The Productivity Commission has opened its national inquiry into housing supply regulation, examining how regulatory settings across all levels of government can be improved to accelerate housing delivery and lift construction productivity.
The Australian Institute of Architects welcomes the opportunity to contribute to this important national conversation.
Australia needs more homes, delivered more quickly. But the housing challenge is not simply a question of volume. It is also a question of what we build, where we build it, how it performs over time, and whether it supports the long-term wellbeing of individuals, households and communities.
The Institute is preparing a submission to the inquiry, with a focus on how smarter reform can support increased supply while maintaining quality, liveability, resilience and long-term public value.
For Queensland, these issues are particularly pressing. Strong population growth, regional housing pressures, infrastructure constraints, construction cost escalation and climate risk are all shaping the delivery environment. In many parts of the state, the challenge is not only approval timeframes, but project feasibility. In some regional and suburban markets, the cost of delivery can exceed what the market can reasonably support, limiting the viability of much-needed housing even where planning intent is clear.
This is why reform must look across the whole housing delivery system.
Streamlined approvals are important, but they need to be matched with clear design expectations, better coordination between planning and infrastructure, and procurement settings that support quality outcomes rather than lowest-cost delivery. Reform that removes unnecessary duplication and uncertainty can help. Reform that weakens minimum standards, reduces design input or shifts long-term costs onto residents and communities will not.
Good design is not a barrier to productivity. It is part of the productivity solution.
Well-designed housing can reduce running costs, support changing household needs, improve health and wellbeing, respond to climate conditions, and make better use of existing infrastructure. Poorly designed housing may appear cheaper or faster to deliver in the short term, but it often creates higher costs over the life of the building through energy inefficiency, poor adaptability, maintenance issues, reduced resilience and poorer community outcomes.
The Institute’s emerging areas of focus include:
- reducing unnecessary duplication and delay in planning and approval systems
- improving coordination between housing targets, infrastructure planning and local delivery
- supporting housing diversity, including missing-middle and medium-density housing in well-located areas
- protecting design quality, accessibility, sustainability and climate resilience
- ensuring regional housing delivery is supported by place-based solutions
- improving public procurement so that government investment delivers long-term value
- strengthening design leadership through roles such as Government Architects and City Architects
- recognising that feasibility, construction cost and market conditions are central to whether approved housing is actually delivered
The inquiry is also an opportunity to consider how governments can better support delivery in locations where housing is needed, but where market conditions alone may not unlock supply. This could include more active government participation in housing pipelines, land activation, infrastructure coordination, pre-sale or offtake mechanisms, and partnerships that help bring viable projects to market while safeguarding public interest outcomes.
As the national discussion continues, the Institute will continue to advocate for reforms that increase housing supply while also supporting better places, stronger communities and more enduring value.
The Productivity Commission is inviting initial submissions by Monday 15 June 2026, with an interim report expected by the end of July 2026. Members are encouraged to follow the inquiry and consider how their experience can help inform practical, evidence-based reform.