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“The additional $500 million commitment recognised the critical role trunk infrastructure plays in unlocking land for new homes. Getting water, sewerage, roads and power into new communities is often the difference between a project sitting on paper and homes actually being built.
“Queensland needs more homes urgently, and infrastructure bottlenecks have been one of the biggest constraints on bringing new land to market.
“However, infrastructure funding alone will not solve housing shortages unless it was paired with stronger expectations on local governments to improve planning performance.
“Taxpayer funding should be directed to councils that are actively demonstrating they are committed to increasing land supply and improving approval timeframes,” Mr Roberts said.
“If a council is not releasing land, not progressing planning reforms, or allowing applications to sit in the system for excessive periods, infrastructure funding alone will not deliver new homes.
“Round 2 funding should be focused on projects that genuinely unlock new housing rather than being used to retrospectively fund works that were already committed or simply being upgraded. This funding needs to be directed at projects that bring forward new lots and new homes, not at fixing up legacy infrastructure that does not expand supply.
“The test should be simple: will this project result in additional homes being built sooner than would otherwise occur. If the answer is no, then it should not be the priority for funding.
Mr Roberts said the requirement for at least 50 per cent of funding to be directed to regional Queensland was a positive step, noting many regional centres had available land but lacked the infrastructure to support growth.
“Regional communities across Queensland are experiencing strong population growth, tight rental markets and increasing affordability pressures.
“Targeted infrastructure investment in these areas can unlock development, support local jobs and improve housing availability.
“Infrastructure funding is a key piece of the puzzle, but it must be matched with planning reform, faster approvals and policies that encourage new land to come to market.
“The Queensland Productivity Commission has identified the priority areas for planning reform, and we need a commitment beyond just acknowledging the issue.
“Housing affordability will only improve when all parts of the system are working together to support supply,” concluded Mr Roberts.
“The NSW Government has taken an important step toward improving housing supply. Other states should now follow its lead and remove foreign investor taxes that discourage the construction of new homes,” said HIA Chief Economist Tim Reardon.
Housing Industry Association (HIA) Industry Outlook Breakfast in Newcastle and Gosford have highlighted the critical role of infrastructure, planning reform and industry support in addressing housing supply challenges across the Hunter and Central Coast regions.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) is calling on all political parties contesting the November State election to make regional housing a priority, placing regional communities and their growing populations front and centre of their pre-election policy commitments.
“HIA welcomes the initiatives to support new housing announced by the Treasurer as part of today’s NSW State Budget,” said Brad Armitage HIA NSW Executive Director.