{{propApi.title}}
{{propApi.text}} {{region}} Change location{{propApi.title}}
{{propApi.successMessage}} {{region}} Change location {{propApi.title}}
{{propApi.text}} {{region}} Change location{{propApi.title}}
{{propApi.successMessage}} {{region}} Change locationHunter Region Housing Hotspots Released
Hunter Region Housing Hotspots Released
Login now
Enter your email and password to sign in
Did you become a member online? If not, you will need to activate your account to login.
If you are having problems logging in, please call HIA helpdesk on 1300 650 620 during business hours.
Forgotten password
Need some help?
If you are having problems logging in, please call HIA helpdesk on 1300 650 620 during business hours.
Please check your mailbox for your new password
Sign up now
Enter details below and sign up
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:
Craig Jennion
Regional Executive Director - Hunter (Newcastle)
Workers are still leaving Sydney and Melbourne and heading north
"A slow return of overseas migration is easing the adverse impact of a loss of workers from Australia’s two largest states,” stated Tim Reardon, HIA’s Chief Economist.
COVID-19 vaccination requirements to be lifted
The Victorian Government has announced a further lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in relation to vaccination requirements.
Certificate of Occupancy for houses suspended until 2024
The Certificate of Occupancy requirements for Class 1 buildings were suspended on 16 December 2021 to run until 30 June 2022.
Using a cost plus contract in Tasmania
This infosheet provides an overview of what cost plus contracts are, how they are used and how to avoid common issues. HIA has a Tasmania Cost Plus Contract for sale available for purchase through Contracts Online.