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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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