Graham Wolfe
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has welcomed the national focus on increasing housing supply in order to address affordability pressures. Source: Timberbiz
“Shelter is a basic human requirement, and access to affordable housing underpins our capacity to prosper and contribute to the community and economy more broadly,” said HIA Chief Executive Industry Policy and Media, Graham Wolfe.
“So it is appropriate that we are talking about how Australia increases the supply of housing to keep pace with the requirements of our growing and ageing population.
“Housing supply is indeed a national issue and requires federal leadership.
“But what is missing from the national debate is a Federal Minister for Housing to lead the conversation and oversee a strategy for policy reform.
“The Minister should be supported by resources in Treasury to evaluate the status of housing supply and ensure a framework for the adequate supply of shovel-ready land across greenfield, infill and brownfield locations around Australia.
“There are measures that can be introduced to begin the process of relieving affordability pressures. National leadership is required so that can start now.”
Mr Wolfe said that the measures include:
- increasing the land supply pipeline;
- reducing the excessive taxation on new housing;
- improving planning systems; and reforming infrastructure delivery so that new home owners don’t shoulder the burden of assets that benefit the whole community.
He said that federal support for reform of residential infrastructure funding, where the current excessive cost to new home buyers is replaced by a bond financing model at a state or local government level, is a good example of what can be done.
