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Housing Legislation Amendment (Fair Share for Regional Housing)

Current status

This bill did not become law and is no longer proceeding.

Policy area

Welfare & housing

What does this bill do?

Housing AustraliaThe Commonwealth body that provides housing finance, grants and investments, and is the main agency this bill would push to support regional areas more heavily. funding would be steered more directly to regional, rural and remote areas so those communities get a fairer share of housing support and help with housing supply.

Why was it introduced?

Housing AustraliaThe Commonwealth body that provides housing finance, grants and investments, and is the main agency this bill would push to support regional areas more heavily. funding largely went to metropolitan projects, leaving regional areas and cash-strapped councils and utilities without enough support for housing-enabling infrastructure. The bill requires action toward at least 30% regional funding, expands eligible infrastructure support, and requires clearer reporting on where the money goes.

Broader context

Housing AustraliaThe Commonwealth body that provides housing finance, grants and investments, and is the main agency this bill would push to support regional areas more heavily., created in 2018 and expanded by the Housing Australia Future FundA Commonwealth housing fund that can back housing-related projects, and this bill would widen what it can pay for in regional areas. in 2023, was meant to lift housing supply, but a 2021 statutory reviewA formal review required by law, used here to assess whether the Housing Australia Future Fund is actually meeting housing needs in regional Australia. found its infrastructure finance hard to access and later reporting showed most funded projects were still in metropolitan areas while many regional councils and government-owned utilities lacked money for water, sewerage, power and transport works needed for new homes. Against that backdrop of a national housing crisis and very low vacancy rates in many towns, the bill introduced in November 2024 sought to direct at least 30% of yearly support to regional, rural and remote AustraliaThe parts of Australia outside the big cities that this bill says should receive a larger share of housing support., widen infrastructure eligibility and force clearer reporting, but it lapsed when parliament was dissolved in March 2025.

Key criticism

No significant public case against the bill is recorded so far, and the available debate material argues it would correct a city-focused funding pattern by directing more housing support to regional Australia. The recorded speeches in this material support the bill, so any reservations recorded so far are limited to ordinary questions about delivery, reporting and whether the 30 per cent target is achieved in practice.

Who supported it?

Helen Haines MPA federal parliamentarian such as Dr Helen Haines or Rebekha Sharkie, who speaks and votes on the bill. introduced this bill. Speeches supporting it came from Centre Alliance, some crossbench members.

Introduced in House 18 Nov 2024
Failed in House 28 Mar 2025
Did not reach Senate —
Did not become law —

Did it become law?

No

The bill did not complete passage through Parliament.

Final passage

No final passage

The bill has not completed passage and is no longer proceeding.

Time before failure

130 days

From introduction to the final recorded step before the bill stopped proceeding

Official record

View on APH

Parliament of Australia bill page

Meaning

What does this bill do?

  1. Housing AustraliaThe Commonwealth body that provides housing finance, grants and investments, and is the main agency this bill would push to support regional areas more heavily. funding would be steered more directly to regional, rural and remote areas so those communities get a fairer share of housing support and help with housing supply.

  2. The minister would have to check what action is needed so regional, rural and remote AustraliaThe parts of Australia outside the big cities that this bill says should receive a larger share of housing support. gets at least 30% of Housing AustraliaThe Commonwealth body that provides housing finance, grants and investments, and is the main agency this bill would push to support regional areas more heavily.'s yearly support.

  3. Housing AustraliaThe Commonwealth body that provides housing finance, grants and investments, and is the main agency this bill would push to support regional areas more heavily. would have to publish a clearer yearly breakdown showing how much support went to each state and territory, each local council, each government-owned utility providerA state or territory owned body that supplies services such as water or sewerage, which this bill would make more clearly eligible for housing-related support., and each regional area.

  4. The Housing Australia Future FundA Commonwealth housing fund that can back housing-related projects, and this bill would widen what it can pay for in regional areas. would be able to fund the basic works that make new homes possible in regional areas, such as water, sewerage, electricity, transport links, and cleaning up contaminated sites.

  5. The Housing Australia Future FundA Commonwealth housing fund that can back housing-related projects, and this bill would widen what it can pay for in regional areas. review would have to examine whether the fund is actually meeting housing needs in regional, rural and remote AustraliaThe parts of Australia outside the big cities that this bill says should receive a larger share of housing support..

