Everyone talks about cutting red and green tape.  Today's economic climate requires urgent action to an agreed timetable to protect jobs and expand economic activity.  The Big Question is When will the Red and Green Tape cutting take place? 

Executive Director of the Urban Development Institute of Australia, Victoria, Tony De Domenico today called for a timetable to be put on the removal of  Red and Green Tape which is seriously undermining Australia's property industry, costing jobs and cutting housing affordability.

Mr De Domenico said, "the Federal Government and the States should do a rapid review of red tape and green tape policies in these tough economic times as part of the stimulus package for the housing and development industry to kick start a boost to employment next month".

"This should coincide with an interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank of 50 basis points in May".

"In Victoria, the development industry directly employs around 310,000 full time employees, contributes around 12 per cent of the state's gross domestic product and contributes $4.6 billion in taxes to all tiers of government."

Mr. De Domenico said the UDIA supported the Victorian Government's stance to cut confusing and costly overlapping of State and Federal environmental processes which will be raised at tomorrow's COAG meeting. 

"New home buyers are being hit with unnecessary excessive costs by green tape environmental regulation which is out of control and is a major contributor to the loss of housing affordability".

"New housing projects can be held up for years as the industry spends hundreds of thousands of dollars on duplicated reports in a pea and thimble planning process to get approval to proceed. All of these costs ultimately end up being paid by new home buyers".

"The days of banning or delaying urgently needed projects on the premise or hope a Growling Grass Frog will hop by one day, or an Orange Bellied Parrot might fly over in the next few years should be more considered." 

"The reality is the development and property industry in Victoria is one of the biggest contributors to the funding and restoration of the environment to create permanent open space".  

"Last year the development industry in Melbourne alone contributed $92.2 million to waterways and wetlands according to the Melbourne Water Healthy Water Ways annual report. The Growling Grass Frog, listed as an endangered species, is living at The Boardwalk Estate in Point Cook, a wetland built some ten years ago".

"On the green front the reality is, especially on the fringe, projects are often taking over degraded farm land and during construction there are hundreds of trees planted and substantial wetlands created as part of restoring natural habitats and protecting water resources."