Land Release
State and territory governments oversee the release into the market of non-residential land for development through land-use rezoning and development consent which can influence the type and location of new housing supply.

Local government is responsible for the administration of state/territory planning laws and, in some jurisdictions, can set additional requirements. These laws may determine building sizes, heights and qualities (including building materials). Planning overlays may also restrict what types and sizes of developments are possible in specified streetscapes and historical precincts.

Safe and affordable housing is central to the security and dignity of all Australians. However, Australia is experiencing significant housing challenges.
The government is taking a national leadership role by implementing a range of measures to address Australia’s housing challenges, with a focus on helping those most in need.
The government is also partnering with all tiers of government, the private sector and the not for profit sector to increase the supply of safe, secure and affordable housing.
The Treasury supports the government’s housing agenda by providing advice and analysis across a range of housing related issues, including housing supply and affordability.

The Australian Government has agreed to a National Housing Accord (Accord) with states and territories, local government, institutional investors and the construction sector.

The Social Housing Accelerator payment was delivered to the states and territories in June 2023 so they could start investing in building new homes straight away.
This investment will:
• create around 4,000 homes for Australians on social housing waiting lists
• permanently increase the stock of social housing.

In Australia, you are not required to work with a professional when designing most residential structures. Here, the main consideration is whether the proposed structure complies with local planning requirements. If it does, it does not matter who was responsible for developing the design.

You can choose between engaging an architect, working with a building designer, or choosing a design and build builder. Each of these options has its benefits and can deliver a high-quality, bespoke home.

Transitional housing is an important form of housing assistance within Australia’s housing system. Transitional housing is for people with an urgent need for housing, typically people who are experiencing homelessness or have a very high risk of homelessness.

Appropriate short to medium term housing, along with tailored support services, helps people to stabilise their lives before moving into longer term housing.

As part of a transitional housing tenancy agreement, tenants are engaged with specialist homelessness services or support providers who will help develop a case plan to assist them to move forward and access suitable long-term secure and affordable housing. That may include connecting tenants to other services to help them get back on their feet and into training or employment.

Homelessness is a growing issue in Australia. If you don’t have access to conventional shelter, especially at night, or are couch surfing with friends, or living with violence in your home and needing to leave, you may be considered to be homeless.
There are many causes of homelessness. It can be anything from escaping from a troubled relationship or a situation that is violent to unemployment, to relationship breakdown.
There are many programs in Australia that aim to relieve homelessness. The services include advice, financial support and temporary accommodation.

Social housing is government subsidised short and long-term rental housing. In Australia in recent decades, it has mainly been available to people on very low incomes, and who often have experienced homelessness, family violence or have other complex needs.

Social housing is made up of two types of housing:
public housing, which is owned and managed by State and Territory Governments, and
community housing, which is managed (and often owned) by not-for-profit organisations.

Social housing differs from private rental in that housing is allocated according to need, rather than by households competing in a market, and from emergency accommodation in that it provides longer term and secure rental housing.

In 2005, a meeting of Australian Housing, Local Government and Planning Ministers had described affordable housing as ‘housing which is affordable for low and moderate income households across home ownership, private rental as well as public rental tenures … The benchmark for affordability is 25 to 30 per cent of the income of these target groups.’

The now discontinued National Rental Affordability Scheme (NRAS) considered affordable housing as having rents lower than the prevailing local market rate, with the Scheme capping rents at 20 per cent below market rates to eligible tenants for a 10-year period.

While this was a welcome form of assistance, depending on location, the reduced rents were not always 'affordable' in absolute terms. In higher rent regions (such as capital cities and some regional coastal cities) low-income households receiving such assistance to make their housing ‘affordable’ could still be in housing affordability stress (i.e. paying more than 30% of income in housing costs). In other words, housing may be considered affordable when compared to the market rent, but it may not be affordable relative to the residents’ income.

In such areas affordable housing schemes may operate as a way to support rental housing for key workers (usually people working in lower paid, but key civic jobs such as police, health and education workers), rather than delivering housing that is affordable to very low and low-income households.

Residential aged care is for senior Australians who can no longer live in their own home. It includes accommodation and personal care 24 hours a day, as well as access to nursing and general health care services. We subsidise aged care homes to provide residential care to eligible people.

Retirement villages and residential aged care facilities are designed for people at different stages of life and with very different needs.

Retirement villages are made up of private homes and usually offer a range of shared facilities for recreation and relaxation, including pools, community centres, gymnasiums and sports facilities such as bowling greens or tennis courts. They often also have spaces for doctors, physiotherapists, hairdressers and other ‘come to you’ services.

Unlike retirement villages where you may or may not require additional care or support, residential aged care provides accommodation, health care and support services to seniors requiring round-the-clock supervision and assistance.

