In short:
Liberal senator Andrew Bragg says a basic Australian standard would get houses built faster, likening it to buying a simple first car compared with a luxury Lamborghini.
asserted
houses → say → Lamborghini
But some warn that cutting back on energy efficiency and accessible features could prove costly in other ways.
uncertain
cutting → warn → ways
Young people have mixed views about the policy.
asserted
people → have → policy
The concept of cheaper, basic homes is attractive to some, but others warn there could be other costs in the long run, such as higher electricity bills or renovations.
uncertain
others → warn → bills
The Coalition wants to cut red tape for building what it calls "woke palaces" and instead construct more "basic" homes to solve Australia's housing crisis.
asserted
it → want → crisis
"Get rid of red tape, get approvals through, make it easier," Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said late last month.
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Taylor → rid → approvals
"We don't all need to live in woke palaces."
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We → need → palaces
Shadow Minister for Housing Andrew Bragg has spruiked drastically cutting back Australia's National Construction Code, suggesting some energy efficiency and accessibility measures would be "optional extras".
Senator Bragg was forced to back-pedal after he initially agreed such homes would be "substandard".
asserted
homes → spruike → Code
"They will not be substandard, they will be strong, safe, secure, and with lovely amenity," he said.
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he → say → amenity
He likened it to buying a basic first car compared with a "luxury Lamborghini".
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He → liken → Lamborghini
So what would these houses look like, and would young people be tempted to buy them to get their foot in the housing market?
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people → look → market
For Maya Sabattini, the idea of owning her own home feels like an unattainable goal.
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idea → own → goal
"I would love to buy my first home — it's definitely always been a dream for me — but at the moment it seems kind of out of reach
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it → love → reach
," she said.
asserted
she → say → ?
The 23-year-old Perth resident, who works full time in marketing, says buying a basic, more-affordable home is an attractive proposition for her, in order to end the instability that comes with renting.
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that → work → renting
"Most of my peers would agree that … we're just looking for somewhere to invest our money wisely," she said.
"
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she → agree → money
It doesn't need to be this perfect house that, you know, meets all of these standards or anything super flashy."
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you → need → standards
While she said lower energy efficiency standards and the impact that had on bills was something to consider, it wouldn't deter her at this stage.
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it → say → stage
"I already am living in an apartment which isn't exactly very energy efficient, I suppose.
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I → live → apartment
So I wouldn't say that it would be a major trade-off for me."
asserted
it → say → me
En-mei Miao, a student at ANU in Canberra, said she and many of her peers faced becoming "lifelong renters".
"
asserted
she → say → renters
For young people like myself, gen Z, a lot of us are quite disillusioned in the prospect of buying a house in the first place," she said.
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she → buy → place
She said while building more houses was a pragmatic step governments could take, she was sceptical that it was the correct way to solve the country's housing woes.
uncertain
it → say → woes
"Increasing supply of housing is always a good thing, but I think there's also a broader issue here about the houses that already exist and are unoccupied as well," she said.
She said making homes less accessible could close the door to those who had fewer advantages, exacerbating existing inequalities.
uncertain
who → increase → inequalities
"I think the characterisation of a house as a 'woke palace' is quite vulgar,"she said.
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characterisation → think → palace
"Increasing the supply of housing where that supply doesn't fit the needs of all Australians, I don't think that's a good move to make.
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that → increase → Australians
"In Canberra and other parts of Australia as well, it gets quite cold, and to have a first house without suitable heating …
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it → get → heating
I'm not sure if that's the first house that young people want to build."
Others told the ABC while they supported the idea of more affordable housing and simplifying regulations, they thought other areas could be targeted.
uncertain
areas → want → housing
"Surely there would be better things to cut back on or work on than accessibility and environmental issues," said Jack Morrison, a public servant speaking in a personal capacity who purchased an apartment last year.
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who → cut → apartment
Need for change
The National Construction Code has ballooned to 2,200 pages and is broadly seen as unwieldy and in need of review.
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Code → balloon → review
Master Builders Australia said its "sheer size, poor drafting, complexity and scope creep has made it impractical; the result is poorer building outcomes, less productivity and higher costs".
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result → say → ?
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has said the code is "too hard to navigate and it's too costly", adding the government had hit pause on new additions to the code and was working with states and industry to streamline it.
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government → say → it
Under the Coalition, Senator Bragg has said the basics would all be captured in an 80-90 page "mandatory core" Australian building standard — pointing to New Zealand's building code as an example.
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basics → say → example
That document would then be supported by a "pattern book", including for prefabricated housing and Modern Methods of Construction (such as modular building technologies).
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document → support → technologies
According to an interim report on housing released last month by the Senate select committee on productivity, chaired by Senator Bragg, the mandatory core would cover structural integrity, fire resilience and safety, waterproofing and moisture control, and lighting, sanitation and safe water.
uncertain
core → accord → integrity
"It won't be gold-plated, but it won't fall down," he said.
asserted
he → plat → ?
"It won't mandate double-glazing [windows], it won't mandate millions and millions of pieces of insulation, it won't mandate ramps, it won't mandate widened corridors, it won't mandate reinforced walls to hold grab rails," Senator Bragg said.
asserted
Bragg → mandate → rails
"It won't assume that every Australian is disabled.
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Australian → assume → ?
"It will assume people can make their own judgements, whether they want to have the ramps, whether they want to have more insulation, they can choose."
Could it be more costly in the long run?
The Australian Institute of Architects national president David Wagner
uncertain
Wagner → assume → Architects
has backed the code being simplified but warned against a "wholesale slashing" and said minimum standards should be "strengthened, not weakened".
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standards → back → slashing
…and 18 more, not listed.
