MEDIA RELEASE – Leanne Castley MLA – Leader of the ACT Liberals – 23 June 2025

ACT Liberal Leader Leanne Castley has launched a scathing attack on ACT Labor’s latest Budget housing and land supply policy, labelling it “more bluster than substance” and casting serious doubt on the government’s ability to deliver its 2024 election promise of 30,000 new homes by 2030.

Despite the government announcing increased land release as part of a $145 million initiative, Castley said the reality on the ground tells a different story — where approvals are slow, construction is stalling, and industry confidence is slipping.

“This is simply more wrapping paper on their dud policies, with the land being released way too slow to even go close to keeping their election promise,” Ms Castley said.

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) backs her concerns, reporting that the ACT currently has the weakest detached housing and renovation markets in Australia and ranks second worst in multi-dwelling approvals.

Castley squarely blamed the ACT Labor Government’s regulatory framework for stifling development.

“Dwelling approvals are still occurring way too slowly thanks to ACT Labor’s addiction to extra regulation and construction costs,” she said. “They’ve also added so many caveats to their promises that Canberrans should be suspicious about their real intentions.”

The ACT Government, while reaffirming its commitment to the 30,000-home target, acknowledged that actual delivery would depend on market capacity and industry capability — a statement Castley said signals a shifting of blame away from policy failure and toward the construction sector.

“It’s clear from this statement that the ACT Government is now looking to blame the construction industry instead of taking responsibility for the environment they’ve created,” she added.

Castley also questioned the financial transparency of the policy, demanding clarity on how much of the $145 million was new funding, and how much was recycled from last year’s Budget or sourced from Commonwealth contributions.

“Like all of the Budget announcements so far, this one is long on spin and short on detail,” she said.

The ACT Liberals are now calling for real reform to reduce red tape, cut building costs, and fast-track approvals, warning that without urgent action, the government’s housing promise risks becoming yet another unfulfilled commitment.

Source: https://l1nq.com/2a7Ad