Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has talked up a major shift to come in the state’s housing policy, but the opposition has dismissed it as a distraction from the Commonwealth Games fallout.

After a week clouded by his government’s call to withdraw from hosting the 2026 Games, the Premier and Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas stood under umbrellas on Sunday to tout a concrete-pour at a Melbourne hospital.

“I’ve got no announcements to make about housing policy today,” Mr Andrews SAID at the Frankston site.

However, he indicated big things were in train.

“As I move around the community, there’s nothing more important than getting more supply into our housing market,” he said.

Mr Andrews said all policy options were on the table to improve the state’s housing crisis, which has been marked by surging rents, weak supply and vacancy rates of just 2-3 per cent in both Melbourne and the regions.

“It will represent one of the biggest shake-ups in terms of delivering more housing and more housing choices and options that our state has ever seen,” he said.

Chang of tack

Mr Andrews said there was no doubt there was capacity in the market to build more houses of assorted density and through varying ownership schemes such as build-to-rent.

Detail was scant but he said fast-tracking approvals was key for certainty in the sector, which suffered the loss of building giant Porter Davis earlier this year.

“There’s no shortage of demand and I don’t think there is a shortage of builders who want that sort of certainty,” Mr Andrews said.

“We want to deliver more product and we want to deliver it faster.”

The press conference marked a shift in focus for the Premier, who this week has battled questions on pulling out as Games host, the as-yet-unknown cost of the cancellation and who knew what when.

Victorian Opposition Leader John Pesutto was unmoved by the change of tack, and called Mr Andrews’ announcements a “desperate attempt” to distract attention from the Commonwealth Games decision.

Liberals: It’s a cynical distraction

“There is already a parliamentary inquiry underway on these (housing) matters so for the Premier to be out today, it’s obvious and it should be obvious to anybody who hasn’t seen it, that it’s a desperate attempt to distract attention from the Commonwealth Games fiasco.”

Responding to a query about lifting the freeze on rent rises from one to two years, Mr Andrews said there was always more to be done.

Victorian Greens renters’ rights representative Gabrielle de Vietri was happy to hear the government was considering lengthening limits on landlords.

“Unlimited rent rises should be illegal,” she said in a statement.

“With so many renters around the state facing housing stress and homelessness, the government can’t delay any longer and needs to act now.”

Ms de Vietri also called for an immediate rent freeze, regulation on short stay accommodation such as Airbnb and higher taxes for vacant real estate.

-AAP