IN SPITE OF a permanent uplift in demand for lower density housing, new home building starts have dropped again during the June 2022 quarter – the fourth consecutive quarterly reduction – according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Building Activity figures released today.

Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn said while the volume of new detached house starts was still higher now than it had been in the lead up to the pandemic, the phasing out of exceptional fiscal and monetary stimulus propelling new home building starts means today’s figures "are not surprising".

According to the latest ABS figures, there was a 2.7 percent fall in new home building starts during the June 2022 quarter. This included a 3.1 percent reduction in the number of new medium/high-density home commencements, and detached house starts inched down only marginally at 0.2 percent.

“Despite the volume of new home starts dropping over the past year, there were still over 240,000 new homes under construction at the end of June," Ms Wawn said. "This is higher than ever before and is related to the supply bottlenecks in the building pipeline which are slowing the pace at which new homes can be built.

“However, over the next three years, Master Builders forecasts that new home building starts will fall significantly short of 200,000 per year, the volume of output that will be needed to meet demand. Our forecasts indicate this threshold will not be exceeded until 2026.

“Our 2022-26 residential forecasts predict a bumpy road with a downturn over the next few years," she said. "Forecasts will trend upwards as inward migration and interest rates stabilise, and pent-up demand shifts the dial.

“The building and construction industry continues to be frustrated with lengthy delays in approvals for land title, building applications, and occupation certificates. Shortage of land in the right places, high developer charges, and inflexible planning laws also restrict opportunities to meet the housing needs of our future.

“We look to working with the Federal Government to assist with finding and delivering solutions,” Ms Wawn said.

www.masterbuilders.com.au

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IDENTIFYING challenges and opportunities for Australia to capitalise on our abundant natural resources to drive economic growth, create new industries and jobs and become a renewable energy superpower will be the focus of a parliamentary committee.

The Joint Standing Committee on Trade and Investment Growth has launched the inquiry into Australia's transition to a green energy superpower.

Committee Chair, Steve Georganas MP said, “Australia is well on its way to becoming a renewable energy superpower, and I hope this inquiry will be a valuable opportunity to ensure we are doing everything possible to strive further towards a green energy future.

"The committee wants to hear from Australian governments, businesses, and other interested parties from across the community about where trade and investment activities are already having a positive impact; emerging and possible future trends, areas of growth, and how can these be accelerated.”

The committee is seeking submissions from interested individuals, businesses and organisations on the inquiry’s terms of reference by Wednesday, November 30, 2022.

The committee will have particular regard to areas that play to Australia's strengths, including: renewable energy, battery storage, energy supply and infrastructure, electric vehicle industry, infrastructure; advanced manufacturing, and services and technology.

Further information about the inquiry, including published submissions and hearing transcripts, will be available on the inquiry webpage.  

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MOBILE infrastructure services across regional Australia will be the focus of a new Federal parliamentary inquiry. The House Communications and the Arts Committee will hear evidence on co‑investment in regional mobile carrier infrastructure.

Committee Chair, Brian Mitchell MP said, "Co-investment is a tool which would allow multiple telecommunications providers in regional areas to invest in and share ‘multi-carrier’ mobile towers and related infrastructure, to improve services."

"The majority of mobile infrastructure is not co-located, especially in regional areas. The rates of co-location for Australia’s major mobile providers dramatically decline as you move from urban to regional and remote areas, to as low as 4.8 percent in very remote areas.

"Connectivity and infrastructure are critical drivers of regional development," Mr Mitchell said. "It is particularly important that we hear directly from our rural, regional and remote communities to hear their views on connecting and staying connected to telecommunications infrastructure."

The terms of reference are available from the committee's inquiry webpage. Submissions can also be made through the webpage, or by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. until November 10, 2022.

Further information can be found on the committee’s webpage.

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THE National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) Legislation Committee will commence public hearings as part of its inquiry into the NACC Bills this week.

Hearings will be held on October 18, 19, 20 and 21, 2022 at Parliament House in Canberra and broadcast on the Australian Parliament House website.

Committee Chair Senator Linda White said, "While public hearings will be held in Canberra, the committee will hear from witnesses from around Australia. The committee is determined to hear as many perspectives as possible on this important matter."

Deputy Chair Dr Helen Haines MP said, "The Committee is looking forward to unpacking various issues raised in submissions at these public hearings. The committee is encouraged to see that we have received strong interest from across the community."

The committee invited organisations and individuals to provide evidence at public hearings based on the submissions it received. Submissions closed on October 14, 2022.

Updates or other details regarding general arrangements for public hearings will be published on the committee’s website. Public hearing programs, when available, will remain subject to change. Transcripts of public hearings will be published on the committee’s website once available.

You can also find out more information on the Committee’s FAQ website, which is updated periodically: www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/National_Anti-Corruption_Commission_Legislation/Frequently_Asked_Questions.

The committee is due to report on or before 10 November 2022.

More information about the Committee and its inquiry is available on the committee’s website: www.aph.gov.au/NACC2022.

Public hearing details

Date: Tuesday, 18 October 2022 – Friday, 21 October 2022
Time: Full day hearings. Please monitor the Committee’s website for public hearing programs, which will specify start and end times when published.
Location: Parliament House, Canberra

Hearings will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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