Specialist team accelerates housing approvals as industry calls for further reform
Advancing efforts to increase housing supply across Australia, the Albanese government has approved 4,641 new homes under national environmental legislation since August.
The approvals follow the introduction of a specialist “strike team” tasked with accelerating assessments for more than 26,000 homes awaiting approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act. The initiative was a key outcome of the recent Treasurer’s Economic Reform Roundtable.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has welcomed the announcement of over 4,600 new homes approved for construction. “It is particularly pleasing to see clearing of some projects, which have been stuck in the system waiting for approval since 2018,” said Simon Croft, chief executive of industry and policy at the Housing Industry Association.
Croft (pictured right) described the progress on EPBC reforms as a positive step, but said further changes are needed to meet the target of 1.2 million new homes by 2029. He noted that while the government’s actions have begun to address the backlog, the volume of pending approvals shows the scale of the challenge. He also urged for approval systems that are faster, simpler and more consistent across all levels of government.
“HIA supports strong environmental protections, but the system has to be practical,” Croft said. “Clear rules, consistent decision making and a genuine focus on reducing duplication will give industry the certainty it needs to invest and build.”
He added that the recent approvals demonstrate the impact of targeted action, and expressed hope that the specialist team’s work would continue.
HIA is calling on the government to maintain close engagement with the housing sector as environmental reforms are finalised. Croft also called for clear transition arrangements for projects already in the pipeline and the piloting of new fast-track approval precincts where planning and infrastructure issues are already well understood.
“It’s good to see some green shoots appear in the challenge of addressing the nation’s housing supply crisis, but the momentum must continue until approvals flow freely and consistently, and the long slated reforms to the EPBC Act are implemented,” Croft said.
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