A housing inquiry has called for stamp duty to be scrapped. 

A report has been tabled following the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Tax and Revenue’s inquiry into housing affordability and supply in Australia.

It makes a series of recommendations, including for Australian states to ditch stamp duty and replace it with a broad-based land tax.

It also suggests a review of the taxes that it found were holding back development of the emerging build-to-rent sector. Additionally, it calls for reform of surging developer contributions that do not fund crucial local infrastructure.

The report says people should be allowed to tap into their superannuation to fund home ownership, allowing first home buyers can use their super balance as security for a home loan.

“This recommendation will therefore remove the largest barrier for home buyers, being the deposit,” it says.

It also says that local communities should have the power to negotiate better infrastructure in exchange for allowing higher density housing.

It recommends that the federal government financially reward state and local governments for speeding up planning processes and tie federal grants to local and state provision of more housing supply.

The full report is accessible here.