Senator the Hon Murray Watt, Minister for the Environment and Water
The Hon Clare O'Neill MP, Minister for Housing
The Albanese Government is continuing to deliver more housing for Australians, with 4,641 new homes approved through national environment laws since August.
Projects approved since August include:
• Bushman Drive Residential Development (QLD) 309 homes
• Lot 16 Barfield Road: Residential Development (WA) 23 homes
• Elysian Residential Development Project (NSW) 1,300 homes
• Lot 102 Bussell Highway, Cowaramup Residential Development (WA) 243 homes
• Shop top housing with infill affordable housing (NSW) 85 homes
• 414 Old Maitland Road Residential Subdivision (NSW) 182 homes
• Queen Victoria Market Southern Development (VIC) 2,200 homes
• Highfields Estate Residential Development (VIC) 299 homes
These numbers are expected to continue growing thanks to the creation of the housing strike team established within the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, as an outcome of the Government's Economic Reform Roundtable last month.
The team's work has already begun, with a goal to accelerate the assessment of 26,000 housing projects currently under EPBC Act consideration, and speed up new applications.
The homes currently in the EPBC approvals pipeline represents just a small number of total homes in different stages of planning and construction across Australia.
Minister for the Environment and Water Murray Watt said the Government was delivering on action to speed up the decision-making process.
"Fast-tracked projects still have to meet all environmental requirements, but by focusing our resources and sharpening our processes, we are getting the nation's housing pipeline moving," Minister Watt said.
"This approach is ensuring strong national environmental protections are maintained, while also unlocking more homes in areas where it's appropriate to build."
"And this is just the beginning, with thousands more on track to have decisions made sooner, including through an accelerated pathway for developers who provide required information upfront."
Minister for Housing & Homelessness, Clare O'Neil said the Albanese Government's focus on finding ways to increase the pace homes are getting approval will play a big role in reaching the national shared goal of building 1.2 million homes
"It's simply too hard to build a house in Australia today. There are endless layers of bureaucracy across three levels of government to wade through before builders can lay a brick.
"The Commonwealth can't fix this problem alone, but it's not going to get fixed without us. These numbers show that we've made a meaningful start, with a lot more to come."
