Reports & statistics

Master Builders produces a number of reports on issues relating to the building and construction industry in Queensland, and in particular, building industry legislation and regulations.

Survey of Industry Conditions

The Survey of Industry Conditions provides information and analysis on industry expectations and business performance, based on a survey of Master Builders members across Queensland.

Building industry outlook

Produced for the first time in August 2011, the Master Builders Building Industry Outlook provides a timely and comprehensive snapshot of the current state of the economy in relation to the building and construction industry, as well as an assessment on business sentiment and the current outlook.

Hot topic reports

We produce a number of hot topic reports covering issues as they arise, such as non-payment and government budgets.

Statistics

Building approvals

Each month, Master Builders makes available building approvals figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics for regional areas throughout Queensland. These statistics are a useful tool for those in the building and construction industry.

February 2012 analysis

Queensland performed better than the national average; however, this outperformance was tempered by the fact that the local industry has generally suffered a much more severe contraction over the last couple of years than the rest of Australia. National figures were below market expectations and again highlight the weak state of the industry across much of the country.

In Queensland, the seasonally adjusted estimate for private sector houses fell 1.6% from 1,622 in January to 1,596 in February 2012. This is substantially higher than the same time last year (1,267) which is not surprising given the impact of the natural disasters on construction work in early 2011.

The seasonally adjusted estimate for total dwellings approved rose 13% from 2,064 in January to 2,333 in February. This is also an improvement on the figures recorded in February 2011 (2,085). In contrast, the seasonally adjusted estimate for private sector houses across Australia fell 3.4% in February 2012 and has now fallen for three consecutive months. The seasonally adjusted estimate for total dwellings approved across Australia also fell 7.8% in February following a rise of 1.1% in the previous month.

The February statistics for housing finance commitments were also disappointing, with the number of owner occupied housing finance commitments falling by 1.1% in Queensland from 8,854 in January to 8,760 in February (seasonally adjusted). Across Australia, the number of owner occupied housing finance commitments fell by 2.5%. While these figures were disappointing, they were better than expected with the market generally forecasting slightly higher falls.

As in previous months, the economy remains multi-speed with a substantial divergence in economic performance across industries and regions. The construction industry continues to perform relatively better in regions with a resource industry presence, in comparison to tourism focused areas, such as the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, which remain well below their pre-GFC highs.

Looking forward, the Reserve Bank of Australia is likely to cut rates at least twice during the remainder of 2012. Master Builders hopes this decision will help to stimulate construction activity and rebuild consumer confidence. At this stage, 2011-12 is likely to be a marginally better year than 2010-11. In 2010-11, there were 26,684 dwelling commencements, 20% below the 33,600 dwellings commenced in 2009-10.

During 2011-12, we have had two interest rate cuts, solid employment, reasonable population growth and the state government’s Building Boost Grant. Master Builders has forecast approximately 28,000 dwelling commencements for the 2011-12 financial year, which is 5% up on last year. At this stage, the industry looks to be on track to achieve that level.

Read the related media statement .

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