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ISCOVER
Staff Reporter
The latest Housing Industry Association Trades Report, released yesterday for the June 2012 quarter, confirms widespread home building weakness.
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According to the Report, there was a significant increase in the availability of skilled labour in the June 2012 quarter.
“A synchronised decline in new home building and renovations activity in 2012, which sees the former sector back in recession, is reflected in the highest availability of skilled labour reported since the HIA trades survey began in 2002,” HIA chief economist Dr Harley Dale said.
“Tens of thousands of tradespeople are feeling the pressure of persistently weak residential building activity, while the loss of skilled labour to the resources sector will intensify the longer recessionary conditions persist.”
Mr Dale said governments have a crucial role to play in delivering investment and reform to boost housing activity.
“Now is the time, during cyclical weakness, for policy makers to accelerate reform and investment in skills and training to avoid labour re-emerging as a constraint on a future housing recovery,” he said.
"For households, the current environment is very positive - interest rates are lower, the home building market is very competitive, and there is a greater availability of skilled trades. Now is a great time to build or renovate a home.”
