Source: Australian Capital Territory – State Government
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Released 03/12/2025 – Joint media release
The ACT Government has passed new laws to fast-track the delivery of more homes for the Canberrans who need them most. The Bill was opposed by the Canberra Liberals.
This new legislation has been expanded and now applies to both public and community housing, removing third party appeals and providing certainty around their construction.
This suite of reforms will support the delivery of our ambitious housing agenda to enable 30,000 new homes by 2030. This includes 5000 new public, community and affordable homes.
Public social and community homes default priority status
Since 2019 there have been 20 appeals on public housing projects, delaying over 100 public homes in well-located areas, close to shops, services and jobs.
More than 75 per cent of these saw ACAT upholding the original approval, or specifying very minor amendments, but the process delayed projects for up to a year.
Efforts to increase the number of public homes in these areas have also been clustered in certain districts of Canberra with nearly 95 per cent of these being isolated to the inner-north and inner-south.
The new laws bring the ACT into line with other New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia where appeals are also not permitted for public and community housing projects.
Attribute to Minister for Planning and Sustainable Development Chris Steel:
“These housing reforms will support the rapid delivery of social housing for those most in need.
“Unfair third party appeals of public housing projects don’t exist in major states. The only outcomes of these appeals is to delay to much needed public and community housing by up to a year, depriving the most vulnerable Canberrans of shelter.
“The Government worked closely with the social and affordable housing sector to make sure that genuine community housing projects could benefit from this streamlined approvals process in addition to public housing.
“This has been a collaborative effort across the housing sector, and I’m pleased we’ve been able to get the legislation to a point where we have secured the support of the Assembly to get it done.
“It tells us a lot that the major first decision of the Parton Liberals is to oppose reforms that make it easier to build more housing. They are the same old conservative Canberra Liberals.”
Attribute to Minister for New Homes and Suburbs Yvette Berry:
“With too many Canberrans on the waitlist for public housing, many of whom are experiencing a range of vulnerabilities, the ACT Government must pull out all the stops to get homes built as quickly as possible.
“The Territory Priority Projects process provides a pathway to achieve this goal, while maintaining the normal development application process that still enables neighbours and other parties to be consulted and have voice in the process.”
– Statement ends –
Yvette Berry, MLA | Chris Steel, MLA | Media Releases