Navigating Australia’s Housing Crisis: Michael Akkawi on ABC’s The Radio National Hour
With close to 1,500 construction companies collapsing across New South Wales in the past 12 months, Australia’s housing market has reached a critical juncture. The combination of rising material costs, trade shortages, and regulatory hurdles has placed unprecedented pressure on the property development and residential construction sectors.
Our CEO, Michael Akkawi, recently joined host Fran Kelly AO on ABC’s The Radio National Hour to address these structural pressures head-on.
During the national broadcast, Michael and Fran examined the underlying issues restricting supply across the state. While debate continues regarding government intervention, Michael emphasised that temporary measures or taxpayer-funded bailouts fail to solve the foundational bottlenecks preventing new homes from being delivered. Instead, the focus must shift toward sustainable reform, streamlined planning framework, and driving real productivity across the supply chain.
"We can't tax our way to prosperity" Michael said. "We need to build our way to it."
Listen to the full radio interview below to hear the complete discussion between Michael Akkawi and Fran Kelly AO. (ABC Radio National, broadcast 7 September 2026).
Conquest is a Sydney and London-based private equity real estate firm. We acquire, develop and manage residential, retail and hospitality assets, and we've completed distressed projects before. If you'd like to talk to us about a project that needs a partner, get in touch.
