WA Government should release crown land for residential development: Opposition

Releasing crown land for residential development and fast tracking housing projects are two priorities should Labor win the WA state election next year.

Opposition leader Mark McGowan told an Urban Design Institute of Australia conference that housing must meet the demands of mining.

"It has been a tough couple of years for residential development with the prices of building blocks falling throughout Western Australia," he said.

"The market indicators suggest that it should not be like this but picture is pretty bleak."

McGowan a Labor government would conduct a major audit of crown land, with plans to quickly release it for housing.

He said he would reform local government to enable an easier building application process as well as fast tracking residential development in high demand areas, with high-density residential also on the agenda.

"Our average income in WA is $1530 a week, which is significantly above the national average, so the market should not be this way," he said.

"Housing must keep up with the demands of the resources industry."

He said he expects land prices to double in the next 10 years because of the cost of sand for land infill and Perth's restrictive water table.