{{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 locationApprovals increase a welcome but further work needed on regulatory burdens
Approvals increase a welcome but further work needed on regulatory burdens
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
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.
Last week’s ABS data release on building approvals showed an increase in Tasmania in the month of May 2026.
Today’s ABS figures show detached house commencements in Tasmania fell 5.6 per cent to 610 in the March 2026 quarter. Multi-unit commencements rose 63.6 per cent to 36, though off a very low base. Total commencements came in at 646 for the quarter, down 3.3 per cent.
Over the year to March 2026, Tasmania started 2,422 new homes, up by 1.3 per cent on the previous 12 months. Detached starts rose 3.4 per cent to 2,317, while multi-unit starts fell 30 per cent to 105.
The approvals picture is stronger. Total building approvals rose 14.7 per cent over the year to 2,683, with house approvals up 9.6 per cent to 2,438 and other dwelling approvals more than doubling to 245.
HIA Executive Director, Tasmania, Benjamin Price said the numbers show the bottleneck in the system is not demand.
“The increase in approvals comes off a very low base and nowhere near what is required to meet demand in Tasmania are coming through. Detached starts went backwards this quarter even though approvals for detached homes are up almost 105 per cent over the year, so the hold-up isn't demand. It is everything that in the ground down goes into getting a home approved for construction, well-before a slab is laid.
“Governments need to remove some of the lengthy hurdles to obtaining an approval. That comes down to planning timeframes, additional regulatory burdens, land servicing and the up-front cost of getting a project started.”
HIA is continuing to call on the Tasmanian Government to honour its commitment to reform plumbing approval processes, to slash costs and timeframes for new housing.
“The Tasmanian Government made a clear commitment in February 2025 to slash red tape for plumbing approvals in Tasmania. Unfortunately, following the 2025 election, that commitment appears to have been watered down into a much weaker reform proposal,” Mr Price said.
“If Tasmania is going to convert more approvals into commencements, the Government needs to deliver the critical reforms it promised to help speed up the delivery of new homes across the state.”
For more information please contact:
Builders reject Apprentice Employer Licensing proposal
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) is calling on the Victorian Government to withdraw its proposal to require employers to obtain a licence before engaging apprentices, warning the scheme will add red tape, increase costs and reduce apprenticeship opportunities at a time of severe skills shortages.
Secure timber supply critical to housing Australia's growing population
A secure domestic timber supply will be essential to meeting Australia's future housing needs, the Housing Industry Association (HIA) said today at Parliament House at the launch of National Forestry Day.
Protect gig workers but do not capture tradies in the net
“New minimum standards for ‘employee-like workers’ in the on-demand economy come into force today, with HIA warning the new framework must remain targeted and not spill over into genuine independent contracting arrangements,” HIA Senior Executive Director Compliance & Workplace Relations, Stuart Collins said today.
Construction skills growth vital amid rising competition for labour
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) today welcomed the Albanese Government's continued focus on skills, training and apprenticeships following a media event in Canberra today with Federal Skills and Training Minister Andrew Giles, local builders and apprentices.