Home What are 'Well-located homes'? BACK TO brief Share brief What are 'Well-located homes'? The Australian Government has agreed to a (Accord) with states and territories, local government, institutional investors and the building industry. The Accord aims to build 1.2 million new well-located homes over 5 years from mid-2024. This 91 Brief is part of a series exploring housing density. It unpacks what ‘well-located’ means in Australia. 26 Feb 2025 Different households have different views of ‘well-located’ Each family or household looks for different things in a location. They might want to be close to jobs, schools, shops and services. They might want to stay near their community and family, or live somewhere with good parks and facilities. For governments, delivering well-located homes means considering what our cities look like and how dense they are. It also means understanding what buildings should look like and what facilities need to be nearby. Including ‘well-located’ can lead to better decisions about where homes are built The . The dominance of this approach has led to Australians living in some of the . For some households, living in higher-density locations closer to the centre of the city, and to employment or education opportunities, may be preferable. Spread-out cities create problems: longer travel times, higher transport costs and more pollution, loss of prime agricultural land previously used for food production, and loss of natural habitat and biodiversity. They need more schools and hospitals, which means higher taxes. People also find it harder to get to jobs. Living closer together in 'well-located' areas offers a better solution. State government policies also focus on well-located homes Since the Accord, several state governments have made significant housing announcements. These include new housing targets that focus on building within some already existing suburbs rather than spreading outwards. The plans often aim to create 'well-located' homes by building more houses near transport hubs. to fill the gap between detached homes and high-rise apartment buildings. The State Government has as part of a plan for liveable suburbs and towns. The final plan will be released shortly. Queensland has emphasised the need for . Queensland is also to model housing needs across different regions. South Australia has been the recent exception, . ‘Well-located’ homes are a key to improving productivity In late 2024, the Australian Government released a which outlines a plan for sustainable development in cities and suburbs. This Policy promotes goals to that have easy access to services and transport infrastructure, all while building stronger communities. Shaping Australia’s cities through well-located new housing supply is not just a housing policy challenge. Well functioning, liveable cities are vital to Australia’s ongoing productivity. Our next 91 Brief will explore whether higher density housing is more affordable. Related resources brief What are ‘housing density’ and ‘high density housing’? In August 2023, National Cabinet released the National Planning Reform Blueprint to improve housing supply and affordability across Australia. One of the 10 measures included in the Blueprint is to promote medium and high-density housing in well-located areas. One challenge in implementing the Blueprint is that there is no single definition of medium or high-density housing in Australia. This 91 Brief is the first in a series exploring housing density. It unpacks the multiple ways ‘housing density’ and ‘high density’ are defined in Australia. view details brief How can higher density housing be done well? This 91 Brief explores what makes for good quality higher density housing and what is an appropriate level of density for a thriving neighbourhood. This Brief is the second in a series on density, following on from ‘What are 'housing density' and 'high density housing'? view details brief Does higher density deliver more affordable housing? Higher density housing in Australia is often presented as a more affordable option than stand-alone houses. When asking if apartments really are more affordable than houses, we need to consider: affordable for whom? This 91 Brief considers how higher density housing contributes to affordability outcomes - for governments, for developers and for households. This is the fourth and final Brief in our density series. view details
brief What are ‘housing density’ and ‘high density housing’? In August 2023, National Cabinet released the National Planning Reform Blueprint to improve housing supply and affordability across Australia. One of the 10 measures included in the Blueprint is to promote medium and high-density housing in well-located areas. One challenge in implementing the Blueprint is that there is no single definition of medium or high-density housing in Australia. This 91 Brief is the first in a series exploring housing density. It unpacks the multiple ways ‘housing density’ and ‘high density’ are defined in Australia. view details
brief How can higher density housing be done well? This 91 Brief explores what makes for good quality higher density housing and what is an appropriate level of density for a thriving neighbourhood. This Brief is the second in a series on density, following on from ‘What are 'housing density' and 'high density housing'? view details
brief Does higher density deliver more affordable housing? Higher density housing in Australia is often presented as a more affordable option than stand-alone houses. When asking if apartments really are more affordable than houses, we need to consider: affordable for whom? This 91 Brief considers how higher density housing contributes to affordability outcomes - for governments, for developers and for households. This is the fourth and final Brief in our density series. view details