Although the housing situation of First Nations people has improved – for example with rises in home ownership and falling levels of homelessness – it has been recognised that First Nations people have significantly less access to affordable, secure and quality housing (AIHW 2019a; AIHW and NIAA 2020). As such, governments are increasingly targeting housing as an essential policy area for improving the health and wellbeing of First Nations people.
This page focuses on housing tenure (including ownership, rental, and social housing), housing affordability, housing assistance, housing quality (including facilities and structural soundness) and overcrowding. It also looks at homelessness and the use of relevant services by First Nations people.

With around 60 per cent of Indigenous Australians living in rental accommodation (compared to around 30 per cent of non-Indigenous Australians who rent) understanding what makes Indigenous tenancies work successfully is vital, new AHURI research has confirmed.

We identified that cultural differences between the way Indigenous and Western families use housing were not adequately accounted for in rental housing service provision and tenancy agreements,’ says Dr Moskos. ‘For example, the traditional responsibilities of Indigenous tenants to house extended family members when needed can conflict with the expectations of landlords around visitors and overcrowding, and thus threaten tenancy arrangements.’
Issues around communication and the ability of tenants to understand the implications of their tenancy agreements were also highlighted.
To find ‘what worked’, the research looked closely at three case studies in different regions of Australia and identified some common factors in successful tenancies:
• the way that services were delivered; central to this was the importance of having the correct policy settings that supported the programs in prioritising and responding to the circumstances of individual tenants was highlighted
• the staffing of the programs; having the right staff was a vital component of the success of the case-study programs. Staff with previous experience in community housing were considered to be valuable, as well as those who were willing to spend time with tenants and be flexible in the delivery of services to deliver positive housing and non-housing outcomes.
• linkages with other service providers (e.g. broader health and community services) enabled a joined-up approach to service delivery.

Assessing airspace value requires careful evaluation of location, use, legalities, and market demand. It starts with identifying viable rooftop construction projects that are likely to receive broad approval, leading to an estimation of their potential value.

Despite the potential benefits, airspace development faces challenges, including high construction costs, consultant and council fees, and complex approval processes, which can deter building owners from pursuing such projects.

Residential airspace may be a relatively new concept to Australia, but in countries such as Europe and the US, the question of high-density living has long been at the forefront of residential planning.

“Airspace development is close to a $86 billion industry in just the UK,” says Livesey. “They've approved 180,000 airspace homes in and around hospitals and transportation hubs.”

He sees the opportunity in Australia to construct up to 250,000 new rooftop homes, with significant potential in New South Wales, which has approximately 90,000 strata apartments or blocks.

Residential airspace has the potential to provide a host of benefits for investors and strata property owners. The opportunity to capitalise on the current rental growth trend is the most evident, according to Silk, who highlights a 35 percent increase in residential rental growth for apartments in 2022.

“Just last year we saw them grow by 16.5 percent and this year it's expected to moderate to somewhere around 10 percent. We are seeing huge amounts of properties coming to market alongside many buyers. 2024 should be an exciting time for us with strong growth to be had in that sector.

“Other opportunities that apartment blocks can provide investors is if it is on one title,” he adds. “You can strata title the apartment block and you can apply for a residential loan as opposed to a commercial loan.

This allows you to unlock some more equity which you can then use to invest into another asset, or you could sell down the apartments individually. There are opportunities there to take a few different angles for an investor and diversify their risk.”

3D printing technology has proved to be a more affordable and efficient solution to rising house construction costs. More houses are being built using this technology in varying sizes, from simple single-build bungalows to entire housing developments. Take a look at some of the most impressive 3D-printed houses all over the world.

The Block is a reality renovation TV show that recently featured a 3D-printed pool cabana, the first 3D-printed build in the Southern Hemisphere. The structure was built in a matter of hours with a concrete mix using 30 percent recycled material.

Additive manufacturing, also recognized as 3D concrete printing, has swiftly emerged as a revolutionary construction method with a global footprint, shedding its former reputation as an exclusive and elusive technology.

Australia has been quick to embrace this innovative construction approach, positioning itself at the forefront of this technological wave.

The technology is rapidly gaining momentum across the continent, offering cost-effective, eco-friendly, and rapid solutions for constructing residential spaces. The number of 3D printed homes in Australia is on the rise, and with this increasing number of 3D printed houses,

Australia has greater accessibility to cutting-edge housing solutions than ever before. This boost of 3D printed homes in Australia marks the continent as a key player in the realm of 3D concrete printing.

In Australia, Contour3D unveiled the first 3D printed one bedroom home with certificate.

Lutyen manufactures the most advanced 3D construction printers in Australia.

The Build to Rent property sector is growing in Australia – this new class of housing is focused on providing high quality purpose designed and built rental stock, creating an additional housing choice for Australian renters with greater security and service.

Build to Rent developments are typically owned by institutional investors for the long term and the owner could be the developer/ongoing building manager. The format provides tenants with the flexibility of renting with the security of home ownership.

