Local Government NSW is calling for a $5 billion interest-free loan scheme to help councils build roads, drainage and other infrastructure needed for housing. Councils would repay the loans through developer contributions as development progresses. The peak body says thousands of homes are being delayed by inadequate infrastructure, particularly in outer metropolitan Sydney and regional areas. LGNSW president Darcy Byrne urged all political parties to back the proposal ahead of the state election. The plan also includes $3 billion in upfront state and regional infrastructure funding and allows developer contributions to fund community facilities.
The Suburban Land Agency released more land than planned in 2025-26, but its income was $22.9 million below budget. Income reached $406.4 million, up from $237.3 million the previous year. Some mixed-use sites, including blocks in Molonglo, have struggled to sell. The agency blamed softer market conditions, higher interest rates and deferred settlements. It has budgeted for income of $434.3 million in 2026-27, with land releases expected to increase in coming years.
A large former Toyota site at 200-214 Blackshaws Rd, Altona North, has been listed for sale, with a possible $40 million price. The 5.3-hectare property was sold by Toyota in 2020. A Victorian government masterplan has earmarked the site for a future town centre with a supermarket, shops and up to 395 homes. No development plans are yet in place. Expressions of interest close at 3pm on November 11.
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The State Government has approved a 17-building development near Caddens Corner shopping centre, adding 482 apartments despite significant community objection. Planning Minister Paul Scully signed off on the project, which Penrith City Council opposed. The Sydney Western City Planning Panel had initially refused it in 2024. Claremont Meadows resident Jennifer Newman said the approval was baffling given unresolved traffic and infrastructure concerns. Londonderry MP Prue Car backed the decision, saying housing and infrastructure must be delivered together.
Opposition spending cuts would save $31 billion over four years, according to a partial costings update released by the Coalition. The package, costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office, targets climate initiatives, housing schemes and welfare for permanent residents. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor described the savings as a down payment for tax cuts. The update leaves out the cost of migration cuts and the scrapping of Labor's tax changes. Treasurer Jim Chalmers rejected claims that government spending is driving inflation, ahead of a Reserve Bank meeting next week.
The ACT government has opened expressions of interest for the Canberra House Pattern Book Design Competition, a national search for designs of dual occupancies, townhouses and terrace homes. The aim is to help the territory reach its goal of enabling 30,000 new homes by 2030. The pattern book will be a library of pre-approved, architect-designed plans that projects can build without a development application. Planning minister Chris Steel said the initiative builds on the territory's missing middle reforms. Expressions of interest close on 4 December 2026.
Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny has referred the controversial proposal to turn Clarkefield into a 2500-home township to an independent advisory committee. The committee will examine the amendment, permit application and public submissions before making recommendations. Minister Kilkenny had been expected to decide in August. Macedon Ranges council and developer APD have both welcomed the referral. Mayor Cassy Borthwick said the decision is not final but recognises community questions. APD director Brad Paddon said the company believes outstanding issues can be resolved.
South Australia plans another 300 homes under its Rent To Own scheme, aimed at first-home buyers and former owners who have spent years renting. The state government says planning and construction are under way, following the allocation of all 125 homes in the initial pilot. Under the scheme, buyers sign a sale contract and lease together, renting at 75 per cent of market rent for up to two years while the purchase price is fixed. Housing Minister Nick Champion said the scheme gives people a second chance at home ownership.
Only one in five Brisbane properties sold under the hammer over the weekend, according to Realestate.com.au data. The city's preliminary clearance rate was 22 per cent, down from 30 per cent a week earlier. Regional Queensland fell to 18.9 per cent. Realestate.com.au economist Luc Redman said clearance rates are likely to stay low until sellers lower price expectations or demand returns. A riverfront Newstead penthouse sold for $5.825m, the biggest Brisbane auction sale, while a Daisy Hill property sold for $2.3m.
First-home buyers who used the government's 5 per cent deposit scheme in Sydney and Melbourne unit markets face the greatest risk of negative equity, according to a FoundIt report. Average home prices in both cities are more than 6 per cent below last year's levels. Buyers who entered the market shortly after the scheme's October expansion could owe tens of thousands of dollars after selling. Shadow Housing Minister Andrew Bragg called the expansion unfair, while a spokesperson for Minister Clare O'Neil said the scheme had saved buyers money.
