Productivity Commission Interim Report on housing supply regulation

On 1 June 2026, the Productivity Commission commenced an inquiry to ‘examine how regulations across all levels of government can be improved to speed up delivery of new housing and boost construction productivity’. 

The inquiry will ‘identify and prioritise reforms to reduce unnecessary regulatory barriers to housing, support the National Housing Accord, and help Australia build more well-located homes’.

On 27 July 2026, the Productivity Commission released its Interim Report for comment. Among its recommendations are proposals to change heritage protection controls, in particular for heritage overlays.

After considering the Interim Report and gathering advice from its Local Government Specialist Committee, the Heritage Council has made a submission.

• Heritage Council’s submission

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