city is to keep growing as planned, we need bold and clear statements as to how and where that will happen,” concluded Mr Weller.
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.