{{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 locationWorkers are still leaving Sydney and Melbourne and heading north
Workers are still leaving Sydney and Melbourne and heading north
Member and guest login
Enter your email and password to access secured content, members only resources and discount prices.
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.
If the email address you have entered is registered, you will receive an email with further instructions.
Become part of the HIA community
Enables quick and easy registration for future events or learning and grants access to expert advice and valuable resources.
Create a guest account
Enter your details below and create a login
Send me exclusive tips, early access to new launches, and special offers. I can change my mind at any time.
By clicking Get started now you agree to the terms and conditions and privacy policy.
“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.
“In 2021, more than 54,700 residents left NSW and Victoria as the COVID exodus to the regions continued. In the final quarter of 2021 however, the number of overseas arrivals more than offset this loss of inter-state migration.
“The loss of resident population in NSW and Victoria in the final quarter of 2021, has seen a growth of population in all other states and territories, except for the Northern Territory.
“Most notable, more than 50,000 new residents moved to Queensland in 2021.
“This remarkable ongoing shift in the location of the resident population has been a significant driver of the acute shortage of rental accommodation in Australia.
“With the return of overseas migration, Australia’s annual population growth has started to recover from the COVID shock with the resident population increasing by 0.50 per cent in 2021. This is compared to an average growth in the decade prior to COVID of 1.54 per cent.
“A stable and reliable migration pathway for skilled workers is central to a strong, and growing, national economy.
“The release of the initial 2021 Census data today also includes the number of unoccupied homes in Australia.
“Unoccupied dwellings have consistently made up around 10% of dwellings in Australia in the past 35 years.
“The 2021 Census shows that 10.1 per cent of dwellings were unoccupied on census night in 2021. The two main reasons for a dwelling being unoccupied were that it was a holiday home, or the residents were absent on Census night.
“This is not evidence of an under-utilisation of housing stock, but an indication that on any given night of the week, some households are on holiday,” concluded Mr Reardon.
For more information please contact:
Simplified R-Codes announced for WA
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has welcomed today's announcement by the Western Australian Government to reform the State's Residential Design Codes (R-Codes), describing it as an important step towards a simpler, more responsive, and efficient planning system.
Clarification on building permit fee changes
Following the announcement by Building and Energy on 30 June 2026 of revised building approval fees, HIA has sought clarification regarding the practical impact on residential building projects.
Housing industry unites to warn government the SMSF decision will reduce new housing supply
The following is a joint media release from the Housing Industry Association (HIA), Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) and Property Council of Australia.
Tasmanian building approvals pick up but construction starts lag well behind decade average
New ABS data released today shows Tasmanian building approvals for new homes increased by 20.8 per cent in the month of May 2026 to 319.