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.
If you are having problems logging in, please call HIA helpdesk on 1300 650 620 during business hours.
Enables quick and easy registration for future events or learning and grants access to expert advice and valuable resources.
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.
HIA recently revealed Australia’s strongest markets for home building in the 2023 edition of the HIA Population & Residential Building Hotspots Report. The report identifies Australia’s fastest-growing suburban regional ‘hotspots’ based on population growth and also indicates areas with high levels of building activity and, therefore, employment for the building industry. Once again the HIA Hunter region was well represented in the report.
“Nine areas of the HIA Hunter region qualify as housing hotspots based on their strong performance in terms of building approvals and population growth,” commented HIA Hunter Executive Director Craig Jennion.
“Thornton-Millers Forest, is once again the HIA Hunter regions number one building hotspot with a population growth rate of 6.6% and $119.5 million in building approvals.
“Second on the list, Branxton-Greta-Pokolbin, had a population growth rate of 5.6% and $145.7 million in building approvals.
“Up one place from last year, Kurri Kurri-Abermain was ranked third with a population growth rate of 3.5% and $71.2 million in building approvals”, said Mr Jennion.
Of the nine hotspots, five are located in the Hunter Valley, three in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie and one on the Central Coast.
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 2021/22 financial year, and its rate of population growth is faster than the 1.2 per cent national average.
“The report found that Australia’s population growth improved after being constrained in previous years due to closed borders, whilst 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 strong Hunter based areas in this edition of HIA’s Population and Building Hotspots Report,” concluded Mr Jennion.
Below is a table and map which details the nine HIA Hunter Region Building and Population Areas.
The achievements, leadership and contributions of women in the residential building industry were recognised today at the 2026 HIA Hunter Building Women Awards.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has welcomed the Fair Work Commission’s rejection of union-backed attempts to create a mandated right to work from home but says the decision to insert a new WFH clause into the Clerks – Private Sector Award 2020 is unnecessary.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) welcomes the Coalition’s commitment to guarantee $1.5 billion for critical housing infrastructure in regional Australia, saying investment in roads, water, sewerage and power is essential to turning housing targets into actual homes.
“The median price of residential land across the Cairns region jumped to $363,750 in the first quarter of 2026, a record high and 41 per cent higher than a year earlier,” stated HIA Executive Director Peter Fry.