Master Builders pre-budget submission call for productivity reset

27 February 2026

Master Builders Australia has released its federal pre-budget submission calling for a 25 per cent red tape reduction by 2030 and a radical productivity reset. The peak building and construction body warns that inflation remains firmly in the danger zone, with Housing the biggest source of inflationary pressure.

Master Builders recommended measures for the Federal Government include:

• Investing a further $5 billion in enabling infrastructure for housing linked to the performance of local governments and utilities companies
• Offering accelerated depreciation for capital works to boost building and construction work
• Increasing the Instant Asset Write Off to $150,000 and make a permanent feature
• Investing in all apprentice training pathways across TAFE, not for profit RTOs and VET in schools
• Making regulated Australian Standards freely available and ensuring work continues on improving their useability in concert with the modernisation of the National Construction Code
• Committing to a 25 per cent red tape reduction by 2030 as called for by the Alliance of Industry Associations.

“Whatever way you cut it, productivity in our industry is a shadow of its former self, the industry is plagued by chronic and critical workforce shortages across all occupations, and we are at a real risk of falling short of the National Housing Accord targets for a second year in a row,” commented Ms Wawn.

“Getting the 2026/27 budget right is vital as an unprecedented expansion in new home building will be needed to give us any chance of hitting the Housing Accord targets and improving housing affordability,” concluded Ms Wawn.

This week’s Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data further demonstrated that that the inflation rate remains high at 3.8 per cent creating a real threat of further interest rate increases. These conditions continue to make it much harder for builders to proceed with major building and construction projects holding housing supply back.

Master Builders pre-budget submission including further specific policy measures needed can be found at www.bit.ly/MBAPreBudgetSubmission2627

Media contact: Dylan Hafey, Media Advisor

0497 330 064 | dylan.hafey@masterbuilders.com.au