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THE PROPERTY NERDS: 5% Deposit Scheme won’t work!?
In this episode of The Property Nerds podcast, hosts Arjun Paliwal, Jack Fouracre, and Adrian Lee sit down with Mark Speakman from the NSW Liberal Party to unpack Sydney’s housing crisis and explore potential solutions.
The discussion highlights how skyrocketing house prices, now 13 times the average income, have made home ownership increasingly unattainable for median earners.
Speakman explains that the crisis is driven not only by demand but also by supply constraints, high construction costs, and significant government taxes that can add 25–40 per cent to the cost of a new home.
The conversation covers recent planning reforms aimed at speeding approvals for medium-density housing and the importance of a simpler, more predictable planning system
Speakman stresses that community consultation should guide master planning but not stall implementation at every stage of development.
“Quick-fix” solutions like 5 per cent deposit schemes are debated, with experts cautioning that they address demand, not supply, and could worsen affordability without systemic changes.
The discussion also touches on workforce challenges, including skilled labour shortages and low apprenticeship rates, which impact construction timelines and costs.
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