BUILDING and construction industry body Master Builders Australia (MBA) has welcomed a Senate select committee report into housing affordability. The organisation’s chief economist, Peter Jones, said the report confirmed that increased supply was central to improving housing affordability. “Master Builders Australia agrees with the report’s finding that an inadequate supply response has contributed to a chronic housing shortfall estimated at more than 30,000 dwellings per annum,” he said. “Any proposed demand side measures should not be taken in isolation but instead need to be adopted in a coordinated fashion with supply side measures. Otherwise well intended assistance runs the risk of being capitalised into higher prices.” The MBA has called for a number of measures to improve affordability, including a more streamlined development approval system, a review into funding arrangements between all levels of government, and tax reforms at a state and local government level.