12 August 2024
The latest building approvals figures for Queensland reveal some encouraging upward trends, as the industry continues to advocate for the untangling of red tape hampering progress on new housing.
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show both detached housing (+15.9 per cent) and units (+11.9 per cent) enjoyed a big bounce in June – the positive swing enough to shift the statewide three-month trend back into the black at 1.5 per cent.
At +13.5 per cent, the upward trend for detached houses is particularly strong. However, there is still some work to do with units (-17.8 per cent), with hopes another solid month ahead will turn the negative into a positive.
Greater Brisbane led the charge on the good news front, with an additional 1,300 units approved in last 3 months, compared to the 3 months prior – a jump of 33 per cent. Another standout region was North Queensland (Townsville) which has seen approvals more than double over the past 3 months (+141 per cent).
Downs & Western (Toowoomba) and the Sunshine Coast were also strong performers, up 49 per cent and 40 per cent respectively over the past 3 months, while the state’s Far North enjoyed a 31 per cent hike. Strong approvals for both detached houses and units are unpinning these solid results.
The Sunshine Coast had a strong run with approvals for units up 40 per cent on where they were a year ago, while Wide Bay Burnett, Central Queensland, and Mackay and Whitsunday also posted encouraging results.
The Gold Coast was the exception, down 38 per cent in the three months to June. An inability to get unit projects underway is creating a drag in the wrong direction. The high cost of construction is making it difficult for new projects to stack up.
“While these latest figures are encouraging, as was the case last month, we need more multi-unit dwelling approvals if we are to have any hope of reaching the National Housing Accord target of 49,000 dwellings each year in Queensland,” Master Builders CEO Paul Bidwell said.
“The June ABS figure has us sitting at 33,099 new dwelling builds over the last 12 months – so we are still way off base.
“An important factor here is finding ways we can build new homes, sooner and more affordably. That doesn’t mean cutting corners on build quality or putting worker safety at risk. It’s about boosting productivity and working smarter to address unmet demand.
“That’s why as part of our Home Truths 2024 state election campaign, we are calling for less unnecessary red tape to clear the way for us to get on with that all-important job.
“One of the measures we’ve been advocating for is a state-wide mandatory Housing Code, that will help to streamline planning rules, and speed things up at a local government level. Our vision is a Queensland Housing Code that provides a consistent set of rules and standardises siting and design requirements for detached homes and smaller unit developments.
“These Codes would avoid the expensive and time-consuming planning approval process, while local governments and the housing and property development industries would have an up-to-date set of standards that meet best practice in residential development.
“We also continue to call for the government’s Best Practice Industry Conditions to be applied more flexibly, ensuring the major projects and high-rise developments we need can be delivered sooner and more affordably – once again with quality and safety at the top of the agenda.
“We also need some specific technical amendments within the livable housing and energy efficiency components of the National Construction Code 2022, which will help to balance the need to minimise the rising cost of housing with the values of inclusivity and sustainability.
“It’s great to have a largely positive reporting period – and we need to do all we can to continue to push those figures upwards for the benefit of everyone in our state.”
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