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The ABS released the Lending to Households and Businesses data for August 2023 today, which provides statistics on housing finance commitments. It also released its monthly building approvals data for the same month for detached houses and multi-units covering all states and territories.
“Housing and finance data continues to be weighed down by the interest rate increases that the RBA commenced more than a year earlier,” added Mr Devitt.
“In the three months to August 2023 lending for the purchase or construction of a new homes was 30.3 per cent lower than at the same quarter a year earlier.
“Despite a small rise in building approvals in the month of August, building approvals remain 17.5 per cent lower in the latest three months compared to a year earlier. This includes a 15.8 per cent decline in detached houses and a 20.3 per cent decline in multi-units.
“This decline in building activity is in contrast to the low level of unemployment and strong population growth.
“The impact of the RBA’s tightening cycle is not expected to produce a trough in new house commencements until the second half of 2024.
“Any further increases in interest rates will deepen and prolong this trough,” concluded Mr Devitt.
In original terms, the total number of loans for the purchase of construction of new homes in the three months to August 2023 declined in all jurisdictions compared to the same quarterly period a year earlier, led by the Australian Capital Territory (-76.5 per cent) and the Northern Territory (-70.1 per cent), and followed by South Australia (-36.0 per cent), New South Wales (-32.0 per cent), Victoria (-29.1 per cent), Queensland (-28.5 per cent), Tasmania (-27.3 per cent) and Western Australia (-18.9 per cent).
In seasonally adjusted terms, building approvals in the three months to August 2023, compared to the same quarterly period a year earlier, declined in New South Wales (-25.7 per cent), followed by Tasmania (-25.5 per cent), Western Australia (-24.5 per cent), Queensland (-19.8 per cent), South Australia (-9.6 per cent) and Victoria (-8.0 per cent). In original terms, the Northern Territory also declined (-54.1 per cent), while the Australian Capital Territory saw the only increase (+0.3 per cent).
The HIA has been advised that due to an increase of plumbing audit inspection failures, from the 1st of September, the Office of the Technical Regulator (OTR) will be further policing non-compliance in the installation of sanitary plumbing and drainage pipework, namely the bedding of sanitary drainage pipes.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has welcomed the establishment of the Senate Economics References Committee Inquiry into social housing, describing it as an important opportunity to identify the reforms needed to deliver more housing of all forms at scale and address the bottlenecks holding back housing supply broadly.
“Sales of new homes declined for a third consecutive month in July, falling by 3.7 per cent as higher interest rates and policy uncertainty continued to weigh on consumer confidence,” stated HIA Senior Economist, Tom Devitt.
HIA is proudly supporting National Skills Week this year by highlighting the construction industry’s many and diverse career opportunities.