Media Release: Councils must be included in national housing reform discussions

Australia’s peak body for local government says councils must be included as genuine partners in national housing reform, warning the Federal Government’s housing targets can only be achieved through partnership with the level of government responsible for delivering housing outcomes on the ground.

The Australian Local Government Association said the Government’s Homes for Australia Plan reinforced the scale and urgency of the nation’s housing challenge, including the national target of delivering 1.2 million homes over five years.

ALGA President Mayor Matt Burnett said it was encouraging to see the Federal Government recognise the seriousness of the housing crisis and commit to coordinated national action, but questioned why local government had been left out of tomorrow’s national meeting of Housing, Planning and Building Ministers.

“The Federal Government has acknowledged that solving Australia’s housing crisis requires governments working together. Local government should be in the room when this discussion happens,” Mayor Burnett said.

“You cannot deliver a national housing agenda while excluding the level of government responsible for local planning, enabling infrastructure and managing the day-to-day realities of growing communities.”

Mayor Burnett said councils played a central role in planning, development approvals and delivering the infrastructure needed to support new housing, yet national housing discussions continued to focus disproportionately on local approvals processes.

“Councils are ready to help deliver this national plan, but homes cannot be built without the infrastructure and industry capacity needed to support them,” he said.

“New housing requires roads, water, sewerage, stormwater, power, transport links and community infrastructure to support growing populations.

“It also requires support for the construction sector, workforce availability and more resilient supply chains to ensure approved projects can actually be delivered.”

Mayor Burnett said planning approvals represented only one part of a much broader housing system.

“Planning approvals can create a substantial administrative burden for councils, particularly in high-growth communities, but they are not the sole or primary obstacle affecting housing supply in many parts of Australia,” he said.

“The barriers across the housing system are already well understood. What councils need now is practical support and genuine collaboration, not more reviews or oversimplified blame.”

ALGA said investment in enabling infrastructure remained critical to achieving national housing targets and acknowledged the Government’s commitment to funding through the $2 billion Local Infrastructure Fund.

“Investment in roads, water, sewerage and other essential infrastructure is critical to getting homes built,” Mayor Burnett said.

“Without sustained and direct support to councils where housing is actually being delivered, national targets will become increasingly difficult to achieve.”

Mayor Burnett said local government must be directly involved in shaping the reforms being discussed by ministers tomorrow.

“If governments are serious about driving further housing reforms together, local government must be part of that conversation,” he said.

“Councils are not observers in this process. We are delivery partners.

“Local government stands ready to work constructively with all levels of government to help deliver more homes for Australians, but councils must have a seat at the table.”

Homes for Australia National Plan – Federal Government