Show source excerpts
  1. The Housing Legislation Amendment (Fair Share for Regional Housing) Bill 2024 (the Bill) amends the Housing Australia Act 2018 (the Housing Australia Act) and the Housing Australia Future Fund Act 2023 (the HAFF Act) to ensure that financial assistance provided by Housing Australia, including through the Housing Australia Future Fund (the HAFF), can specifically and equitably distribute housing funding to regional, rural and remote Australia. It also ensures that Housing Australia, including through the HAFF, provides greater assistance for local governments and government-owned utility providers to access funds for critical enabling infrastructure, which is necessary to unlock housing supply in regional Australia.
    Housing Legislation Amendment (Fair Share for Regional Housing) explanatory memorandum
  2. Item 3 inserts a requirement that the Minister must scrutinise the action that needs to be taken to ensure that, in each financial year, regional, rural and remote Australia receives at least 30% of the total value of the support that Housing Australia provides under the Act in that financial year.
    Housing Legislation Amendment (Fair Share for Regional Housing) explanatory memorandum
  3. Item 4 inserts an additional requirement for the Board to include in the Annual Reports how each kind of financial support – including financial support provided through the HAFF- was distributed, including setting out the portion of that amount distributed to each State and Territory, to each local governing body, to each government-owned utility provider and to each area of regional, rural and remote Australia.
    Housing Legislation Amendment (Fair Share for Regional Housing) explanatory memorandum
  4. Item 7 specifies that support for social and affordable housing includes critical enabling infrastructure for new social and affordable housing in regional, rural and remote Australia.
    Housing Legislation Amendment (Fair Share for Regional Housing) explanatory memorandum
  5. Requiring the statutory review of the HAFF to consider the housing needs in regional, rural and remote Australia, and to what extent the HAFF has met the housing needs of regional, rural and remote Australia.
    Housing Legislation Amendment (Fair Share for Regional Housing) explanatory memorandum

Context

Broader context for this bill

Housing AustraliaThe Commonwealth body that provides housing finance, grants and investments, and is the main agency this bill would push to support regional areas more heavily., created in 2018 and expanded by the Housing Australia Future FundA Commonwealth housing fund that can back housing-related projects, and this bill would widen what it can pay for in regional areas. in 2023, was meant to lift housing supply, but a 2021 statutory reviewA formal review required by law, used here to assess whether the Housing Australia Future Fund is actually meeting housing needs in regional Australia. found its infrastructure finance hard to access and later reporting showed most funded projects were still in metropolitan areas while many regional councils and government-owned utilities lacked money for water, sewerage, power and transport works needed for new homes. Against that backdrop of a national housing crisis and very low vacancy rates in many towns, the bill introduced in November 2024 sought to direct at least 30% of yearly support to regional, rural and remote AustraliaThe parts of Australia outside the big cities that this bill says should receive a larger share of housing support., widen infrastructure eligibility and force clearer reporting, but it lapsed when parliament was dissolved in March 2025.

  1. 2018

    Housing AustraliaThe Commonwealth body that provides housing finance, grants and investments, and is the main agency this bill would push to support regional areas more heavily. is created to improve housing outcomes

    The body was established in 2018, originally as the National Housing Finance and Investment CorporationHousing Australia's former name before it was renamed in 2023, so older documents and reviews still use this title., to make loans, investments and grants intended to boost housing supply.

    Housing Legislation Amendment (Fair Share for Regional Housing) explanatory memorandum ↗
  2. 2021

    Statutory reviewA formal review required by law, used here to assess whether the Housing Australia Future Fund is actually meeting housing needs in regional Australia. finds housing infrastructure finance hard to access

    A 2021 statutory reviewA formal review required by law, used here to assess whether the Housing Australia Future Fund is actually meeting housing needs in regional Australia. reported that the NHIFThe earlier infrastructure finance program discussed in the explanatory material, which was said to be hard to access and poorly understood. was poorly understood, set a very high bar for approval and involved a complicated, lengthy application process.

