Housing crisis demands a crisis response in state budget

Crisis times require crisis thinking, and more importantly, a crisis-level response to addressing housing supply and affordability, writes Liam Golding.

South Australia is in the grip of a housing crisis. While the government has rightly acknowledged the problem and taken steps to respond, the roadblocks to housing supply remain stubbornly in place.

The upcoming state budget is a critical opportunity for the government to change that trajectory and focus on the fundamentals of housing supply: serviced land, enabling infrastructure, and faster, more predictable approvals.

Importantly, the budget must recognise that delivering serviced land is a partnership. Industry is ready to invest, innovate, and build – but it requires a policy and funding environment that enables rather than constrains.

Measures that support feasibility, such as reviewing charges and contributions, can make marginal projects viable and bring new supply to market sooner.

The time to take this action is now. The state should invest now in the pipes and the processes needed to speed up housing delivery, even if it means going into a short-term deficit to respond to the current crisis.

Building........

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