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“Australia has an unquestionably strong financial sector. It has withstood significant shocks, such as the Global Financial Crisis and the COVID recession, without the emergence of financial contagion.
“The share of loans that are impaired is exceptionally low, at around 0.4 per cent of all loans issued. This is significantly lower than in other developed economies.
“The very low levels of mortgage delinquency in Australia reflect the restrictive lending regulations imposed by financial regulators in Australia. Since 2010, financial regulations have made it increasingly conservative making it progressively more difficult for first home buyers to enter the market.
“Despite the lows levels of mortgage delinquency, APRA announced this morning that it has increased the ‘serviceability buffer’ for a new mortgage from 2.5 per cent to 3 per cent.
“First home buyers accounted for 35 per cent of owner occupier loans issued in August 2021 and these measures will make it harder to access a loan.
“This additional constraint is being imposed despite the share of loans with a 10 per cent deposit or less declining since December 2020. This share is well below those observed over the past decade.
“First home buyers are the group who are typically constrained by serviceability thresholds. It is this group that will be hit the hardest by these changes.
“Restricting access to credit for new households seeking to enter the housing market will put further downward pressure on the rate of home ownership in Australia,” concluded Mr Reardon.
The Victorian Government has introduced the Labour Hire Legislation Amendment (Licensing) Bill 2025 (the Bill) into parliament. It amends the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2018 to address concerns about criminality in the construction sector.
“Sales of new homes for construction jumped 25.9 per cent in September following a series of policy changes, including a cut to the cash rate in August, removal of Lenders Mortgage Insurance and easing in planning restrictions,” stated HIA Chief Economist, Tim Reardon.
“Victoria commenced construction on just 7,650 new detached houses in the June quarter 2025, the weakest quarter for the state in almost 12 years and a new low for this cycle,” stated HIA Executive Director Victoria, Keith Ryan.
The Victorian Government has introduced the State Taxation Further Amendment Bill 2025 into Parliament. This Bill includes a number of tax changes, including the much discussed congestion levy changes.