Unions demand two-year lease floor and a fivefold boost to public housing construction

The Australian Council of Trade Unions has presented a housing plan that calls for a mandatory two-year minimum lease across all states and territories, with an option for shorter terms if renters choose. Michele O'Neil, the ACTU president, says the stability would ease tenant anxieties without scaring off property owners. The proposal also seeks to shift public-housing construction from one in 50 new homes to one in 10, a fivefold increase intended to free up private-rental stock.

Complementary policies include stricter rent-gouging controls, eliminating GST on public-housing upkeep, and reassessing Commonwealth Rent Assistance, aiming for at least 6 % of total housing to be public. The union links these steps to broader tax reforms introduced in the May budget, which the Prime Minister rejected as drivers of rent spikes. Shadow Housing Minister Andrew Bragg is pushing for a streamlined National Construction Code to aid the build-out, while the ACTU emphasizes maintaining building quality through modular construction. Leadership changes are pending as O'Neil announced her resignation and Melissa Donnelly is set to replace Sally McManus as ACTU secretary.