2016-05-03
TREASURY
SENATE QUESTION
Notice Given: 18 April 2016
(Question No . 1st session 2978, 2nd session - 3232)
Senator Ludlam, asked the Minister representing the Treasurer, upon notice, on 18 April 2016
With reference to the National Housing Supply Council that was abolished in the 2014-15 Budget:
(1) What data is Treasury compiling on the current national housing supply gap and by whom.
(2) Have any of the functions formerly provided by the National Housing Supply Council been requested from the private sector, for example through private consultancy; if so, can an outline be provided of which functions and at what cost.
(3) When will the next National 'State of Supply' report be released.
(4) Given that the last 'State of Supply' report published by the National Housing Supply Council in 2012 estimated a total housing shortfall of 200,000 homes, and an affordable and available rental supply gap of 539,000 properties, what is the current national housing supply gap in:
(a) construction for purchase ;
(b) affordable and available rentals; and
(c) social housing.
ANSWER
Senator Cormann: The answer to the Honourable Senator's question is as follows:
(1) Treasury is not presently compiling data on the current national housing supply gap.
There are several organisations that provide data and analysis on housing supply and the housing market more broadly, including the Housing Industry Association , RP data and the Real Estate Institute of Australia. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces, and makes publically available, the Census estimates for population and the building completions and approvals data which the National Housing Supply Council used to produce its estimates of housing supply.
Additionally, many researchers have undertaken substantial work on measuring housing affordability, and related issues of housing supply and demand, including the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.
(2) The functions formerly provided by the National Housing Supply Council have not been requested from the private sector.
(3) The National 'State of Supply' report was previously compiled by the National Housing Supply Council. Housing supply is predominantly an issue for the states and territories. There is no work currently underway to replace reports published by the former National Housing Supply Council.
(4) As mentioned previously, there are several organisations which provide data on housing supply and estimates vary on these numbers.