HIA
THE Housing Industry Association (HIA) has welcomed a Federal Government commitment of more than $45 million over four years to accelerate implementation of reforms to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).
HIA Managing Director Jocelyn Martin said the funding marks an important step toward ensuring the reforms deliver real outcomes, particularly in streamlining project approvals across housing, energy and resources sectors.
A central element of the reform package is the development of new bilateral agreements between Federal, State and Territory governments.
These agreements aim to reduce duplication by combining environmental assessment and approval processes, an approach HIA said will significantly speed up project timelines.
“This will fast track new energy, housing and resources projects by cutting unnecessary duplication in approvals,” Ms Martin said.
HIA recently appeared before a Senate inquiry into environment protection reform legislation, where it emphasised that legislative change alone is not enough.
“The passage of the EPBC laws late last year was only the beginning – not the job done,” Ms Martin said.
“The success of these reforms will ultimately depend on how effectively they are implemented.”
The association had called for the 2026-27 Federal Budget to include dedicated funding for implementation and education, arguing that execution will be as critical as policy design.
The newly announced $45 million allocation is intended to support that rollout, including prioritising bilateral agreements.
HIA also pointed to early progress from the Federal Government’s Housing Strike Team, established following the Economic Reform Roundtable, which has been tasked with addressing a backlog of more than 26,000 stalled housing approvals.
According to HIA, the Strike Team has already delivered results, including one project approved in just 64 days.
“This must not be the exception, but the new benchmark for timely, high-quality decision-making,” Ms Martin said.
HIA is advocating for the Strike Team to become a permanent, well-resourced body, not only to clear existing backlogs but also to ensure the approvals system continues to operate efficiently into the future.
“The EPBC reforms present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver an environmental approvals system that is credible, timely and trusted,” she said.
