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Commencements of detached homes rose by 5.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2022 in Victoria, from 10,005 to 10,539, with a record of almost 30,000 homes under construction. Total commencements for the last 12 months reached 46,651, also nearly a record high level.
“While there’s been a slowing in the quarterly growth figures, the volume of new homes under construction in Victoria is still 54 per cent higher than pre-pandemic,” stated HIA Victorian Executive Director, Fiona Nield.
“It is also likely that home building activity in the first quarter of 2022 was held back by staff shortages associated with the Omicron outbreak and the higher than usual uptake of holiday leave.
“Victoria also managed to complete 10,162 detached homes in the quarter, nearing record highs and just 1.1 per cent down on the previous quarter. This represents the gradual but continued progress being made in the HomeBuilder pipeline and this should help gradually reduce the pressure on supply of materials and labour.
“The volume of detached home work under construction is more than 50 per cent above pre-pandemic levels.
“This has been driven by the combination of the HomeBuilder grant, reduced personal expenditure during COVID and record low interest rates.
All the extra time Victorians were spending at home either working or locked down, resulted in a pandemic trend towards creating greater space and amenity. This has kept demand for new housing and renovations elevated post HomeBuilder. Other indicators, such as building approvals, finance approvals and new home sales, continue to show a strong volume of work entering the pipeline.
“In addition, the multi-units’ market is continuing to strengthen. Multi-unit commencements increased by 6.7 per cent in the March 2022 quarter to be 24.0 per cent up in the last 12 months compared to the previous year. This improvement has been seen in both high-rise and medium density units.
“With interest rates and the cost of building increasing rapidly, affordability constraints will increasingly push home buyers back towards more affordable, higher density living. The return of the overseas migrants, students and tourists that Victoria depend upon more than any other state or territory, will help further strengthen the multi-units market.
“The combination of all these demand and supply factors will keep Victorian builders busy in 2023” concluded Ms Nield.
“Australia commenced construction on just 43,250 new homes in the first quarter of the 2024/25 financial year,” stated HIA Senior Economist Tom Devitt.
“The focus on Fee Free TAFE is distracting from the real issue facing the supply of housing in Australia. Successive governments have been aware of the persistent and structural skill shortages across key construction trades for decades and the current policy approaches are doing very little to shift the dial,” said HIA Managing Director Jocelyn Martin.
Reports featured in the media today are a good reminder that home ownership still matters to Australians, and we need to build more housing, of all types to keep the dream of home ownership alive,” said Brad Armitage, HIA Executive Director NSW.
On behalf of all of us at HIA we would like to wish you a very happy 2025! As everyone heads back to work for the new year, we are sharing some exclusive member updates to get you ready for what lies ahead and perhaps what you might have missed while you were away.