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“The slowing in commencements is not due to slowing demand. 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,” added Mr Devitt.
“Detached completions also managed to climb by 10.8 per cent, from 28,098 in December 2021 quarter to 31,145 in March 2022. This is the strongest quarter of completions since September 2018 and represents the gradual but continued progress being made in the HomeBuilder pipeline.
“Despite the rise in completions and decline in commencement of new homes, the volume of detached work under construction is almost 80 per cent above its pre-pandemic levels.
“This was driven by the combination of the HomeBuilder grant and record low interest rates. Even after the end of the grant, all the extra time Australians were spending at home either working or locked down, resulted in a pandemic trend towards space and amenity. This kept demand for new housing and renovations elevated. 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 to this, the multi-units market is also continuing to strengthen. Multi-unit commencements increased by 1.8 per cent in the March 2022 quarter to be 29.7 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 and with the return of migration, demand for units should continue to strengthen.
“The combination of all these demand and supply factors – an enormous pipeline of detached and renovations work, rising interest rates, the return of overseas migrants, and ongoing supply constraints – will keep Australian builders busy in 2023,” concluded Mr Devitt.
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.
New figures from the HIA Tasmania Outlook Summer 2026 Report reveal a market where buyer demand is still strong, commencements are gradually rising, and lending has begun to strengthen. However, the state continues to face significant barriers around the availability of serviced land, and project feasibility.
Analysis by the Housing Industry Association (HIA) shows that there can be immediate financial benefits for young people taking up a trade in comparison to tertiary education.
The following is a joint statement from the Housing Industry Association, Master Builders Australia, Property Council and the Real Estate Institute of Australia.