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{{propApi.successMessage}} {{region}} Change locationHunter Region Housing Hotspots Released
Hunter Region Housing Hotspots Released
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The Report is aimed at finding employment growth areas targeted towards builders and tradies and identifies Hotspots in all states and territories. Once again the HIA Hunter region was well represented in the report.
“No less than 11 areas of the Hunter region qualify as housing Hotspots based on their strong performance in terms of building approvals and population growth,” commented HIA Executive Director for Hunter, Craig Jennion.
“Thornton – Millers Forest, is again the HIA Hunter regions number one building hotspot with a population growth rate of 9.3% and $129.2 million in building approvals”.
“Second on the list, Branxton – Greta – Pokolbin, had a population growth rate of 5.2% and $121.1 million in building approvals”.
“Third was Warnervale – Wadalba on the Central Coast with a population growth rate of 4.2% and $103.2 million in building approvals”.
“The report found that whilst Australia’s population growth was constrained due to closed borders the value of building works approved and the growth rates of the local population has been very high locally”.
“COVID-19 has also seen consumer preferences shift away from inner-city apartment style living to detached housing in regional areas. This shift saw more Hunter based areas in this edition of HIA’s Population and Building Hotspots Report,” concluded Mr Jennion.
An area qualifies as a Hotspot in the Hunter Valley and Central Coast region if at least $50 million worth of residential building work was approved during the 2020/21 financial year, and its rate of population growth is faster than the 0.2 per cent national average.
Below table details the 11 Hunter Region Building and Population Areas.
Hunter region building and population areas**
**SAs with an excess of $50 million in residential building work approved in 2020/21 and with an annual population growth rate in excess of the national rate of 0.2%
Source: HIA Economics
| Statistical Area Level 2 | Statistical Area Level 4 | Residential Building Approved 2020/21 ($'000) |
Annual Population Growth Rate (%) |
| 1 Thornton - Millers Forest | Hunter Valley exc Newcastle | 129,178 | 9.3 |
| 2 Branxton - Greta - Pokolbin | Hunter Valley exc Newcastle | 121,123 | 5.2 |
| 3 Warnervale - Wadalba | Central Coast | 103,187 | 4.2 |
| 4 Kurri Kurri - Abermain | Hunter Valley exc Newcastle | 91,603 | 3.8 |
| 5 Maitland - West | Hunter Valley exc Newcastle | 144,764 | 3.7 |
| 6 Williamtown - Medowie - Karuah | Hunter Valley exc Newcastle | 94,731 | 3.4 |
| 7 Newcastle - Cooks Hill | Newcastle and Lake Macquarie | 93,539 | 3.3 |
| 8 Edgeworth - Cameron Park | Newcastle and Lake Macquarie | 67,931 | 3.1 |
| 9 Morisset - Cooranbong | Newcastle and Lake Macquarie | 77,222 | 2.9 |
| 10 Warners Bay - Boolaroo | Newcastle and Lake Macquarie | 69,248 | 2.3 |
| 11 Maryland - Fletcher - Minmi | Newcastle and Lake Macquarie | 50,557 | 2.3 |
For more information please contact:
A plan for land is a plan for housing
“Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth are seeing residential land values grow at a rapid rate, while Sydney and Melbourne’s values remain relatively stable,” stated HIA Senior Economist Matt King.
New plumbing and drainage inspection procedures in Huntlee and-North Rothbury area
Plumbing and drainage inspections in the Huntlee and North Rothbury areas are moving from Cessnock City Council to Building Commission NSW.
BASIX transition period ending soon
The BASIX Transition period for eligible signed building contracts will end on 30 September 2024. BASIX Certificates must be generated by this date to apply the pre-1 October 2023 BASIX standards.
Lingering worker shortages see trade rates continue to rise
“As the number of new homes under construction continues to decline builders are reporting fewer difficulties scheduling skilled trades workers on their jobs, although availability of skilled workers remains worse than prior to the pandemic,” stated Geordan Murray, HIA Executive Director – Future Workforce.