Five Western Australia-based homebuilders have been ranked among the nation’s top 20, with Summit Homes and Pindan making their debut in the top echelon of housing construction.
According to the Housing Industry Association’s Housing 100 report, released today, Alcock/Brown Neaves group cemented its place as the second largest homebuilder in Australia, with 2,736 starts, while BGC rounded out the top three with 2,692 starts.
Pindan was ranked 12th in Australia, with 1,122 houses commenced, JWH Group 13th with 1,096 starts, while Summit Homes came in 20th, with 857 starts.
According to Housing Industry Forecasting Group figures, there were 17,458 housing starts forecast for 2011/12, down from 20,500 in 2010-11.
Remarkably, ABN Group lifted its starts by 48 over the previous year, while BGC’s starts were up by 257.
Pindan almost doubled its output, from 688 to 1,122, while JWH starts fell to 1,096 from 1,318.
Nationally, the number of housing starts fell by 7.3 per cent to 48,130 in 2011/12, the lowest level recorded since 1996/97.
“The result is consistent with the overall experience of the industry in 2011/12, were new home building conditions weakened considerably across Australia,” Housing Industry Association chief economist Harley Dale said.
“The Housing 100 and the entire industry can deliver, and indeed Australia’s residents have the requirement for, a considerably higher level of housing starts than has been evident over the last couple of years.
“Within an environment of subdued demand conditions, both unilateral and cooperative policy reform could generate a much healthier year for new home building in 2012/13.
“Sadly, evidence of the will to execute such policy action remains far slimmer than Australia requires.”
