Advocacy

The Housing Powerhouse

For decades, Australia’s growth areas have been the backbone of national housing delivery, and they will continue to be critical for future housing supply.

However, rapid population growth in these vibrant outer metropolitan cities and suburbs has not been matched with sufficient investment in infrastructure and essential services.

This gap leaves communities without the public transport, jobs, higher education, and recreational facilities they need to thrive.

We need a dedicated, sustained approach to funding that aligns with the pace of population growth in these areas.

NGAA Recommendations

1. Modernising Australian Cities’ Geography: Recognise outer metropolitan growth areas as regions requiring specific attention in Commonwealth funding programs across portfolios
2. Urgent enabling infrastructure to meet Housing Accord Targets: Around a third of development ready greenfield sites in Growth Areas (potentially 82,500 dwellings), are currently unable to proceed due to lack of enabling infrastructure. Alarmingly, some development has already gone ahead without connected sewerage and insufficient potable water access.
3. Urgent community and social infrastructure investment: Infrastructure has a major impact on national productivityby providing equitable access to jobs, transport, health and educationfacilities, as well as creating national social cohesion via places for peopleto gather, connect and build communities in new developments.
4. Fund Social Connection innew suburbs: The Housing Accord building boom is creating large new communities at speed, making it critical that connection, trust and belonging grow alongside new homes to keep Australia cohesive, resilient and confident in the face of uncertainty.

Infratructure is the foundation

Infrastructure - from pipes in the ground to transport and community centres - is the foundation of our suburbs and cities. Too often, housing policy sees the house itself as the end goal, rather than one piece of the suburban puzzle. NGAA advocates for timeley and strategic infrastructure investment.