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{{propApi.successMessage}} {{region}} Change locationStatement from HIA regarding ongoing lockdown and safety
Statement from HIA regarding ongoing lockdown and safety
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The Housing Industry Association (HIA) fundamentally rejects this approach, as we argue that detached housing construction and renovations have operated safely across the nation and responded quickly to the risk of COVID last year. I have attached for your benefit, an outline of the kind of measures that are, and have been in place in other jurisdictions, and that we proposed to the ACT Government in week 1 of this lockdown.
We don’t accept the characterisation by the Chief Minister that the current approach is based on risk, as residential sites have proved their capacity to operate safely throughout the pandemic. Last week the ACT Government released a set of guidelines for the reopening of sites. In it, the government has made the following statement:
Large and complex building and construction sites present a greater risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission in the event of a confirmed case on site. Larger sites involve more workers on site, high volumes of workers working in reasonably close proximity to one another, or workplaces which may have difficulty in confining workers and teams to specific areas of the site, site amenities and other common areas.
This statement clearly shows the difference between a large commercial site and detached housing. HIA is not arguing that it is a choice of one sector or another –all sites need to manage the risk of COVID and housing sites present a much lower risk of transmission on site with much fewer workers.
We are stating simply that it can’t be justified that one sector is ‘safer’ than another, and should therefore be given preferential treatment to reopen. Home owners and home builders need certainty now about when they can get back on site.
HIA calls on the ACT Government to reopen all sites on Friday 3 September.
For more information please contact:
HIA Planning Blueprint Scorecard Report
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has undertaken an assessment of National Cabinet’s 10 point National Planning Reform Blueprint including identifying, and in some cases re-defining, the key planning reform measures needed from the Blueprint to enable the delivery of National Cabinet’s Housing Accord target of building 1.2 million homes over the next 5 years.
New home building set to increase
“It is nine months since the RBA’s last rate rise and market confidence is returning. It is only the heavily taxed markets of NSW and Victoria that are yet to see a trough in detached home building in 2024,” stated HIA Chief Economist, Tim Reardon
New silica laws apply from 1 September
Following the introduction of the engineered stone ban around the country earlier this year, new rules when working with silica products will come into effect from 1 September.
ACT housing outlook remains bleak
“Detached home building in the nation’s capital is constrained, sitting at record lows, with the current affordability crisis expected to persist for years,” stated HIA Executive Director, Greg Weller.