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.
The HIA New Home Sales report is a monthly survey of the largest volume home builders in the five largest states and is a leading indicator of future detached home construction.
“The spike in sales that emerged in September, caused by regulatory changes in NSW, was more than reversed in October,” added Mr Devitt.
“Buyers rushed to get ahead of NSW regulations that will add significantly to the cost of a new home, causing an extraordinary spike in sales in the state in September.
“This drawing forward of home purchasing decisions is anticipated to continue weighing on sales over coming months.
“The sales performance in October was consistent with the weakness observed throughout 2023 and will see new house starts continue to decline.
“Interest rates continue to weigh on confidence, with the industry headed for its weakest year of new house commencements in over a decade.
“The RBA’s November decision to continue the steepest hiking cycle in a generation, risks further deepening and prolonging this trough in home building.
“This coincides with Australia’s deepening housing crisis, with record population growth and acute rental shortages reflecting the need for a strong pipeline of new housing supply.
“Increasing the supply of homes will require policymakers to help lower the cost of building. This means reforms to tax, land release and planning, and loosening macro-prudential rules that squeeze out owner-occupiers and investors alike,” concluded Mr Devitt.
New home sales across Australia in the three months to October fell by 5.8 per cent compared to the same quarter in the previous year. By jurisdiction, sales were similarly down in South Australia (-20.1 per cent), New South Wales (-17.4 per cent), Queensland (-15.0 per cent) and Victoria (-13.8 per cent). Sales in Western Australia increased by 42.2 per cent compared to the same three-month period in 2022.
HIA commented on the Explanation of Intended Effect for Standard and model conditions of consent (the EIE). It is understood the EIE explains the proposed amendments to State Environmental Planning Policy 2021 that will give effect to consistent conditions of consent for residential development across the state.
Home building approvals in Tasmania have climbed over the past year, though the numbers remain well below the level needed to meet demand.
The latest building approvals data shows the ACT residential building market remains subdued, with detached housing continuing to struggle and the momentum that emerged in the apartment market during 2025 now showing signs of fading.
“Building approvals for new houses in the month of June 2026 increased to its highest level since August 2021,” stated HIA Chief Economist Tim Reardon