New data shows soft easing of labour shortages and supply chain pressures are reducing the time taken to build homes
Master Builders Australia latest analysis of the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ home building time data shows there was a reduction in the time taken to complete homes.
MBA chief economist Shane Garrett says detached homes, townhouses and apartments all saw a decline in build times, from approvals to completions.
“Townhouses typically took 14.8 months to complete (down five weeks) while apartments had a 32.9 month build time during 2024–25,” he says.
“For detached houses, there was a 11.5-month gap between approval and completion. This is due to the continued easing of supply chain pressures and a soft easing of labour shortages.
“However, there’s still a long way to go, with build times much slower than they were pre-pandemic. Building a new detached house is now 35.8 per cent slower than it was a decade ago.
“Delays on the higher density side are even worse – it takes 54.1 per cent longer to build a new apartment with a 27.6 per cent deterioration in the speed of delivering new townhouses.”
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MBA CEO Denita Wawn adds the data is a step in the right direction, however, the industry and the government cannot afford to take their foot off the pedal.
“We acknowledge the ongoing efforts of government to fix Australia’s housing crisis through planning reforms, investment and workforce initiatives, but more work is needed to sustain this momentum and deliver the homes our communities need,” Wawn says.
“These positive developments are overshadowed by the revelation this week that Australia is 60,971 short of new houses during the first year of the National Housing Accord.
“With build times heading in the right direction and supply chains continuing to ease since Covid, we need to address other challenges to deliver more homes including increasing skilled labour through more apprentices, encouraging more women to enter the industry, and tweaking migration settings targeting key skill shortages.
“Homes won’t get off the ground without the people to build them and the rolling out of regulatory and planning reforms to lift productivity.”