Continuing Canberra’s Housing Supply Success
ACT Labor:
a) Notes that the ACT is Australia's leading homebuilding jurisdiction, adding 11.7 homes per 1,000 residents in 2022-23, almost double the rate of Queensland and NSW;
b) Notes that this strong housing supply growth has helped keep rents flat in the ACT while they have spiralled upwards nationally, with asking rents lower in real terms today than in 2012;
c) Notes that the ACT's nation leading housing supply is largely the result of pro-housing planning decisions made by the ACT Government, including allowing high density residential development in town centres, Group centres like Dickson and Kingston, and former industrial areas like Braddon.
d) Notes the critical role that Light Rail Stage 1 and the City and Gateway Variation has had in delivering thousands of homes since 2019 and $2.5 billion of construction.
e) Congratulates the ACT Labor Government on this nation leading policy success that has allowed the ACT to be both the fastest growing jurisdiction in Australia while having stable or falling private market rents.
f) Recalls the ACT Labor Platform's commitment to further zoning reform, including that ACT Labor Government will be continuously engaged in zoning reform to further enable the housing needed for our growing city.
g) Acknowledges the work of the ACT Labor Government in taking steps to meet these commitments, including the recently announced Missing Middle Design Guide in the Planning Minister's Statement of Intent.
h) Calls upon the ACT Government to deliver on the platform's commitments to zoning and planning reform as a priority for the next Assembly to ensure that the ACT's housing supply continues to be nation leading and more homes are built where people want to live.