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“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.
The current severe weather conditions in northern WA are set to intensify and travel along the coast in coming days. These conditions have the potential to wreak havoc on construction sites and may raise concerns from owners in recently completed homes.
Following my update last week, the current situation continues to evolve both domestically and internationally and we know members across the country are feeling a sense of uncertainty of what may play out over the coming weeks.
A reminder that SafeWork and Building Commission NSW are on the ground visiting residential construction sites every day to check safety and compliance.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) is calling on the Victorian Government to immediately halt plans for any new laws affecting home building, including yet more changes to the National Construction Code (NCC) and the Buyer Protection laws, including minimum financial requirements (MFR), that currently are expected to start on 1 July 2026.