Time for action on housing
The 2010 federal election is now just days away yet voters are still yet to hear any real housing policies flow from the lips of Julia Gillard or Tony Abbott.
With growing impatience, industry bodies are now calling for the major parties to reveal their cards and outline their plans to address the challenges in the housing market.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
Real Estate Institute of Australia (REIA) president David Airey said it was unbelievable that neither major party had outlined any policies for housing.
“Neither the ALP nor the Liberal/National Coalition have developed a specific housing policy in their election campaigns, something that I find quite incomprehensible given that housing is a crucial part of our economy and is currently facing major challenges”, he said.
Meanwhile the Housing Industry Association (HIA) has called on the campaigning parties to state their commitment on the “bread-and-butter issues” of housing, in particular their commitment to a new housing and cost reduction program, plus a housing and development ministry.
According to HIA managing director Shane Goodwin, a new housing and cost reduction program would target unequal levies and charges on new housing as well as planning approval systems which can slow down new building.
A ministry would coordinate housing planning and development across all levels of governments to support better, more efficient infrastructure development.
Just what the parties will make of these recommendations remains to be seen – but with the election just five days away, all will soon be revealed.
