This Month
Australian meat, dairy, grain and honey exports to win from UAE deal
The federal government will finalise a new comprehensive economic partnership deal with the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday.
- Tom McIlroy
September
Clare O’Neil in housing policy hall of mirrors
Labor wholeheartedly adopted the First Home Buyer Guarantee Scheme upon winning office. And would go on to announce it many, many times.
- Myriam Robin
May
Government’s $91m tradie plan only ‘modest’ boost for home building
Australia’s target of 1.2 million new homes is a crisis of surging demand and a construction workforce facing its own demographic challenges.
- Updated
- Michael Bleby
April
IR laws thwart Australia’s housing targets: builders
Labor’s union-friendly industrial relations laws will cause Australia to fall short of national housing targets for four of the next five years, industry claims.
- Tom McIlroy and Campbell Kwan
February
Greens willing to give ground on Labor housing impasse
Despite voting against Labor’s help to buy scheme in the lower house, the minor party says they could make a deal before a Senate vote.
- Tom McIlroy
January
- Opinion
- Greens
Labor needs to call out the cynical, posturing Greens
The Greens are increasingly shaping policy in Australia, but very little accountability is demanded on them by other parties.
- Nick Dyrenfurth
- Opinion
- Venture capital
The experts trying to find the next Canva
Governments of all political persuasions love picking winners with taxpayer funds. But can the experts and bureaucrats find another Canva?
- Tony Boyd
Unsold units, office conversions qualify for 40,000-home tender
Funding unlocked for the federal government’s push to boost social and affordable housing stock could be used to repurpose existing structures.
- Michael Bleby
September 2023
- Analysis
- Property Observed
Finally, the focus is on housing supply
The Albanese team is the first federal government in decades to focus on housing supply and not on vote-winning, but ultimately self-defeating, demand-side stimulus.
- Robert Harley
- Opinion
- Property prices
Why Australian housing doesn’t add up for institutional investors
The government wants to encourage more institutional investment in housing to increase supply and reduce pricing pressures.
- Jennifer Hewett
- Exclusive
- Property Summit
Build to rent needs institutional investment, housing minister says
The government’s comments are welcome, but critics say it has done little to create certainty or clarity for investors with reforms already announced.
- Michael Bleby and Nila Sweeney
- Analysis
- Property development
Housing win shows ex-Labor Green’s not done getting under Albo’s skin
Despite striking a deal on the prime minister’s $10 billion housing plan, Greens spokesman Max Chandler-Mather says Labor might need to lose more seats to learn a tough political lesson on rents.
- Tom McIlroy
Labor’s $10b housing breakthrough comes with construction warning
The deal comes after months of stalled negotiations and threats but may exacerbate supply chain and capacity constraints in the construction sector.
- Updated
- Tom McIlroy
- Exclusive
- Superannuation
Cbus made $500m HAFF investment despite major concerns
The industry super fund warned Treasury that “no investor would provide capital upfront” under its current proposal despite pledging funds itself.
- Hannah Wootton and Michael Read
August 2023
First home ‘help to buy’ scheme to start in 2024
Up to 40,000 low- and middle-income families will get extra help to buy their first home from next year.
- Tom McIlroy
Labor, Greens to meet over housing impasse
The government and the Greens will hold talks this week in a bid to break the Senate impasse over the $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund.
- Phillip Coorey
June 2023
- Exclusive
- Renting
Melbourne’s mayor wants Airbnb owners to shift to long-term rentals
If it moves to crack down on Airbnb accommodation, the City of Melbourne would be the biggest council to do so in the state.
- Gus McCubbing
Airbnb crackdown backed by housing minister
Federal Housing Minister Julie Collins has backed tighter controls on short-term rentals, blaming Airbnb-type listings for fuelling the rental crisis.
- John Kehoe and Bonnie Campbell
Government pledges at least $500m for housing, but Greens unmoved
The government has guaranteed to spend at least $500 million a year on social and affordable housing to secure the Greens’ support for its $10 billion housing fund.
- Phillip Coorey
Labor, Greens fail to break stalemate on housing fund
Renters could have longer to wait for action on the housing crisis as the Greens and Labor remain at loggerheads over the federal government’s policy response.
- Poppy Johnston