Dutton’s plan builds on the Coalition’s existing pledge to free up 100,000 homes by cutting migration dramatically and banning temporary residents from buying homes for two years.
His focus highlights how crucial housing affordability will be at the next election, a political debate Labor and the Greens have dominated while the Coalition developed its policies. Those policies will also include a commitment to review recent changes to Australia’s building code, which the Master Builders have estimated can add $60,000 to the cost of a new home, and freeze the rules for 10 years.
The Housing Infrastructure Programme is reminiscent of the Coalition-era National Housing Infrastructure Facility, which Labor topped up by $1 billion last year.
Labor has also legislated $3 billion for state governments to encourage home building, a $10 billion investment fund to build social housing, and a shared equity scheme that is being blocked by the Coalition and Greens in parliament.
The government has attacked Dutton for limited detail in some of his signature policies, including his plans for nuclear power and vow to bring down migration.
Coalition sources said the party had already been talking to councils and claimed about 100 were interested in using its planned fund.
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Government figures show the number of homes being built has decreased significantly from 57,545 in the June quarter of 2016 to 40,844 in the same quarter this year due to a mix of high interest rates, labour shortages and expensive materials.
The party also said it would deregister the scandal-plagued CFMEU which Labor has placed into administration.
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