Great to be coming to you live from The Property Congress in Townsville. A beautiful and increasingly strategic part of our wide brown land.
A big week in a big few years for housing. Green shoots in Victoria after a long period of housing supply and property investment hibernation. The good parts brokered by our VIC team. Will it be enough? More to come.
In Queensland, the state Treasurer got tired and emotional on Sunday about a routine data snapshot of the inconvenient truth of his government’s housing deficit.
Our Queensland ED wisely said in reply,
“The Property Council is an evidence led organisation that refers to data to support sensible policy solutions. All political parties can expect the Property Council will continue, without political fear or favour, to champion the interests of our members in working with all parliamentarians to help solve our state’s undeniable housing crisis.”
Which brings us to my own day job. Now well and truly under the full federal moon of the pre-election period.
There will be thoughtful advocacy agreements and disagreements in the next eight months for us with the Government, the Opposition and the minor parties and independents.
As all of you know, the Property Council supports strategic planning for the improvement of our great Australian cities. For 55 years. Not stopping now.
As sure as the sky is blue, housing is the door to all the broader discussions we lead and need to have on all the investment settings and property assets our cities need.
There is much to be proud of in our cities and we can make them even better.
We will be your strong voice in the national, state and local conversations.
Always politely and equally, without fear or favour.
Next week – housing progress, a review of federal party policies so far
Post script for the avoidance of any doubt, the Property Council has warmly welcomed the Coalition’s $5 billion to pledge to unlock housing supply with investment in last mile infrastructure. We have long supported the regular review and interstate coordination benefits of the National Construction Code. I still remember my first ever boss, and National President, the great Jim Service AO, was a chair of the Australian Building Codes Board which administers the NCC. It remains our view over a quarter of a century or so that the most important consideration for any future government is that the ABCB has the resources needed to conduct comprehensive regulatory impact statements and to do its work coordinating state and territories well. That is by far the best way to govern the essential guidebook for Australia’s built environment.