Australia to speed up housing construction as crisis lingers

A crane towers over the Sydney House construction site, where a redevelopment is underway, in Sydney, Australia, August 19, 2025. Australian home prices climbed for a sixth straight month in July, while national rental vacancy rates are holding close to historic lows, at just 1.7 per cent. - Reuters

CANBERRA: Australia’s government is planning a series of measures to speed up the construction of homes as the country continues to grapple with a national housing crisis.

Among measures enforced immediately are fast-tracking the assessment of more than 26,000 new homes and freezing further changes to construction laws to escalate housing approvals, according to a statement Saturday (Aug 23). It plans to use artificial intelligence to help implement the changes.