Identified as a growth sector, Mirvac has invested in four BTR projects which will all be managed by their newly created LIV platform, this Lean In provides the Institute members with an opportunity to understand the business model, but also the critical aspects of design which respond to this growth sector.

Build-to-Rent developments are usually large-scale residential properties specifically designed, built and managed for long-term ownership and rental.

Build-to-Rent developments generate long-term rental income for developers, rather than up-front sales or capital growth, driving an increased focus on residential tenants. The developments target the growing renter market seeking secure, long-term rentals.

Build-to-Rent provides an opportunity for government to partner with the private sector to deliver discount-to-market affordable rental homes which can help workers find a home closer to their job.

Container homes in Australia are treated like any other home. They are a standalone structure and must comply with the same regulations that govern a traditionally built home. These can differ based on location, so you should speak with your architect or local council before you begin your container home journey.

In Australia, container homes can cost as little as $1,200 per square metre – roughly a 40% drop in construction costs. Generally, sea container homes can range anywhere from $15,000 for a basic unit to $50,000 for a small but fully-outfitted two-bedroom.

Building a permanent home using shipping containers is subject to the same scrutiny as any regular construction project in Australia. If you want sleek, modern housing via container up-cycling, then you ought to learn about legal requirements such as building permits, engineering plans, and inspections before commencing the project.

Local governments each have their own set of policies on repurposing shipping containers into residential buildings. But as a general rule in Australia, you must ‘hide’ the appearance of a shipping container by having them re-designed or re-clad, otherwise hidden away from public view.

Your shipping container build project needs to meet these requirements before it gains approval for construction.
1. Structural Integrity
Above everything else, the house you are about to build must be safe and structurally sound for the safety of inhabitants as well as other people. You need to have an architect as well as an engineer draw up plans for a structurally sound building before construction can be approved.
2. Liveability
Just like any other home, your shipping container home needs to have all the basic features to be liveable. Plumbing and ventilation are a must and different jurisdictions will have their own little additions to the definition of a liveable modern dwelling.
3. Zoning Laws
Your shipping container home needs to comply with local zoning laws or you’ll have trouble convincing your council to sign off on your project. For example, some areas prohibit the construction of multi-storey buildings, while others require houses to be built with specific fireproof materials for areas that are prone to bush fires. Whatever the laws of the land are, you will need to follow them.
4. Aesthetics
Some areas enforce strict aesthetic standards because no one wants eyesores ruining their nice neighbourhood. Thankfully, shipping container home designs are now just as sophisticated as modern-style homes. Your shipping container house will either need to blend in with the surroundings or be an outstanding architectural masterpiece if you want it approved.

Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) is the engineered wood of the future and is making the construction of entire buildings from timber a reality. First developed in Switzerland in the 1970s, CLT is an extension of the technology that began with plywood and may be best described as a 'jumbo plywood'.

Having gained popularity in Europe, CLT - also referred to as 'tilt up timber' or 'pre-cast timber panels' - is slowly being adopted more widely as a viable alternative to more traditional building practices.

Layers of timber, known as lamellas, are glued together with the grain alternating at 90 degree angles for each layer. The exterior layers' grains run lengthways, giving optimum strength. CLT is manufactured in a similar way to glulam, except that glulam is layered with the grain.

Cross-laminating layers of wood veneer improves the structural properties of wood by distributing the along-the-grain strength of wood in both directions, and this means that CLT panels can be used to form complete floors, walls and roofs.

While CLT is a timber product, it should not be thought of as a timber frame product - it is a timber panel product that actually has similar characteristics to that of a pre-cast concrete panel. The advantages this offers new buildings is quite exciting - timber panels are much lighter than concrete, more easily worked and easier to erect.

Modular homes are prefabricated homes – with prefab being an umbrella term for anything that is created offsite.

The industry, facilitated by rapidly evolving digital technologies is at the forefront of building production, with a vast number of floor plans to choose from and delivery available in NSW, Victoria, Perth and QLD – and one imagines Tasmania and the territories can just as easily be reached.

Ecologically conscious consumers have become very concerned with the sustainability of all building materials, and of industrial waste. Combined with the concept of building smaller homes, the modular industry, which has responded to each concern, is experiencing a boom in demand.

With extraordinary building times, (there’s an average 12-week turnaround from completion of design to having a crane arrive onsite), consumers’ “I want it now” appetites are quickly satisfied.

The system also allows top quality builds to be delivered to areas that do not have supply of top tradies, and protects buyers from weather affected time tables.

Australian Building Ministers agreed to work together to cut red tape and enable further expansion and growth in Australia’s prefabricated and modular construction industry.

Ministers acknowledged the important role that innovative and advanced construction technologies could play in growing the supply of housing and how regulatory uncertainty may be hindering further growth of the industry.

The Australian Building Codes Board will now work closely with industry bodies and jurisdictions to reduce barriers to adopting prefabricated and modular construction.