Australia’s governments have conducted several housing affordability inquiries throughout decades, including but not limited to:
- Menzies Research Centre: Prime Ministerial Taskforce on Home Ownership 2003;
- The Productivity Commission’s First Home Ownership Report in 2004;
- A Good House is Hard to Find Report from the Senate Select Committee on Housing Affordability in Australia in 2008;
- Western Australia’s Affordable Housing Strategy 2010-2020;
- NHSC: State of Supply Reports (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 onwards);
- COAG Review of Capital City Strategic Planning Systems Report 2011 and report on Housing Supply and Affordability Reform 2012;
- Senate Inquiry into Affordable Housing, 2014-2015; and
- Parliamentary Inquiry into Home Ownership 2015.
- House of Representatives Standing Committee on Tax and Revenue Inquiry into housing affordability and supply in Australia 2022.
In addition to the above, outfits like the Grattan Institute, the McKell Institute, AHURI, and others have published similar reports.
It seems whenever controversy is brewing on the housing front, there are calls for another high-level inquiry.
Like Groundhog Day, the drums are now beating for a royal commission into Australia’s housing crisis:
Thousands of work hours and millions of dollars in wages and consulting fees have been spent on these reports, with no results.
So, what’s the point of squandering millions more taxpayer dollars by holding a royal commission into housing?
Nothing of substance came from the banking royal commission? The status quo was maintained.
Nothing concrete will come from another housing inquiry since our leaders do not want more affordable housing, which demands lower prices.
Nor will they ever lower immigration to sensible, sustainable levels of below 120,000 so that housing supply can keep up with demand.
Quit wasting everyone’s time and stop pretending to care by offering false hope.
