Units the only option for most Aussies now, says peak body

Politicians on all tiers are facing renewed pressure to commit to major law reform and red tape cuts with units now dominating affordable housing choices for Aussie homebuyers.

Aerial view of riverfront apartments in the inner city suburb of New Farm which has some of Brisbane’s most expensive real estate. Picture: Brendan Radke

Politicians on all tiers are facing renewed pressure to commit to major law reform and red tape cuts with units now dominating affordable housing choices for Aussie homebuyers.

Strata Community Association Qld president Kristi Kinast said federal politicians were talking about housing affordability and sustainability but “big picture changes to strata law were needed” to have the best chance of hitting those policy goals.

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Strata laws are in need of reform to make them comfortable housing choices for families. Picture David Clark

Ms Kinast, whose association has over 1.200 individual and company members, said Queensland’s housing affordability crisis could be alleviated by building more strata property.

“Median house prices in Brisbane surged 32 per cent in the year to April, the gap between a median detached dwelling and a median unit is almost $400,000.00 in Brisbane now.”

“For many, a unit in a strata scheme is likely the only financially viable option when it comes to home ownership or an affordable rental.”

But she said in a statement that laws had not changed to enable people to comfortably raise their families in an apartment or townhouse.

“There needs to be law reform and an appreciation of strata by policy makers to help ensure that people can raise their children in an apartment with confidence.”

More construction of strata buildings was needed to boost housing supply, according to the peak body. Picture: Josh Woning

“Given most people will have strata as the only option on the table, we need to ensure equity by giving them appropriate control over their lives in their homes,” she said.

“It is unjust and unfair that people in strata are hamstrung by excessive regulation around by-laws. People should be able to control their destiny in their own homes, just as people who lived in detached housing in previous generations did.”

She said studies found about 85 per cent of residential blocks in Australia had at least one building defect – averaging 14 defects per building – a cost estimated at $1.3b a year for multistorey apartment buildings.

“Building defects continue to be a significant issue in the sector, many people will not feel comfortable raising children in a high rise if they do not know that building construction is assured to be of a high quality.”

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