Building a house in Australia is slower than it was a decade ago
Summary
Australia's housing construction is over 35% slower than a decade ago, with industry experts warning that without addressing skills shortages and regulatory barriers, housing targets will remain unmet.
Why It Matters
This article highlights critical issues in Australia's construction industry, including significant delays in building times and the urgent need for skilled labor. As the nation aims to meet ambitious housing targets, understanding these challenges is essential for policymakers, builders, and stakeholders in the housing market.
Key Takeaways
- Building a new detached house in Australia is 35.8% slower than a decade ago.
- Despite recent improvements, Australia missed its housing target by over 60,000 homes in the first year.
- Investment in skilled labor is crucial to meet future housing demands and improve construction efficiency.
- Innovative approaches and digital solutions are needed to streamline building approvals and processes.
- The construction industry is facing a potential skills crisis, impacting the quality and availability of tradespeople.
Industry warns building houses in Australia slower than it was a decade ago, construction targets missedBy Claudia WilliamsTopic:Housing Construction IndustryTue 21 Oct 2025Tuesday 21 October 2025Tue 21 Oct 2025 at 7:41pmAnalysis by Master Builders Australia shows building a new detached house is more than 35 per cent slower than it was a decade ago. (ABC News: Peter Drought)Addressing planning constraints and investing in skilled labour is essential as Australia continues to fall behind in its aim to build 1.2 million homes in five years, construction industry experts say.Analysis of the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) building activity by Master Builders Australia shows building a new detached house is 35.8 per cent slower than it was a decade ago.Since 2014-15, time frames for apartments and townhouses have ballooned even further, with an increase of 54.1 per cent and 27.6 per cent respectively.It's not all bad news, though. For the first time since the pandemic, the average time it takes to build a house — from approval to completion — dropped to 11-and-a-half months in 2024-25, down from almost 13 months the previous year.Housing Industry Association senior economist Maurice Tapang said that kind of improvement had been expected, and should continue, as the backlog from the pandemic cleared."A lot of builders, especially volume builders, will say they are back to pre-pandemic build times," he said. "That's because a lot of the challenges that were persist...