The state government has said it will allow applicants for the federal government’s HomeBuilder grant scheme a further three months to commence construction.
The state government has said it will allow applicants for the federal government’s HomeBuilder grant scheme a further three months to commence construction.
That comes one month after the state government extended the commencement deadline for the $20,000 building bonus to the end of December 2021.
In a statement released earlier today, the state government said the flurry of activity had made it hard for people to meet the original commencement period that required applicants to begin construction before March 2021, and that it would now extend that deadline to June.
Premier Mark McGowan said it was great to see the incentives boosting activity in the industry.
“The Building Bonus in particular has created a surge of activity and the benefits are flowing through to WA workers on building sites across the state,” he said.
“We will continue to support these industries to ensure WA can recover, stronger than ever.”
Treasurer Ben Wyatt said the efforts had protected more than 65,000 workers in the property and residential construction sectors by driving demand and providing an ongoing pipeline of work.
“The latest figures for our Building Bonus and First Home Owner Grants and for Keystart loans demonstrate demand for building a home and buying an established home are at levels not seen in years,” he said.
Response to the HomeBuilder extension has so far been warmly received by industry, with Master Builders Association of WA executive director John Gelavis calling the announcement great news for businesses throughout the sector.
“Due to the heightened demand driven by unprecedented state and federal stimulus, we expect some delays in the construction process with specific trades, however it is important that consumers remain patient and work closely with their builder,” he said.
“The residential sector is now heading in the right direction but there is more to be done in clearing the path to recovery, such as removing unnecessary red tape so housing projects can get started quickly and deliver more local jobs.”
Housing Industry Association executive director Cath Hart echoed those comments, calling the move a common sense decision while also praising Mr McGowan’s support for a further extension to HomeBuilder so it aligns with the Building Bonus.
“This would mean that consumers have twelve months to start under both schemes and would reduce confusion among consumers and eliminate some of the pressure,” she said.
“HIA will continue making the case to the Federal Government on the need to align the start times for the schemes.”
Today's news comes as the state government posted impressive building approval figures, which increased by 43 per cent between August and September of this year.
That was more than triple the national increase of 15 per cent.
Land sales meanwhile are now about 10 times greater than they were at the same time last year, following the extension of the building bonus.
