Victoria’s construction industry continued to grow with new data released by the construction regulator, highlighting a nearly $4 billion increase in the value of construction.
Data from the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) shows that 127,792 building permits, worth $44.6 billion, were issued in 2021, an increase of more than 14,000 (or 12.66% ) compared to the previous year.
The cost of national building permits issued increased by more than $4.3 billion, from 96,367 in 2020 to 109,367 in 2021.
This is the first time that national permits have topped 100,000 in a calendar year in Victoria.
The number of permits issued has increased in all parts of the state, with the largest increase in Melbourne’s outer suburbs, followed by the north-central region and Gippsland.
The dramatic increase in the value of permits issued in the municipality from the previous year was highlighted at the Brimbank board meetings at the end of last year.
Jocelyn Crawford, VBA’s chief operations officer, said another year of strong growth was a positive sign for the construction industry.
“Victorians have experienced a challenging two years, but as a community we have remained resilient and the industry has continued to grow, proving it to be the backbone of the state’s economic future,” she said.
“These figures are promising and in an environment of development and economic progress, demonstrate the importance that standards are upheld.”
The number of permits for building extensions grew 11.22 per cent (up to 11,574 from 10,406), totalling more than $638 million in works.
In the first six months of the current financial year, building permits issued grew 7.56 per cent compared to the same period in 2019-20.
