Home starts stay solid

New home starts in Western Australia were up by 7 per cent in the March quarter, up more than 13 per cent from the same quarter last year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

And while the figures confirm the state’s buoyant property market, they represent a slowdown of growth in recent quarters.

Over the entire 12 months to March 2006, starts were up by 10.3 per cent to 24,716.

In particular, detached house starts have increased in the March quarter to 5,222, reaching a level 20.7 per cent higher than a year earlier.

However, multi-unit starts were down by 25.3 per cent to 772, from the March 2005 quarter level.

Housing Industry Association executive director John Dastlik said the continued strength in detached houses helped dwelling commencements remain strong in early 2006.

“Dwelling forecasts are forecast to increase by 8 per cent in 2005-06, a stronger result than previously envisaged,” Mr Dastlik said in a statement.

“This is contrary to most other parts of the country.”  

Nationally, starts were up 42 per cent in the ACT for the year, 41 per cent in New South Wales, 29 per cent in South Australia, 8 per cent in Tasmania and 1 per cent in Victoria.

Only Queensland and the Northern Territory fell in the number of housing starts, recording decreases of 8 per cent and 24 per cent respectively, compared with a year earlier.