Albanese government to fast-track 26,000 home assessments following Economic Reform Roundtable

The Albanese government will fast-track the assessment of more than 26,000 homes as part of a suite of reforms following the Economic Reform Roundtable.

A new “strike team” will be established within the Department of the Environment to accelerate approvals currently under EPBC Act consideration under the plan, announced on Saturday night.

Labor will also seek to pilot using AI to speed-up assessments and will work with the states and territories to pause further residential changes to the National Construction Code until the end of the National Housing Accord period in mid-2029, under the proposal.

Housing Minister Clare O’Neil said it was currently “too hard to build a home in this country”.

“We want builders on site, not filling in forms to get their approval,” she said.

“In the middle of a housing crisis a generation in the making, we want builders building good quality homes of the future – not figuring out how to incorporate another set of rules.

“We’re pausing changes to the construction code and speeding up housing approvals – without cutting corners on standards.”

Environment Minister Murray Watt said the government would deliver faster decisions under the new measures.

“Fast-tracked projects will continue to be required to meet all environmental requirements, but they will incentivise developers to provide required information upfront,” he said.

“This approach will ensure strong national environmental protections, while also leading to faster decision making, more certainty for industry and more homes for Australians.”

Housing has been a significant focus of the Economic Reform Roundtable.

The three-day event at Parliament House brought together business, union, and government leaders and ended on Thursday.

The government said there was broad consensus at the roundtable that commonsense changes could reduce the regulatory burden on builders and boost housing supply.

Under the proposed reforms, the government will seek to streamline the National Construction Code while changes are paused, including with AI.

The government will also seek to remove barriers to uptake of modern construction methods, including prefab and modular homes, and will also action ideas raised during the roundtable, including reducing barriers to further superannuation investment in new housing supply and to work with states and territories to accelerate delivery of planning, zoning, and investment in enabling infrastructure.

The Albanese government aims to build 1.2 million new homes by mi-2029 under the National Housing Accord.

But, within the first year, the government was already reportedly 60,000 short of its target.

Experts have cited a range of reasons for the shortfall, including labour and material shortages, slow planning processes, and high interest rates.