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{{propApi.successMessage}} {{region}} Change locationApartment surge sets the stage for missing middle era
Apartment surge sets the stage for missing middle era
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The Australian Bureau of Statistics today released its Building Activity data for the March quarter 2026, providing estimates of dwelling commencements, completions and construction activity across Australia.
“There were 1,488 new residential dwellings that commenced construction in the ACT during the March quarter 2026. This was up by 71.8 per cent on the previous quarter, driven almost entirely by a surge in apartment construction,” Mr Murray said.
“While that's an encouraging uplift in commencements, it also highlights the imbalance in the ACT's housing supply.
“Only 209 detached houses commenced construction during the quarter, remaining well below the levels that have historically underpinned housing supply in the Territory.
“For over a decade the ACT Government's housing strategy has sought to diversify the types of homes being delivered. However, in practice we've largely replaced the supply of detached homes with supply of apartments, rather than broadening the mix of housing options.
“There were just 214 semi-detached, row and townhouse dwellings commenced during the March quarter.
“If the ACT is to replace the lost supply of detached housing while achieving greater housing diversity, commencements of these ‘missing middle’ housing types will need to increase substantially.
“We're optimistic that we'll begin to see that emerge during the second half of 2026 as projects approved under the new planning framework will begin entering the supply pipeline.
“The Missing Middle planning reforms have been years in the making and finally took effect on 1 July.
"Together with stamp duty exemptions announced in the recent Budget and the temporary halving of Lease Variation Charges, the missing middle reforms should improve the feasibility of these developments and encourage supply of more diverse housing options.
“The next challenge is ensuring those policy changes translate into homes on the ground.
“Successfully delivering these missing middle homes will be critical to achieving the ACT Government's target of 30,000 new homes by 2030 while providing Canberrans with a broader range of housing choices,” Mr Murray concluded.
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Government delays ATO credit card payment changes
The Federal Government has announced that the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will continue to accept credit card payments for tax liabilities until the end of the 2026-27 financial year, delaying changes that were previously due to take effect on 1 December.
Government provides breathing space for builders and tradies on ATO credit card ban
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) welcomes the Federal Government's stepping in and agreeing to delay the Australian Taxation Office's (ATO) proposed ban on credit card payments, providing builders, tradies and suppliers with much-needed breathing space while a longer-term solution is developed.
HIA Victoria not failing housing targets as badly as others is not success
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) says the Victorian results in the HIA National Housing Accord Update released yesterday, while not as poor as some other states, highlight the urgent need for a reset in housing policy after the upcoming state election.
HIA Safety Summit headlines National Safe Work Month
HIA’s annual Safety Summit is being held today in Adelaide (8 October) and will bring together industry leaders, regulators and workplace safety experts, providing practical guidance to help residential builders and tradies create safer worksites and support compliance in an ever-changing world.