Coalition Unveils $5 Billion Plan to Build 500,000 New Homes

Oct 19, 2024, 10:15 PM

The Coalition has announced a $5 billion plan to address Australia's housing crisis ahead of the upcoming election. Led by Peter Dutton, the policy aims to build up to 500,000 new homes over five years by investing in water, sewage, and other enabling infrastructure. The plan also includes a decade-long freeze on the National Construction Code to reduce regulatory burdens and energy efficiency costs. Critics, including a senior Labor minister and Senator David Pocock, have accused the Coalition of copying Labor's existing infrastructure plans and described elements of the policy as 'seriously regressive'. Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume defended the policy, arguing that the Albanese government will fall 400,000 homes short of its target of 1.2 million homes.