Budget a missed opportunity to deliver a concrete housing plan

"It was pleasing to see boosting housing supply as one of the key policy areas for this Budget, but the polices announced have missed the mark on addressing the key structural reforms needed.

"Australia needs to be delivering a quarter of million new homes year on year to meet our growing population and put downwards pressure on housing and rental affordability.

"Instead, we are facing a shortfall of new home delivery in excess of 70,000 year on year due to government induced roadblocks, chronic skills shortages and the outrageous level of taxes and regulatory barriers being imposed on home building and new home buyers.

"All levels of government have been warned extensively on these key issues and that 'Business as Usual' won't cut it, yet this Federal Budget again delivered a same, same response to addressing the issues.

"Expansion of the Help to Buy (shared equity scheme) and increased funding to support greater uptake of prefab housing are helpful initiatives, but in themselves are not going to shift the dial on addressing the two decade long housing challenges the industry faces.

"If we are to meet the national target of 1.2 million new homes over five years we need much deeper and significant reforms.

This includes:

• Making housing in all forms and in all locations a "National Priority";
• Implement policies that treats housing as a "critical infrastructure" in the same manner as hospitals, schools and roads and have commensurate long term funding attached to it;
• Address our industries chronic skills shortages that includes a shortfall of over 83,000 tradies;
• Remove the road blocks and barriers to greater housing supply;
• Provide long term funding for key last mile infrastructure to make land shovel ready sooner; and
• Establish financial settings that supports all Australians into home ownership.

"Governments can't just keep doing more of the same and think it will solve the situation; rather bold and courageous leadership is needed and unfortunately this Budget has missed the mark to deliver a truly transformative package of housing reforms" concluded Ms Martin.