The availability of home building trades improved modestly at the end of last year, particularly in New South Wales, even though trade prices pushed higher, according to a report released this week.
Figures from the HIA-Austral Bricks Trades Report for the December 2006 quarter show that home building trades remain in short supply despite the modest improvement in availability.
Building industry body, HIA, said that across Australia, the price of thirteen key home building trades rose by 1.2 per cent over the December quarter to be up by 3.5 per cent over the year.
HIA's Chief Economist, Harley Dale said that the East-West divide in housing conditions remained clear with Perth experiencing the sharpest jump in trade prices over the year and New South Wales being the only region where building trades are no longer in short supply.
"The price pressure in the west is not evident nationally. In aggregate trade prices are running close to the rate of general inflation and in most regions of Australia trade prices are actually sitting below that general rate," Mr Dale said.
On a state by state basis, quarterly trade prices increased by 3.4 per cent in Brisbane, 2.8 per cent in Perth, 2.5 per cent in Regional Queensland, 1.8 per cent in Regional Victoria, 1.1 per cent in Sydney, 0.8 per cent in Adelaide, 0.2 per cent in Regional NSW, and 0.1 per cent in Melbourne. Prices fell by 3.9 per cent in Regional South Australia and 3.3 per cent in Regional Western Australia.
On an individual trade basis, the largest increases in prices over the quarter were in painting, up 5.7 per cent, plastering and landscaping, both up 2.5 per cent, and bricklaying, up 2.4 per cent.
