The re-election of the Albanese Government marks a pivotal moment for Australia’s housing future. With affordability and supply dominating the national conversation throughout the campaign, this result presents an opportunity to turn policy ambition into lasting outcomes.

Max Shifman, CEO of Intrapac Property and former UDIA National President, provides an industry-focused perspective on what this result means for residential development, investor confidence and the broader property landscape.

Policy Commitments and the Reality of Delivery

Labor returns to office with a suite of housing policies aimed at improving access and affordability. These include a promised $10B fund to unlock 100,000 new homes for first homebuyers, the expansion of the First Home Guarantee scheme with no income or price caps, and the continued rollout of its shared equity scheme, Help to Buy.

Together with the Housing Australia Future Fund, the stated intention is to increase housing supply and ease the path to ownership with a goal of seeing 1.2m homes built over a 5 year period. However, ambition and hope alone won’t deliver housing at the pace or scale required.

“The talk about supply and these commitments are encouraging, but whether they achieve the stated outcomes hinges on whether the enabling conditions, such as planning, feasibility and infrastructure, are properly addressed,” says Max.

While a focus on social and affordable housing is welcome, he cautions that without unlocking a broader range of housing suited to middle-income buyers, affordability will continue to worsen.

“Policies that boost buyer capacity are only effective and non-inflationary if they’re backed by genuine capacity to increase supply. Without reforms to how quickly and efficiently we can get housing approved and built, these policies risk pushing prices up rather than improving access.”

Unlocking the Pipeline

With housing high on the national agenda, the government now faces the challenge of turning intent into delivery by enabling the conditions needed for new supply.

Max highlights the intersection of infrastructure and planning as the sector’s most immediate challenge.

“The key issue isn’t ambition. It’s the disconnect between high-level housing targets and what’s achievable under current planning and approval frameworks,” he says.

Delivering new supply will require more than funding. It requires coordinated action across all levels of government to ensure land is serviced, infrastructure is directed to areas experiencing growth, and assessment pathways are streamlined, consistent and predictable.

Labor’s infrastructure commitments, including support for enabling works and modern construction methods, are a positive signal. Their success, however, will depend on whether they are tied to genuine reform in how land is zoned, released and approved.

“You cannot deliver scale through a system that takes years to approve a straightforward subdivision. Reform does not need to be radical. It just needs to be practical, consistent and focused on delivery,” he says.

Confidence, Continuity and the Role of Industry

The election result has delivered what Max described as the best outcome for the property sector: a majority government with a clear agenda. With housing at the centre of policy commitments and no major changes to tax or investment settings, the result has brought a welcome sense of stability and renewed confidence across the market.

“The industry is ready to respond. What we need now is consistency, clarity and a genuine partnership with government to address the barriers to supply.”

Institutional interest, particularly in emerging sectors like build-to-rent, is expected to strengthen as planning pathways improve and infrastructure investment flows. Developers like Intrapac are preparing to work with government to ensure strategies translate into outcomes

“Success will depend on implementation, and it needs to be broad-based across the housing continuum to be truly effective. We now have the policy settings, the political will and the public pressure. What matters next is how effectively governments work with industry to make it happen,” he concludes.