Lack Of Trades Hits Construction Of NSW Homes

A lack of fully qualified construction tradesmen is set to impact the construction industry in New South Wales.

Especially prevalent in regional areas, the shortage is prompting New South Wales’ builders to seek more workers from interstate or overseas to fill the void.

With over 50,000 new home projects predicted to begin this year, and the recent rate cut set to stimulate the industry even more, builders are forced to get creative when sourcing and retaining workers to ensure the job gets done.

Matthew Hope, CEO of G.J. Gardner Homes New South Wales, said that their builders were feeling the effects of the trades shortage.

“Our focus is always on using local trades where we can, but in order to maintain satisfactory build times we have had to hire overseas workers and contract tradies from other states … to get the job finished,” Mr Hope said.

“The highest demand currently is for bricklayers, but with the lowest apprentice numbers in a decade and an average age of over 55, they are quickly becoming an extinct species. The government’s listing of the trade on the skilled occupation list last year has certainly helped the situation, but costs are still high. The average costs of the trades in demand have risen by over 60 percent in some cases.”