Planning systems not delivering for regional Australia
“House approvals are taking longer than ever to get through local councils and exacerbating Australia’s worsening housing and rental shortages, and this is even more pronounced in regional Australia,” said Mike Hermon, HIA Executive Director, Planning & Environment.
“Latest ABS data shows that 28% of Australian’s now live outside of major capital cities and this is expected to increase in the coming years as more people get priced out of living in metro areas.
“Unfortunately, the housing shortages being experienced in capital cities are even worse across nearly every regional town in Australia.
“Builders are acutely aware of the massive pent-up demand for new housing, however, planning systems across these areas are buckling under the weight of current approvals let alone addressing the significant increase of housing that Australia desperately needs.
“Three key factors, hampering the delivery of more housing in regional Australia includes access to shovel (build) ready land, investment in necessary enabling infrastructure for new housing estates and staff shortages in regional councils to process planning approvals.
“HIA was encouraged by Federal, State and Territory Government signing onto a National Planning Reform Blueprint.
“The Blueprint aims to support planning systems around the country to implement measures to fast-track approvals and address key impediments holding back new housing delivery.
“However, 12 months on from the National Planning Reform Blueprint being issued, homeowners and builders are seeing no meaningful change and instead the opposite is occurring. House approval timelines continue to take longer and getting more complex to obtain.
“HIA has compiled a ‘Planning Scorecard’ to assess the performance of each state and territories current planning systems and their progress in implementing the National Planning Reform Blueprint measures.
“Disappointingly, in assessing their performance, no state has scored greater than a 3 out of 5 in progressing these key reforms.
“The HIA Scorecard outlines that every planning system across the country is struggling under the weight of housing demands, and that the time for business-as-usual solutions to planning and zoning issues has passed.
“Instead, we need bold leadership by all tiers of Governments and this needs to not just be focused on major capital cities but address the key issues being faced in regional Australia to enable these regions to grow and flourish,” concluded Mr Hermon.
HIA’s Planning Blueprint Scorecard can be accessed here.
