Deliver the homes we need, faster
Priorities for the 2025 WA State Election

Our Three Asks For the State Government

Make it easier to create the homes we need

Support release of immediate lot supply

A balanced approach to the creation of new homes in new and existing areas to respond to housing needs in WA is critical. Currently, greenfield house and land packages are Perth’s fastest supply response to sudden spikes in housing demand, however there are significant and growing constraints in the land supply pipeline. On top of supporting delivery in growth areas, we need to expand the medium and high-density infill pipeline to help get new homes rolled out at scale, across the housing continuum.

Our recommendations focus on:

• Ensuring adequate funding and resourcing capabilities for approval and infrastructure service agencies
• Reducing the impact of current and upcoming government infrastructure projects on resourcing in the residential construction sector

Streamline planning approvals through impactful reforms

Recent planning reforms are having a positive impact in helping to get housing on the ground. However, there is still more to be done to ensure a streamlined and efficient system, particularly to enable delivery of greater social, affordable and infill housing.

Our recommendations focus on:

• Fast tracking private sector projects that deliver mixed tenure social or affordable housing
• Market anlaysis to identify key infill areas that can feasibly deliver increased density
• Legislative change to allow concurrent amendment of planning instruments, subdivision and/ or development approvals

Deliver a more strategic and efficient environmental approvals framework

The environmental approvals system is important in protecting our natural environment and the urban development industry strives to achieve a high standard of environmental outcomes. However, the current system does not work to support optimal environmental outcomes, or the delivery of new homes due to being overly complex, at times contradictory and lengthy.

UDIA WA has long been calling for the establishment of a planning-led environmental decision-making framework to enable the delivery of new homes while protecting the environment.

Our recommendations focus on:

• Investing funding into collaborating with the Federal Government to accelerate regional planning for Perth and Peel
• Resourcing the development of a strategic plan and fund for offsets and rehabilitation
• Further changes to the EP Act to prioritise planning
• Adequate resourcing for relevant government agencies/ departments

Read our full list of recommendations in the UDIA WA Campaign document here.

Help keep the cost of homes down

First, do no harm

In the current environment of cost of living pressures and rapidly diminishing housing affordability, there must be a commitment to first do no harm and not exacerbate these issues with increases to taxes, fees or charges and the cost to deliver supply.

Our recommendations focus on:

• A freeze on property related taxes, fees and charges
• The Housing Supply Unit ensuring any new or amended legislation and policy that may impact on housing supply is carefully reviewed

Commit to property tax reform

A complete review of property taxes is needed. A fair and efficient taxation system will improve housing affordability, support home ownership and right-sizing, and attract greater investment in the WA housing market to increase rental supply.

Our recommendations focus on:

• A comprehensive review of property taxes
• A raft of immediate measures including making the Transfer Duty Concession permanent & removing the Foreign Buyer Surcharge

Support greater housing choice in existing areas

To increase housing choice and maintain affordability for buyers and renters, we need to boost support for medium and higher density infill projects in the right locations. This can be done by addressing the dual labour and skill shortages and reviewing Government fees, charges, and taxes that are stacking up and making apartment projects unviable.

Our recommendations focus on:

• Expanding the Infrastructure Development Fund
• Release of State Government land for diverse and affordable housing

Read our full list of recommendations in the UDIA WA Campaign document here.

Plan for our housing needs, now and for our future

Ensure a collaborative culture

The Government must work to ensure that every department involved in delivering the housing we need is committed to a shared vision for the future with the appropriate measures in place to ensure commitment and accountability. Adopting a wholistic approach, the Public Sector Commission’s roles is to strengthen the efficiency, effectiveness, and capability of the public sector to meet existing and emerging needs and deliver high quality services. This can only be achieved with a better understanding of industry’s needs and commitment to a shared vision for state development and growth.

Our recommendations focus on:

• Empowering the Housing Supply Unit to drive whole-of-government action
• Development, funding and roll out of a cultural transformation program
• Adoption of key performance indicators and metrics for approval and service agencies

Plan and invest in infrastructure to accelerate housing delivery

The State Government needs to reliably set out strategic infrastructure projects with clear timelines and key outcomes moving away from the current ‘just in time’ approach to infrastructure planning and delivery. This will better enable early planning for residential projects and allow for federal funding, reducing the current constraints on land supply for housing.

Our recommendations focus on:

• Establishing and resourcing a Coordinator General role and team to lead strategic infrastructure coordination and delivery
• Establishing a Growth Areas Catalyst Infrastructure Fund

Support the sustainability of the residential construction sector

The ongoing labour and skills shortages within the residential construction sector significantly constrain capacity to delivery housing. WA needs to break the cyclical eb and flow of the state’s skilled labour force, moving away from how its ‘always been done’. We need to ensure that WA is looking at innovative ways to create and maintain a sustainable residential construction sector that improves how houses are built while also increasing and retaining a skilled workforce.

Our recommendations focus on:

• Funding and developing a Construction Workforce Attraction & Retention Strategy and Plan for Perth and the Regions
• Piloting an Innovation Fund to support industry R&D

Support industry in the response to climate change

Climate change is a pressing global issue that presents challenges and opportunities for the development industry. The development industry can play a key role in future-proofing our communities and supporting the journey towards Net Zero. Currently planning and building regulations prohibit many green credentialled materials or energy sharing technologies from being used ‘on the ground’ in new housing projects. Government and industry need to work together to respond to the changes of climate change while also minimising the impact on housing affordability.

Our recommendations focus on:

• Building and planning rules that promote the use of carbon efficient / green credentialled materials, building products and development innovations
• Establishing incentives to invest in green tech and support the reduction of energy consumption for new and existing buildings
• Prioritising innovation and sustainable practises to achieve Net Zero outcomes for government-led housing and development projects

Read our full list of recommendations in the UDIA WA Campaign document here.