ACT LABOR: CAN’T MANAGE A BUDGET AND CAN’T FIX HOUSING

Leanne Castley MLA

Leader of the ACT Liberals

Media Release

7 February 2025

Twenty fours after the ACT Labor Government unveiled the largest deficit since self-government, the Housing Industry Association (HIA) has judged the same government as the worst jurisdiction in the nation when to comes to addressing the housing crisis.

The HIA Housing Policy Scoreboard released today has placed the ACT dead last of all states and territories. 

The Scoreboard ranks states and territories by ten vital policies that are designed to help Australians build new homes.

Leader of the Canberra Liberals Leanne Castley MLA said that no one should be surprised by the ranking, coming on top the ACT’s worst-ever budget performance and recent ABS figures showing overall building approvals falling by 51%.

“It is astonishing how much bad news is coming out since the election,” said Ms Castley. “Do they really expect Canberrans to believe they had no idea of the looming disasters in housing, health, and the budget?”

Ms Castley expressed concern about what this means for aspiring homeowners, tradies, and small businesses in the construction sector.

“This is more evidence that their election promise to build 30,000 new homes by 2030 is a pipedream.  Not only have building approvals fallen for the last two years, now the HIA have said their housing policies tank.

“These results show it’s not an accident or that it’s someone else’s fault.  It’s their terrible policies.”

The HIA Housing Policy Scoreboard said of ACT housing policies:

Lack of planning policy: The Australian Capital Territory’s housing roadmap lacks key policies to streamline planning processes, hindering sustained new home supply over the next five years.

“We all know that housing stress remains a key concern to all Canberrans and we must prioritise the construction of new dwellings.  Tinkering at the edge of policy settings like the government did this week is simply window-dressing,” Ms Castley said.

“We must take immediate steps to both release more land in a timely manner and streamline the approvals process.”