A Melbourne builder has negotiated a $100,000 subcontractor quote down to $50,000 as construction labour prices fall across the city. New Housing Industry Association figures show trade charges fell 3.1 per cent across Melbourne in the year to September, while regional Victoria recorded an 18.1 per cent surge. Builder and electrician Mitch Pryor said many subcontractors are looking for work as building activity slows. He said securing skilled workers has become easier this year, though electricians remain in demand. Industry economists warn the national skilled trades shortage could persist into the second half of 2027.
The first apartment development in the $600m Serenity 4212 community on the northern Gold Coast has topped out. Lakeside at Helensvale is being built by joint venture partners Keylin and Kinstone Group. Developers say 70 per cent of buyers so far are aged over 50. A new collection of top floor residences, with two and three-bedroom homes starting at $1.22m, has been released. Residents are expected to move in by spring 2027.
The Queensland outback town of Quilpie is offering 62 new residential lots and a $20,000 grant to people who build a home. Its earlier free land scheme in 2021 attracted wide interest but met only a small target, with two homes built since. Builders Heather and Matt Stennett say construction costs in the remote town are prohibitively high, with materials freighted over long distances. Mayor Ben Hall says even 20 new residents would have a major impact on the town's growth.
A Sydney mother of two says another interest rate rise could force her to sell the family home she has lived in for nearly 26 years. Vanessa Merryweather, speaking to 60 Minutes, said she earns just over $900 weekly while her mortgage repayments sit near $800. Covid hit her business, and later bowel cancer and her daughter's lymphoma drained her savings buffer. Reserve Bank chief economist Sarah Hunter acknowledged the strain but said higher rates remain necessary to control inflation.
Rough sleepers in Geelong could receive more help to find housing if the Victorian Labor government is re-elected. It has pledged $250,000 to Neami's Towards Home Plus Assertive Outreach Program, which links people with accommodation and services. Neami National chief executive Tom Dalton said the money would help more people access support. Geelong Member Christine Couzens said the service had helped vulnerable people gain housing. Housing Minister Nick Staikos said demand for homelessness services was still rising.
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Kiama Municipal Council has released a draft advocacy plan, Advocating for Kiama 2026-28, setting out priorities for state and federal governments. The plan rests on four pillars: housing, infrastructure, liveability and connections. The council says new developments place pressure on ageing infrastructure, including sewage and roads, so upgrades must come first. Liveability priorities include revitalising Kiama Harbour and Blowhole Point, and upgrading the Kiama Leisure Centre and CCTV network. The draft is available on the council website, and the council will present the items to candidates for next March's state election.
The NSW Government has approved a 17-building development of 482 apartments at Caddens, despite 147 public submissions objecting to the plan. The project will replace the car park at Caddens Corner shopping centre and includes 79 affordable apartments. Penrith City Council and the Sydney Western City Planning Panel had opposed the project, which the panel refused in 2024. Planning Minister Paul Scully approved the plan on Friday. The developer says the project will create 600 construction jobs and 81 operational jobs.
John McGrath has identified 10 Queensland suburbs he expects to outperform the housing downturn by 2027. The McGrath Report 2027 highlights Beenleigh, Caboolture, Jindalee, Sandgate and Palm Beach in southeast Queensland, along with five regional locations. Mr McGrath warns property values in major Australian cities have fallen by 10 to 15 per cent since February, but believes the downturn creates opportunities for buyers.
The NSW Greens have proposed a bill that would introduce a 12-month rent freeze and other rent controls for the state's renters. Presented to Parliament on Thursday, the bill is put forward by Jenny Leong, the party's housing spokesperson. It also proposes two-year fixed terms, a permanent 2% cap on annual rent rises, and automatic backpay for increases above that cap since June 30, 2026. Ms Leong says the Government must act, while the Greens argue the bill faces an uphill battle to win support from Labor and the Liberal Party.
Foreign investment in Australian residential real estate totalled $4.7 billion in 2025-26, down from $4.9 billion a year earlier, according to new figures released by Treasury. Chinese buyers led with $900 million across 785 approvals, more than the next two biggest source countries combined. The number of approvals fell to 2979. The ban on foreign buyers purchasing established homes has been extended to 30 June 2029. Juwai IQI co-founder Daniel Ho said many Chinese buyers now wait for permanent residency before purchasing, and that the data does not capture overseas-born buyers who have become residents or citizens.
