Last segment of the week, Fiona and Macca are joined live in the studio by Josh Cox. Dir. Reptile Encounters, and his special friend Alba The Dingo.

is a specialized wildlife education company and private zoo based in Burwood East, Melbourne, dedicated to connecting people with native Australian animals. They offer a variety of interactive experiences ranging from mobile “incursions” to behind-the-scenes tours at their headquarters/

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Fiona and Macca were joined live in the studio by Richard Keane is the Chief Executive Officer of Living Positive Victoria (LPV), a prominent community-based organisation in Australia representing people living with HIV. He has held this leadership position since June 2018, bringing decades of experience in health promotion and community development to the role.

Richard Keane, CEO of Living Positive Victoria (LPV), launched a new edition of the HIV disclosure guide, “Disclosing your HIV Status: Your Rights and Responsibilities in Victoria,” on Wednesday, 11 February 2026.

Richard Keane emphasized that the guide aims to provide a sense of personal agency and self-empowerment. He noted that being fully informed of one’s legal rights and responsibilities is crucial for making decisions about when, where, and why to disclose, especially in a landscape where stigma and discrimination remain challenges

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Macca and Fiona are joined live on air by Tim Reardon, Chief Economist at the Housing Industry Assoc (HIA), Is the government pulling on the right levers to when it comes to building more homes?

Tim Reardon is the Chief Economist at the Housing Industry Association (HIA), where he leads the association’s economic research and policy advocacy for Australia’s residential building industry.

• Land vs. Construction Costs: Since 2000, residential land prices have surged by over 500%, while construction costs and skilled labour have risen by approximately 150%.
• Infrastructure Taxes: He argues that government policies requiring developers to pay infrastructure fees upfront are “artificial” demand drivers that embed high costs into land prices, ultimately borne by home buyers.
• Cost of New Homes: HIA estimates that approximately $570,000 in various taxes, fees, and charges are embedded in the cost of a typical new house-and-land package. Housing Industry Association | HIA +4

Releasing HIA’s new report, Taxation of Housing and its Impact on Supply, Tim Reardon, Chief Economist of Housing Industry Association, said governments cannot make homes cheaper by taking more from them.

“You don’t fix a housing shortage by taxing housing harder,” Mr Reardon said.

“And you certainly don’t make homes more affordable by destabilising the tax settings that support new home construction.”

The report finds that housing is already one of the most heavily taxed sectors in the Australian economy, with taxes applied at every stage of the housing lifecycle. Many of these taxes fall most heavily on new housing, directly increasing costs and reducing the feasibility of new projects.

“The political reflex has been the same for decades,” Mr Reardon said.

“First it was to blame investors. Then foreigners. Then foreign investors. Meanwhile governments quietly add more taxes, more charges and more costs to housing, and wonder why supply keeps falling short.”

HIA’s analysis shows that investors play a critical role in housing supply, commencing more than 40 per cent of new homes built in Australia, and an even higher share of apartments and rental housing.

“When you discourage investors, you don’t free up housing, you stop it being built,” Mr Reardon said.

“Investors don’t neatly switch from established homes into new construction when taxes rise. They leave the housing market altogether.”

https://hia.com.au/our-industry/newsroom/economic-research-and-forecasting/2026/01/stop-taxing-housing-harder-if-you-want-more-homes-built-hia-warns?srsltid=AfmBOooQfowpfnhUyCDTwqExK1c2CmARBq5m-gcKQHUKra2ACDjQvc1g

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