{{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 locationNational housing targets under more pressure says survey
National housing targets under more pressure says survey
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.
The 2026 Small Business Conditions Report was launched today in Canberra and is a survey of HIA members that work in all areas of the building sector and that identify as a small business.
“This report is not only a gauge of the level of sentiment in the small business sector but is also a measure of how the home building sector may be performing from 2026 onwards,” said HIA Managing Director, Jocelyn Martin.
“The report paints a clear picture of a small business sector under pressure, despite strong demand for new housing. Small building businesses are the engine room of Australia’s home building industry, but they are being asked to do more with less - facing rising insurance premiums, growing compliance obligations and planning delays that are stretching cashflow and eroding confidence.
“The survey found 68% of respondents have considered scaling back or closing their business due to red tape and compliance burdens, while almost three-quarters do not expect to take on additional staff in the year ahead.
“Planning delays are a major barrier to productivity, with 88% of small builders reporting approval timeframes exceeding eight weeks, and one in three experiencing delays of more than six months.
“For small businesses, time is money and lengthy approval processes mean higher holding costs, delayed starts and increased financial risk, which reduces the number of homes that can be delivered.
“The survey also highlights persistent workforce challenges, with 67% of small builders reporting difficulty recruiting or retaining skilled workers, limiting their ability to expand operations or take on new projects.
“Compliance pressures continue to mount, with more than half of small builders spending at least five hours a week on regulatory tasks, and nearly one-third spending more than ten hours.”
Other findings included:
- 59% indicated they do not expect to have a more profitable year in 2025/26 than the previous year.
- 63% of respondents said that NCC 2025 changes had either a moderate or major impact on their business.
- 88% of respondents reported having an increase in personal stress as a result of increasing compliance burdens and red tape.
- 56% of small businesses having hired new, or redeployed existing staff, to manage administrative or regulatory tasks.
“Streamlining planning systems, reducing compliance burdens and providing greater regulatory certainty would immediately improve productivity across the small business sector.
“Targeted support for apprentices, skills pathways and technology adoption would help small builders expand their workforce and lift output.
“With the right policy settings, small building businesses will play a central role in delivering more homes, faster, but without reform housing supply will continue to fall short,” concluded Ms Martin.
For more information please contact:
Builders and developers must meet anti-money laundering laws
New federal anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws (AML/CTF laws) will take effect from 1 July 2026.
$20,000 first home owner grant welcomed by industry
Housing Industry Association (HIA) has welcomed the Tasmanian Government’s commitment to set the First Home Owner Grant for new homes to $20,000, saying the measure will provide meaningful support to first home buyers while underpinning confidence in the state’s residential construction sector.
Have your say – two new planning pathways on exhibition
HIA successfully lobbied for an expansion of fast-track planning approvals in NSW. Now the NSW Government is proposing to introduce two new planning pathways designed to streamline the assessment process for for low rise residential development. These new pathways are part of the NSW Government's planning system reforms.
Confidence in new housing market remains
“New home sales in the month of April increased by 4.9 per cent despite rising interest rates and domestic and global uncertainty,” stated HIA Chief Economist Tim Reardon.