By Luke Voogt
Geelong and Surf Coast builders face massive supply shortages amid a housing boom, with almost 3200 local applications for federal government’s recently-extended $25,000 HomeBuilder grant.
“We’re starved of materials, we’re starved of trades and material prices are skyrocketing,” Grovedale custom builder Peter Walters said.
A sharp increase in global demand for building supplies during COVID-19 and recent Australian bushfires have contributed to supply shortages, according to the Housing Industry Association.
“We can’t get timber and roof trusses. Window lead times have doubled,” Mr Walters said.
“We can’t get materials from our local suppliers that have been servicing us for years. They won’t even quote our jobs at the moment.
“I’ve just ordered a lot of roof trusses in from Bendigo because I can’t get them in Geelong.
“What they’re giving people for HomeBuilder is being swallowed by the increased material costs.”
HomeBuilder’s $750,000 cap for new homes and renovations had priced custom builders out of benefitting from the grant, Mr Walters said.
“The smaller builders probably didn’t get too much of that work. The only option is to go down the path of a volume builder.”
Hotondo Homes Torquay’s Kerri Scott echoed the supply concerns.
“Housing’s just gone through the roof,” she said.
“Our biggest problem is we’ve got such a huge amount of housing booked to go, without the certainty of pine timber supply.
“My husband’s been a builder for 30-plus years and we’ve never seen it this bad with timber.
“There’s literally not enough timber or hours available to manufacture the frames.”
Last week federal government announced applicants under its HomeBuilder scheme have 18 months, rather than six, to commence work after signing a building contract.
The extension applies to applicants who signed a contract between June 4, 2020, and April 14, 2021.
Geelong and Surf Coast locals made almost 3200 applications for HomeBuilder, according to State Revenue Office data.
The majority of applications were for new builds, including 2452 in greater Geelong and 243 in the Surf Coast.
Armstrong Creek had the highest new home applications on 487, following by Mount Duneed (376), Charlemont (273), Lara (255), Torquay (191) and Ocean Grove (162).
