Call For Smaller Lots

Australia will not meet its housing targets for as long as it continues to use outdated, 1950s planning rules, according to the Housing Industry Association (HIA).

HIA Executive Director of Planning and Development,  Sam Heckel, says outdated minimum lot size rules are making it nearly impossible to meet the Federal Government’s housing targets.

Heckely says up to 80% of residential land in many cities is locked into low-density zoning or similar with minimum lot sizes that effectively prohibit subdivision.

“These rules are a political choice, not a technical necessity,” Heckel says.

“They were designed for a completely different time, yet governments continue to protect them even as affordability collapses.

“Minimum lot sizes are one of the easiest supply constraints for governments to remove yet remain largely untouched because of political reluctance to reform suburban planning controls.

“Smaller, sensible lot sizes in well-located suburbs would deliver more homes quickly, without high-rise development and without major infrastructure spending.”