Experts warn worker crisis dooms housing targets

Building approvals are the highest in five years but remain short of the national housing target. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images Building approvals have climbed to the highest level in five years, yet figures remain short of the national housing target with many experts also warning there is a stark shortage of workers to build them. Australia is already more than 100,000 home approvals behind where it needs to be just two years into the Albanese government’s five-year National Housing Accord. Across 2025–26, there were 205,249 dwellings approved, up 9.2 per cent on the previous financial year and the highest level since 2020–21, according to new ABS data. However, to stay on track for 1.2 million homes, Australia needed about 500,000 approvals by now, as not all approvals go on to be built and reaching 240,000 new homes a year likely requires at least 250,000 approvals annually. Cathryn Greville, CEO of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) said the housing crisis could not be solved simply by approvals alone as the industry lacks the workforce to complete them. “Australia faces a shortfall of up to 300,000 construction workers by 2027,” Ms Greville ...