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ABS data released today includes housing finance, building approvals and interstate migration.
“The exodus of residents from Melbourne is a trend that has emerged following the COVID recession with more than 32,000 residents departing in the year to March. Sydney also lost 31,600 residents to other parts of the country over the same time however, this is consistent with the trends of the past 20 years,” added Mr Reardon.
“This shift in population is the main driver of the tight rental market that exists across the country, other than in Sydney and Melbourne.
“Regional areas have seen a greater increase in building approvals than capital cities as the population shifts toward lower density areas.
“The 220,000 building approvals in 2020/21 is the most in a financial year since 2017/18.
“Given that the population is moving interstate and building new homes it is unlikely that they intend to return to Sydney or Melbourne.
“The shift in population out of Melbourne is a new trend and one that is compounded by the loss of overseas migration that has underwritten economic growth in Victoria for the past decade.
“ABS Housing Finance data was also released today and shows that there were 94.4 per cent more loans issued for construction of a new home than in the previous financial year. This is the most loans ever issued for construction in a 12 month period.
“HomeBuilder and other grant programs have also ensured that there were more loans issued to first home buyers in 2020/21 than in any previous financial year.
“Building approvals and issuing of loans for construction did fall in the month of June 2021, confirming that the bulk of new projects initiated under HomeBuilder have passed the last regulatory hurdles,” concluded Mr Reardon.
The Housing Industry Association’s (HIA) National Policy Congress (NPC) met on the Gold Coast on 16 April 2026 for its annual meeting. The NPC comprises elected representatives from regions across Australia, together with the Chairs of HIA’s eight specialist committees.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has honoured one of its most respected and long‑standing members, Graham Walker, as the 2026 recipient of the Sir Phillip Lynch Award of Excellence – acknowledging decades of outstanding service to both HIA and the broader residential building industry.
The Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan, has today announced a new Cabinet following the announcement earlier this week that several long-time MPs will retire from the Ministry and the Parliament at the end of the year.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) congratulates Nick Staikos on his appointment as the new Victorian Minister for Housing and Building and suggests he gets an early win on the board by immediately announcing a delay to the implementation of National Construction Code (NCC) changes due to commence on 1 May 2026.