Builders and local government representatives have demanding Labor fix an 83,000 strong housing trade shortage at a summit in Bendigo on Tuesday, also calling for further help for first homebuyers.

The Nationals’ Leader David Littleproud and Nationals Senator for Victoria the Hon Bridget McKenzie joined with the Housing Industry Association (HIA) to host the Regional Housing Roundtable, while key trades shortages forms arguably the largest regional barrier to delivering the Albanese Government’s faltering target of 1.2 million homes.

Member for Mallee Dr Anne Webster MP said the Summit’s demands match what Mallee families are telling her.

“We’re not short of land to provide housing in Sunraysia, Swan Hill, the Wimmera and the Grampians – the supply chain is failing in securing the workers and materials to build the homes,” Dr Webster said.

The National Housing Supply and Affordability Council reports the supply of new homes remains at the lowest in a decade, while only 177,000 new dwellings were completed in 2024, failing to meet national housing demand.

Within the last week the latest Domain Rent Report showed Swan Hill had led the annual hikes in median weekly asking rents, up 23.5 per cent in just a year, while Horsham rents have increased 10.5 per cent, Mildura rents rose 9.1 per cent and Central Goldfields up 5.6 per cent.

“The Reserve Bank Governor admitted at Senate Estimates last week that Labor’s first home buyer policy will push up prices, making houses even less affordable for families and first homebuyers,” Dr Webster said.

Dr Webster said younger Mallee residents were enduring greater housing stress and rental stress than older residents, as her office finishes collating responses to Mallee’s Biggest Survey. Survey respondents under 35 years of age were more likely to report mortgage and rent costs as major cost-of-living concerns, ranking them 4th and 5th behind groceries, energy and council rates as significant pressures. By contrast, across all ages in Mallee, insurance and fuel costs ranked 4th and 5th highest cost pressures.

The HIA’s Housing the Regions report shows in the June 2024 quarter, 27 per cent more people moved from cities to regional areas, while around three quarters of city dwellers moving to the regions have settled in regional New South Wales or Victoria.

HIA Chief Executive of Industry and Policy Simon Croft said one third or 8.5 million people now live outside metropolitan areas and one of the biggest issues for regional areas is infrastructure, more roads and water.

“Getting labour is a big constraint with supply issues and actually getting the houses built,” Mr Croft said.

“These days it really also comes down to land and getting the land through the planning system, let alone getting stuck in environmental approvals for years and then it’s further compounded by navigating the web of over 2000 pages of the National Construction Code (NCC).”

Dr Webster said the Albanese Government had been missing-in-action on their housing targets and genuine reform to make owning your home a reality.

“Mallee residents are stuck in a rent cycle finding it harder and harder to save up to buy their own home.  Home ownership is the best form of long-term personal financial security there is, and under Labor young Australians are sadly becoming conditioned to the idea home ownership isn’t for them.

“The Nationals stand with regional shires and residents pushing for real solutions to help more Australians achieve the great Australian dream of home ownership.”

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