Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers responsible for Housing, Homelessness, Planning and Building met today for an inaugural Joint Meeting of Ministers.
The meeting was the first of its kind, bringing together Ministers from across Australia who are working on improving housing supply and affordability.
Ministers committed to work together to deliver a coordinated approach to boost housing supply and advance housing for all in Australia. All levels of government have a part to play in improving outcomes for first home buyers and renters, supporting social and affordable housing, and improving the productivity of the housing market to enable more homes to be built faster and at lower cost.
Ministers shared practical examples of work underway in their jurisdictions. The Australian Government welcomed efforts right across the federation to boost housing supply and improve affordability, including through direct investment and reforms to planning and land release. Ministers agreed that concerted action by all levels of government, including continued State and Territory reform and innovation, is the pathway to achieving the ambitious targets in the National Housing Accord. The Commonwealth updated Ministers on the recent 2026-27 Budget, including the Homes for Australia plan.
The Joint Meeting of Ministers welcomed the recent announcement of the new $2 billion stream of the Housing Support Program - the Local Infrastructure Fund. The Local Infrastructure Fund will help local governments and state utility providers build the critical 'last mile' infrastructure needed to support new housing developments and will involve close work with States and Territories to ensure that infrastructure plans are well coordinated. This investment in pipes, wires and roads will support up to 65,000 homes over the next decade.
The Australian Government will continue to work collaboratively with all states and territories to progress reforms that improve construction sector productivity and support housing supply, including reforms that will deliver faster and simpler approvals, making more land available and ready to build more homes, and supporting a simpler, genuinely national construction code. Ministers noted the announcement of the Productivity Commission's Inquiry into the regulation of housing supply.
The Australian Government's $39.3 million investment in Modern Methods of Construction, which will support industry innovation and better enable efficient and standardised manufacturing, and the announcement of $56.6 million in funding to states and territories to help provide secure housing for over 4,000 young people, were also discussed.
Ministers agreed to continue to proactively monitor the challenges emerging for housing supply and delivery due to international supply chain disruptions and price increases of fuel and materials arising from the conflict in the Middle‑East.
State and Territory Ministers also encouraged further consideration of the treatment of diverse housing types, such as retirement living and student housing, under the overall approach to the National Housing Accord.
The Joint Meeting of Ministers discussed their shared priorities for 2026-2027 and beyond to boost housing supply, deliver social and affordable housing, support first home buyers and deliver improved housing outcomes for all Australians.
The priorities will be progressed through future Joint Meetings of Ministers, working closely with Treasurers and other forums as required to improve housing outcomes and drive nationally significant economic reform.
