The government has announced plans to streamline construction to boost housing supply on the back of last week’s economic roundtable.
The reforms would fast-track environmental approvals delayed by red tape and leverage AI to get more properties to market sooner.
“We want builders doing what they do best: building high-quality homes for Australians. We don’t want them stuck in the back office with paperwork,” Housing Minister Clare O’Neil stated today.
The government will pause changes to the National Construction code for four years to provide certainty to builders.
The plan is to utilize AI for speeding up approvals, fast-tracking 26,000 homes currently delayed by the environmental approvals process, and encouraging the use of prefabricated and modular homes.
Property Council of Australia chief executive Mike Zorbas backed the move.
“It’s a win for housing, a win for housing affordability and it’s actually going to give us a better construction code,” he said.
The move is supported by industry groups and the opposition.
“Removing the shackles of overregulation is what we needed to really start building quickly,” Master Builders Australia chief executive Denita Wawn expressed.
The seven-star energy efficiency requirements will remain in place.
The challenge is building quality quickly and not sacrificing safety for speed.
“Tools like AI will ensure we maintain great quality standards, but in a way that’s easy for builders to implement,” O’Neil mentioned.
Accessing the housing market remains a major concern for younger Australians, and the government is also committed to examining how the tax system disadvantages younger workers in the long term.
“We need to insure that the fair go is the defining part of our future and not just the defining part of our past,” Treasurer Jim Chalmers said.
That challenge is likely to become a defining part of this government’s future as well.
