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State governments are ramping up efforts to boost housing supply.
While the housing crisis has dominated the lead-in to the upcoming federal election, state leaders have also been rolling out measures to boost housing affordability and supply.
On Sunday, Victoria’s Allan Labor government announced the start of a scheme to fast-track planning applications for housing.
The Great Design Fast Track is aimed at making it easier and quicker to approve well-designed apartment and town house developments that include eight or more homes between two and eight storeys, depending on the zone.
Projects must meet certain design principles to qualify for the pathway, ensuring they are high-quality, long-lasting, and good value for residents.
The Office of the Victorian Government Architect (OVGA) will review applications.
Projects must demonstrate a higher level of sustainability than typical projects and will also need to accommodate community spaces, consider green space and landscaping, and cater to the needs of different kinds of households.
Locals retain their right to provide feedback on submissions, but applications will be fast-tracked, with no third-party appeals, and the Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny responsible for projects going through the pathway.
Commenting on the project’s rollout, Kilkenny said: “We know we need more homes, and we need them now – that’s why we’re making sure high-quality and well-designed townhouses and apartments get the greenlight sooner.”
Qld’s housing infra push
Meanwhile, the Liberal National Party’s (LNP) Crisafulli government is also introducing measures in Queensland to build new infrastructure to support housing.
On Sunday, it announced the Residential Activation Fund, a $2 billion fund aimed at supporting 1 million new homes by 2044, with 50 per cent of funding to be invested outside of South-East Queensland.
The government said the fund was the start of the creation of $500 million worth of infrastructure for housing across Queensland.
The first round of applications opened on Monday for projects that deliver “critical housing infrastructure” for new housing developments.
Local governments and landowners with development applications can apply for funding to build infrastructure for infill or greenfield sites, such as water supply, sewerage, stormwater, power, and roads.
Round one prioritises shovel-ready projects, focusing on residential developments where housing infrastructure can be finished sooner.
Projects will be assessed on local need for housing, as well as demand, scale, and benefit to the community, and construction must start in the coming year.
Premier David Crisafulli said the fund would unlock more housing for Queenslanders.
“We’re delivering a place to call home for more Queenslanders sooner by kick-starting new housing developments with critical infrastructure,” Crisafulli said.
“This unlocks land to build more homes sooner, opening the door to home ownership earlier to ease the housing crisis and drive down costs for Queenslanders.
“$1 billion of the Residential Activation Fund is guaranteed for regional Queensland, unlocking the homes needed for every corner of our state.”
The Crisafulli government on Saturday announced that Southern Thornlands in South-East Queensland was now a priority development area (PDA), spanning 890 hectares. Once fully developed, the PDA will be home to about 8,000 new homes, shopping centres, parkland, and community facilities.
An early release area will provide around 900 homes including up to 20 per cent new affordable and social dwellings, the state government said.
Focus on housing
These new announcements come after the Western Australian Labor government also announced major housing policy changes, introducing increased stamp duty exemptions and concessions for first home buyers.
Housing supply and affordability are major issues for many voters in the upcoming federal election, with housing featuring prominently in both the Labor Party’s budget and the Coalition’s budget reply last month.
The Albanese government has committed to investing $54 million in prefabricated homes and doubling incentive payments for eligible apprentices if they train up in the housing construction sector.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said a Coalition government would invest $5 billion in “essential infrastructure” to “get stalled housing projects up and going”, adding this funding would contribute to the creation of 500,000 new homes.
[Related: PM sets date for May election]
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