Red tape and local, state, and federal government planning restrictions have long been a bane in the life of anyone wanting to build a new home, but a federal initiative has been set in place this month to improve the process.
The Australian Government’s $500 million Housing Support Program is now open for applications from state, territory and local governments for projects that will boost the planning required to increase housing supply.
Stream 1 is for projects that aim to build the planning workforce and capability for improving the efficiency of the planning process so that housing construction can start sooner. These could be new pathways for planners and related professions to enter the industry, or tools to streamline planning systems and improve decision‑making efficiency.
Projects could also look at sharing resources between local governments or supporting master planning and planning reform.
Projects must demonstrate how they will align with planning, zoning and regulatory reforms agreed through National Cabinet’s National Planning Reform Blueprint, land‑use planning for disaster resilience and the aims of the National Housing Accord.
The Accord sets out a shared ambition to build 1.2 million new well‑located homes over 5 years from 1 July 2024. Homes would be close to jobs, schools, transport and other amenities to support improved productivity and liveability.
The Commonwealth has also committed $3 billion for the New Homes Bonus to boost housing supply and federal funding to deliver 40,000 new affordable rental homes.
Applications for stream 1 of the $500 million Housing Support Program will be open from Wednesday 27 March 2024 until 12:00 pm AEST Monday 29 April 2024.
Stream 2 will provide funding for projects that provide enabling infrastructure and amenities such as footpaths, roads and parks to support new housing. This stream will open for applications May 2024.
