New Home Builds: SA Continues to Punch Above its Weight
As South Australia marks the second anniversary of the National Housing Accord (NHA) today, new data reveals that SA has had record levels of home approvals and home completions. Master Builders SA said that the state has seen a record number of home building approvals and completions compared to previous years.
According to latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data – which includes a two year annualised projection South Australia recorded 29,380 new home building approvals since the Accord began in July 2024. This represents a great effort by the local sector, even though it falls 3,990 homes (or 12.0%) short of the 33,370 approvals needed to keep pace with the state’s share of the national target
Will Frogley, Master Builders SA CEO, said, on a positive note, the data demonstrates that policy focus is moving the needle in the right direction.
“New home approvals have averaged 1,224 per month during the Accord era—a 22.9% increase compared to the two years prior, and 21% higher than the decade-long average before the Accord,” Mr Frogley said.
“And new dwelling completions in the last two years are at an all-time high.
“Current initiatives have laid the groundwork, and now more targeted solutions are required to overcome persistent headwinds like high inflation, low productivity, and workforce shortages.
“South Australian builders and developers are working incredibly hard in a challenging
economic climate. Seeing a 22% increase in monthly approvals compared to the preAccord era proves that the intent and the focus are there.
“But we still need to build more homes.
“We don’t just want to highlight the gap; we want to help plug it. By backing proven workforce initiatives, maximising the capacity of our existing retail footprint, and keeping a stable investment environment, we can bridge this shortfall.”
To help meet the Accord’s targets, the building and construction sector is advocating
for a suite of practical, locally driven solutions focused on workforce development and
innovative land use:
- Expanding the Skilled Workforce: Strengthening and investing in diverse training pathways is critical. This includes expanding successful local initiatives like Born to Build, actively supporting mature-aged apprentices who bring valuable life skills to the trade, and backing programs like HiViZ Women in
- Construction to attract and retain more women in the sector.
- Connecting Workers to Projects: Utilising platforms like Build Connect to better match skilled workers with building projects where they are needed most.
- Innovative Airspace Development: Unlocking new land supply by supporting residential development on existing shopping centre sites. Mixing medium density housing with established retail hubs utilises existing infrastructure, shortens commute times, and bypasses traditional greenfield delays.
During the high-volume building years of the 2010s, the industry benefited from predictable interest rates, strong sector productivity, and a balanced financial viability environment. To replicate that momentum, Master Builders SA continues to call for streamlined regulations — including a commitment to reduce unnecessary red tape by at least 25% — and increased investment in housing-enabling infrastructure.
South Australian National Housing Accord Data Summary
Performance against Target (July 2024 – June 2026)*
- Required Approvals: 33,370
- Actual/Projected Approvals: 29,380
- Shortfall: -3,990 homes (-12.0%)
- Historical Comparison (New Homes Approved Per Month)
- Accord Era (July 24 – Apr 26): 1,224 per month
- Pre-Accord (July 22 – June 24): 996 per month (Accord era is +22.9%)
- Previous Decade (July 14 – June 24): 1,012 per month (Accord era is +21.0%)
*Source: ABS data. Includes annualised projection to provide 2-year outcome based on 22 months of available data.
Media contact: For more information, contact Amy Osborne on 0435 229 974