On day two of the UDIA National Congress, economic commentator Alan Kohler AM warned that Australia’s Housing Accord targets may be unrealistic, with a 60 per cent increase in completions required, an outcome he said was “never going to happen.”
The issue flagged as one of the nation’s most pressing challenges, was the delivery of enough housing to meet ambitious targets.
Mr Kohler unpacked broader macroeconomic pressures including interest rates, global tariffs, fuel costs, consumer confidence and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, all factors which are shaping the housing sector and driving uncertainty for buyers and developers alike. He also cautioned that passing infrastructure costs onto future home buyers will only worsen housing affordability.
The Decade of Change session explored how policy, economic conditions and project delivery have transformed the state over the past 10 years. Industry leaders Rebecca Thomas (EKISTICS), Pat Gerace (Colliers Engineering & Design), Trevor Cooke (Commercial & General Group), and Chris Menz (Parkstone Funds Management) shared insights on the opportunities and constraints shaping urban growth, highlighting the impact of major events, AUKUS and shifts away from arbitrary infill housing targets.
The Industry Panel Session further examined the market realities for housing delivery. Ian Sanders (Colliers), Julian Coppini (Oliver Hume Property Group) and Cherie McMahon (Stockland) explored social and affordable housing, land lease communities and the regulatory and financial hurdles developers face, emphasising the complexity of meeting rising demand.
Looking ahead; innovative solutions were showcased, with Jordan Jones (Integral Carolinas) and Justin Kearnan (City Collective) presenting modular housing as a new “operating system” for cities. Their approach combines off-site construction, mixed-income communities and integrated delivery models to provide faster, scalable, and more affordable housing outcomes — demonstrating a practical path forward in the face of national housing pressures.
UDIA National President, Oscar Stanley, said the final day of the Congress has reinforced the urgent need for realistic targets, innovative delivery and policy reform.
“We have heard the challenge ahead for industry and government – to work together to come up with more effective, quicker ways with which to build our cities and, critically, supply much more affordable housing across Australia.”