Julie Collins (Franklin, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

The National Housing Supply and Affordability Council Bill 2023 (bill) establishes the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council (council) as an independent statutory advisory body. The council will inform the Commonwealth's approach to housing policy by delivering independent advice to the government on housing supply and affordability.

Establishment of the council was announced as part of the Safer and More Affordable Housing measure in the October 2022-23 budget. The bill forms part of the Housing Legislative Package, which delivers on key components of the government's ambitious election commitments on housing. Public consultation on the draft legislation attracted feedback from a broad range of stakeholders, including community housing providers, industry bodies, advocacy groups, research bodies, and state and territory organisations.

The council will help the Commonwealth play a leadership role in improving housing supply and affordability. In addition to providing independent expert advice to government, the council will research and report on matters relating to housing supply and affordability. Both advice and reporting may be requested by the minister, and the council will have the discretion to initiate its own research and reporting to the minister.

As well as its reporting and general advisory role, the council will provide advice to the minister on the allocation of disbursements from the Housing Australia Future Fund. This advice will inform government consideration of disbursements as part of the annual budget process.

To ensure the important work of the council could commence quickly, the government established an interim council from 1 January 2023. The interim council has six appointed members and one ex officio member and operates as a non-statutory advisory body.

Following passage of this bill or from 1 July 2023, the interim council will cease, and the council will commence operating as an independent statutory advisory body. The permanent council will consist of a minimum of six and up to a maximum of nine appointed members with skills and experience in a range of fields relating to housing supply and affordability. Increasing the potential number of appointed council members (compared to the interim council) responds to stakeholder feedback to ensure that there is the right range of skills and experience on the council. The council will also include an ex officio member from the Commonwealth Treasury.

The bill enshrines the independence of the council, ensuring it can provide full and frank advice and reporting on issues council members consider important across the housing spectrum. The requirements as to the skills and expertise will support the production of high-quality and targeted advice to the Commonwealth government.

An important function of the council will be to work collaboratively with other Commonwealth bodies, state, territory and local governments, and other stakeholders, to support the collection and publication of nationally consistent data on housing supply and affordability.

And this collaborative role will enable the council to provide important input into the development of the National Housing and Homelessness Plan, which will establish a clear shared national strategy to address the significant challenges we face to ensure that Australians have access to safer and more affordable housing.

Full details of the measure are contained in the explanatory memorandum.

Debate adjourned.