Productivity Commission ignores easiest housing policy fix

Sunday 26 April 2026

Productivity Commission (PC) chair Danielle Wood has admitted that it is “going to take decades” for fixes to improve housing supply to make home ownership more affordable, “to filter through”.

Wood also admitted that the Albanese government’s fantastical target to build 1.2 million homes over five years, which is currently tracking around 27% behind its required run rate, is “not going to be met”.

Housing supply is the top priority for the PC because affordability has deteriorated for decades and is now structurally entrenched.

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About the author

Leith van Onselen is Chief Economist at the MB Fund and MB Super. He is also a co-founder of MacroBusiness. Leith has previously worked at the Australian Treasury, Victorian Treasury and Goldman Sachs.