A proposed $500 million pre-sale guarantee fund enters focus
Housing approvals climbed in South Australia while Victoria moved to compress planning timelines to as little as 10 business days, linking supply growth directly to faster project activation.
In South Australia, approvals for all dwellings rose 15.4% in November compared with November 2024, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data. On a rolling annual basis, approvals for the 12 months ended November 2025 increased 23.7% to 15,059, up from 12,176 in the prior year. Month to month, approvals increased 1%, with 1,281 dwellings approved in November 2025 compared with 1,268 in October.
State authorities attributed the approvals trend to policy measures and capital programmes directed at increasing housing supply. These include construction and sales at urban renewal projects such as Southwark Grounds, Playford Alive, Noarlunga, Bowden and Prospect Corner, along with halting the sale of Housing Trust properties, resulting in a net increase in public housing stock. The government also cited a $1.5 billion investment in water infrastructure, involving the installation of tens of thousands of metres of pipe, and rezoning initiatives intended to enable tens of thousands of additional homes.
The Malinauskas Labor Government has also proposed a $500 million pre-sale guarantee fund, announced last year, which is intended to support apartment developments in the central business district if the government is re-elected.
“More homes are being built for South Australians than ever before and that is as a direct result of our Government’s investment in housing. The latest ABS data proves you don’t need to take our word for it – it proves that what we are doing to increase housing supply is working. On top of the data, there is range of industry groups, like the Housing Industry Association and the Business Council of Australia backing our Government as national leaders in housing policy. We won’t let this momentum wane – we will continue to do everything we can to continue to increase housing supply,” said Nick Champion.
In Victoria, the Legislative Council passed the Planning Amendment (Better Decisions Made Faster) Bill 2025 with amendments, sending the legislation back to the Legislative Assembly. The bill seeks to overhaul the state’s planning system by introducing a three-tier permit framework based on development complexity, with target decision periods of 10, 30, or 60 business days.
During the second reading debate, the government cited population projections showing Victoria’s population rising from 7.2 million in 2025 to 10.3 million by 2050. Lawmakers said planning delays cost the state economy more than $1 billion a year, with average permit processing times of about 140 days and applications involving objections taking just over 300 days.
The bill also restructures pathways for planning scheme amendments into low-, medium-, and high-impact categories, introduces defined authorisation timelines, and requires proponents and submitters to declare financial interests, including gifts and donations. Consultation on the reforms took place between July 2024 and October 2025 and involved local governments, planning professionals, state agencies, and registered Aboriginal parties.
Supporters said the changes are intended to improve certainty around approvals, while opponents raised concerns related to environmental safeguards, affordability mechanisms, and parliamentary oversight.
