Senator the Hon Murray Watt
Minister for the Environment and Water

The Hon Clare O’Neil MP
Minister for Housing, Homelessness & Cities

The Albanese Government has smashed through its target to cut through the red tape and delays in environmental approvals that were holding up the construction of more homes for Australians.

An outcome of the Government’s Economic Reform Roundtable in August last year, the housing strike team, established within the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, was given the target of assessing 26,000 new homes by July this year.

Since then, the Government’s housing strike team has smashed that target out the park, not just meeting it, but exceeding it and paving the way for the development of more than 35,500 new homes across Australia.

All up, the strike team has given the green light to 21 metropolitan developments, supporting 19,906 homes and 13 regional developments supporting 15,769 homes. 

These 35,500 new homes build on the Albanese Government’s other housing supply measures, including:

• Unlocking 65,000 homes through the $2 billion Local Infrastructure Fund as part of the 2025/26 Budget
• Delivering 55,000 social, affordable and crisis homes through programs like the Housing Australia Future Fund
• Delivering 100,000 new homes for First Home Buyers
• Unlocking 80,000 new long-lease rentals through Build to Rent reforms