The National Housing Supply and Affordability Council (Council) has released its first Quarterly Report. It shows how Australia is progressing towards the National Housing Accord target.
Under the National Housing Accord, all levels of government agreed to an ambitious target to build 1.2 million new homes over 5 years to June 2029.
National highlights
17%
increase in quarterly building approvals since the Accord started1
17%
increase in quarterly commencements since the Accord started2
219,000
new homes completed over 5 quarters since the Accord started3
0.9%
cheaper (in real terms) to build new houses since the Accord started4
10%
faster to build new houses since the Accord started5
Notes:
1. Compares the last 3 months of approvals data to January 2026 with June 2024 quarter, in seasonally adjusted terms.
2. Compares the last quarter of commencement data to September 2025 with June 2024 quarter, in seasonally adjusted terms.
3. Aggregates gross dwelling units completed since June 2024 quarter to September 2025 quarter, in seasonally adjusted terms.
4. Compares the last quarter of real construction costs to December 2025 with June 2024 quarter. Real construction costs are calculated by deflating the relevant construction industry output producer price indices with the headline national consumer price index.
5. Compares the 2024–25 construction times to 2023-24 data. Construction time data reflects the average time from when building approval is obtained to the time a dwelling is completed.
Source: NHSAC 2026; ABS Building Activity 2026; ABS Building Approvals 2026; ABS Producer Price Indexes 2026; ABS Consumer Price Index 2026.
State and territory progress
| State or territory | Building approvals1 | Building completions2 | Expected Accord completion date3 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change on past 12 months (rolling) | Share of Accord target4 approved (to date) | Change on past 12 months (rolling) | Share of Accord target4 built (to date) | Quarter | |
| NSW | 8% | 21% | -3% | 15% | Jun 2031 |
| VIC | -1% | 28% | -12% | 23% | Sep 2029 |
| QLD | 16% | 26% | 4% | 17% | Sep 2030 |
| SA | 15% | 27% | 7% | 19% | Sep 2030 |
| WA | 13% | 29% | 16% | 22% | Sep 2029 |
| TAS | 4% | 15% | -16% | 12% | Sep 2033 |
| NT | 38% | 9% | -13% | 5% | After 2034 |
| ACT | 117% | 25% | 0% | 23% | Sep 2029 |
| AUS | 9% | 25% | -2% | 18% | Jun 2030 |
Notes:
1. The latest building approvals data are as at January 2026. Building approvals data are measured in seasonally adjusted terms for states and in original terms for territories (as seasonally adjusted data are not available).
2. The latest building completions data are as at September 2025 quarter.
3. The expected Accord completion date reflects when the Council has estimated that jurisdictions will reach their share of the Accord target as at March 2026. The forecasting model reflects what the Council expects in future years based on leading indicators and historical housing market dynamics (that is, it does not assume the rate of construction to date continues).
4. The state and territory Accord targets are calculated using population shares at the time the Accord was agreed and were published by the Council in 2025. The features and limitations of the Council’s modelling framework are summarised in Box 5.1 in State of the Housing System 2025.
Source: NHSAC 2026; ABS Building Activity 2026; ABS Building Approvals 2026.
Overview of key supply initiatives since the start of the Accord
New South Wales
- Boosting density via zoning reforms and new infrastructure under Transport Oriented Development program, Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy and infill affordable housing bonuses
- Fast-tracking large-scale rezonings, and providing high‑quality designs with Pattern Book for low and mid-rise housing, to unlock additional housing
- Driving council performance with a Statement of Expectations, public league table and financial incentives to speed up housing assessments and activating underutilised land for housing through the government land audit
- Reducing red tape via the Development Coordination Authority and accelerating major projects via the Housing Delivery Authority and new State Significant assessment pathways for housing
- Unlocking construction finance via the pre-sale Finance Guarantee and bringing forward infrastructure through Works-in-Kind guidelines and Infrastructure Opportunity Plans
Victoria
- Boosting density in priority areas through the Activity Centres program
- Streamlining approvals through the Townhouse and Low-Rise Code
- Unlocking land via a vacant land tax
- Tackling infrastructure needs via a new infrastructure contribution system
- Reducing red tape in planning through the Better Decisions Made Faster Bill
Queensland
- Building infrastructure to enable new housing via the Residential Activation Fund
- Boosting productivity and efficiency via the Building Regulation Renovation reforms
- Unlocking and streamlining assessments for social and affordable housing on charity-owned and church-owned land
- Delivering at scale social and community homes through Queensland Community Housing Investment Pipeline
- Boosting training via an Apprenticeship Pilot Program and the Right Skills Strategy
South Australia
- Releasing the Housing Roadmap to accelerate supply via major land rezonings and upgrades to water and wastewater infrastructure
- Establishing an Infrastructure Scheme and the position of a Coordinator‑General to drive the rollout of major enabling infrastructure
- Preserving rail corridors in the north and south of the state and releasing the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan
- Streamlining code amendment processes and establishing an accepted development pathway for new houses in growth areas
- Creating a pathway for eligible long-term renters to buy newly built homes via the Rent-To-Buy Affordable Housing Initiative and Stamp Duty abolishment
Western Australia
- Tackling critical infrastructure needs via the Infrastructure Development Fund
- Boosting density by fast tracking housing around train station precincts
- Supporting local industry via the Housing Innovation Fund
- Boosting training via fee-free and low-fee building and construction courses
- Supporting new build-to-rent projects via the Build to Rent Kickstart Fund
Tasmania
- Streamlining subdivision approvals by removing duplicative assessment processes
- Reviewing regional land use strategies to guide and inform local planning across the state
- Building more social and affordable rentals including the Queens Walk project, an infill development
Northern Territory
- Unlocking land by releasing Crown Land for residential housing
- Fast-track low-risk developments via 6 new classes of planning scheme amendments
- Reducing red tape via the Building Legislation Amendment Bill as well as the Land, Planning and Environment Legislation
- Boosting density via zoning reform in the Katherine Densification Policy
- Investigating infill opportunities through a Territory-wide review
Australian Capital Territory
- Growing supply of affordable housing via the Affordable Housing Project Fund and the Lease Variation Charge Reduction Framework
- Boosting density through the Missing Middle Housing reforms
- Unlocking land by updating the housing supply and land release pipeline
- Establishing District Strategies to guide long-term and sustainable growth
- Reducing red tape for public and community housing by removing third-party appeals