    Housing Legislation Amendment (Fair Share for Regional Housing) explanatory memorandum ↗
  3. 2023

    Housing Australia Future FundA Commonwealth housing fund that can back housing-related projects, and this bill would widen what it can pay for in regional areas. adds a new Commonwealth housing vehicle

    The explanatory memorandum says the 2023 HAFFA Commonwealth housing fund that can back housing-related projects, and this bill would widen what it can pay for in regional areas. Act marked a significant new phase in Commonwealth efforts to encourage additional housing supply.

    Housing Legislation Amendment (Fair Share for Regional Housing) explanatory memorandum ↗
  4. 2023-2024

    Annual reporting shows most funded projects are in metropolitan areas

    The explanatory memorandum says Housing AustraliaThe Commonwealth body that provides housing finance, grants and investments, and is the main agency this bill would push to support regional areas more heavily.’s most recent annual reportThe yearly public report Housing Australia must publish, and this bill would make it spell out where funding went in much more detail. showed most projects funded in 2023-24 and earlier years were in metropolitan areas rather than regional Australia.

    Housing Legislation Amendment (Fair Share for Regional Housing) explanatory memorandum ↗
  5. 18 Nov 2024

    Regional housing pressures are set out as the bill is introduced

    In the second reading speech, Dr Helen Haines said the housing crisis was continuing nationwide and that many regional towns had vacancy rates well below one per cent.

    Hansard ↗
  6. 18 Nov 2024

    Bill proposes a 30 per cent regional share and broader infrastructure support

    The bill was introduced to push Housing AustraliaThe Commonwealth body that provides housing finance, grants and investments, and is the main agency this bill would push to support regional areas more heavily. towards sending at least 30% of yearly funding to regional, rural and remote projects and to make local councils and government-owned utilities eligible for more support.

    Housing Legislation Amendment (Fair Share for Regional Housing) explanatory memorandum ↗
  7. 28 Mar 2025

    Bill lapses when parliament is dissolved

    The proposal did not become law because it lapsed at dissolution before its regional funding, reporting and infrastructure changes could be enacted.

    Parliamentary timeline ↗

Legislative route

How did it move through Parliament?

House Senate
Introduced 18 Nov 2024

The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.

Introduced and read a first time

Second reading opened 18 Nov 2024

A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.

Second reading moved

Lapsed at dissolution 28 Mar 2025

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Key criticism

The main case against this bill

No significant public case against the bill is recorded so far, and the available debate material argues it would correct a city-focused funding pattern by directing more housing support to regional Australia. The recorded speeches in this material support the bill, so any reservations recorded so far are limited to ordinary questions about delivery, reporting and whether the 30 per cent target is achieved in practice.

No party represented in the available debate material opposed the bill.

Votes

Recorded votes

No recorded votes were found before this bill stopped proceeding.

Parliamentary debate

Who spoke, and what they said

Start here — lead voices

Sponsor speech Supports

Helen Haines

Independent • MP 18 Nov 2024

Haines supports the bill and says it is needed to make sure regional communities get a fair share of housing funding.

Read in Hansard ↗
Lead non-major voice Supports

Rebekha Sharkie

Centre Alliance • MP 18 Nov 2024

Sharkie supports the bill and says regional Australia needs a fairer share of housing investment because vacancy rates are severe and regional projects cost more and take longer.

Read in Hansard ↗

All speeches by bloc

Minor parties and independents

2 speakers · 2 support

  1. Helen Haines ★ Haines supports the bill and says it is needed to make sure regional communities get a fair share of housing funding.
    “This bill is needed, because the government and the opposition are too focused on the cities when it comes to the housing crisis. Regional communities risk being left behind, and I won't have it.”

    Independent • MP • 18 Nov 2024

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  2. Rebekha Sharkie ★ Sharkie supports the bill and says regional Australia needs a fairer share of housing investment because vacancy rates are severe and regional projects cost more and take longer.
    “I second the motion for the member for Indi and am very pleased to support the Housing Legislation Amendment (Fair Share for Regional Housing) Bill 2024. Around one in four people live in regional Australia, and accordingly it is appropriate—it's necessary—for our policy settings to reflect the population distribution across our nation.”

    Centre Alliance • MP • 18 Nov 2024

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗

Record

Full record

Full chat