{{propApi.title}}
{{propApi.text}} {{region}} Change location{{propApi.title}}
{{propApi.successMessage}} {{region}} Change location {{propApi.title}}
{{propApi.text}} {{region}} Change location{{propApi.title}}
{{propApi.successMessage}} {{region}} Change locationNew home building remains at decade lows
New home building remains at decade lows
Member and guest login
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.
Forgotten password
Need some help?
If you are having problems logging in, please call HIA helpdesk on 1300 650 620 during business hours.
If the email address you have entered is registered, you will receive an email with further instructions.
Become part of the HIA community
Enables quick and easy registration for future events or learning and grants access to expert advice and valuable resources.
Create a guest account
Enter your details below and create a login
The ABS today released its building activity data for the December quarter 2024. This data provides estimates of the value of building work and number of dwellings commenced, completed and under construction across Australia and its states and territories.
“Home building is currently at the bottom of a cycle and is losing skilled workers to other industry sectors, which impedes future building capacity,” added Mr Reardon.
“Australia has consistently built more than 200,000 homes each year and will need to exceed 250,000 annually to meet the Australian Government’s 1.2 million homes target.
“Despite the low volume of new homes commencing construction, demand for skilled tradespeople remains high, just not in the new home building sector. The exceptionally low rate of unemployment, and their rare skills, see them in high demand from other industry sectors.
“The more workers that are lost from the home building sector in this cycle, the harder and more expensive it will be to increase that capacity, as interest rates fall and activity picks up.
“The exceptionally low level of unemployment in Australia is a double-edged sword for the industry as it creates demand for new homes and at the same time, leads to higher labour costs to build a new home.
“This week the major parties have announced measures aimed at building more new homes.
“In the short term, the only measure that an incoming Australian Government can do to increase the supply of new homes is to offset the cost of taxes fees and charges, by providing financial support for those that build a new home.
“Whether this is done through removing the imposts, such as Lenders Mortgage Insurance or removing first home buyers from the established market and incentivising them to build a new home, can increase the supply of new homes.
“These are the ‘easy-good’ solutions to the housing shortage.
“This doesn’t negate the need for the ‘hard-smart’ policies tackling land supply, infrastructure costs, planning regimes and delays to home building and reform of taxes on new homes.
“An investment in infrastructure, or tax reform or reducing delays, wont impact on the price or supply of housing within an election cycle, but if they are sustained over a decade, they will begin to ease the cost of a new home.
“This should not be an excuse for politicians to renege on their responsibility to address housing affordability by arresting the high cost of delivering new land and rising taxes on housing.
“HIA forecasts that only 983,530 new homes will commence construction over that five-year period, unless meaningful changes to remove the barriers to supply are made,” concluded Mr Reardon.
For more information please contact:
Building Standards are not planning controls
“The proliferation of building standards in Council planning controls needs to stop now,” said Brad Armitage HIA Executive Director NSW.
Streamlined planning system to deliver more homes for Tasmanians
“It is pleasing to see that should the Tasmanian Liberal Government be re-elected it is committed to planning reform and streamlining approvals that can deliver tangible and improved planning outcomes to get Tasmanians in homes faster,” said HIA Executive Director Tasmania Stuart Collins.
IPART Review of Sydney Water Prices
In line with this, HIA notes that the Sydney Water Price Proposal 2025-30 (SW proposal), highlights the critical relationship between the provision of water related infrastructure and housing delivery, and has set its capital expenditure proposal accordingly.
One House One Approval plan will drive affordability and faster approvals
“Planning reform is a major part of solving the nation’s housing crisis and all state and territory governments need to implement major reforms now, to stem the tide of unaffordable housing.