Home lending activity continues to slide, with new ABS figures showing sharp falls across several key categories.

Over the past year, loans for new home construction dropped 6.1 per cent, while lending for the purchase of newly built homes plunged 20.7 per cent. Residential land purchases were also down 6.0...

Master Builders Australia has welcomed the latest surge in new home building approvals, but warns much more will be needed to stay on track to meet the National Housing Accord target.

New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows total home building approvals jumped by 11.9 per cent in...

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has launched a crackdown on fraudulent GST claims in the building and construction industry. From 1 July 2025, the ATO can now withhold suspicious GST refunds for up to 30 days while investigating. Those caught face interest charges, penalties, potential prosecution, and promoter penalties...

Construction industry leaders and Standards Australia have united to call for free access to Australian Standards, aiming to boost productivity, safety, and innovation across the sector.

At a recent meeting in Canberra, industry representatives highlighted how paywall restrictions negatively affect compliance, workforce efficiency, and timely housing delivery.

Master Builders Australia...

From 1 July, SafeWork NSW is now an independent regulator. They’re using this change to boost visibility on job sites and provide more hands-on support to businesses.

This week, inspectors will focus on:

• Construction sites in the Hunter, Central Coast, Wollongong, Sydney CBD, Sutherland Shire and Western Sydney

• High-risk issues...

Building Commission NSW has permanently disqualified Rodger Labib from operating as a builder and building practitioner.

Acting on data and intelligence, investigators found Mr Labib had obtained a financial benefit after fraudulent documents were produced to banks, council and NSW Fair Trading.

Building Commission NSW has since permanently disqualified Mr...

NSW Parliament is reviewing the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (60 Day Deemed Approval) Bill 2025, introduced by John Ruddick MLC. The bill proposes automatic approval for certain types of development applications, including multi-storey residential buildings, seniors housing, state significant developments, and various forms of dwellings, if not decided...

Most Building Commission NSW fees have increase by 2.3% from 1 July 2025. 

You can view the updated licence and registration fees using the links below:

• contractor licences, supervision and tradesperson certificates  
• design and building practitioner registrations  
• building and development certifiers  
• building work levy
• plumbing and drainage inspection  
• electrical safety.

National Construction Code (NCC) 2022 Amendment 1 now applies in NSW.

The Australian Building Codes Board advised that some minor amendments to NCC 2022 (Amendment 1) came into effect on 1 May 2025.

This includes updates, variations and additions for work completed in Western Australia, a variation for work completed...

The NSW Government has launched a five-year, $1 billion Pre–Sale Finance Guarantee to fast-track housing construction across NSW. This program allows the government to guarantee up to 50% of approved residential projects, helping developers who struggle to meet rising pre-sale requirements, now as high as 80% in some cases, secure funding...