Port Sorell is the only one of Tasmania's 10 "housing hot spots" outside of Hobart and the South-East, according to a new report.
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Port Sorell was rated third of Tasmania's 10 housing hot spots in the Housing Industry Association's Population and Residential Building Hotspots 2019 report, based on 2017-18 figures for the value of residential building approvals and population growth.
The HIA found the area had $18.38 million worth of residential approvals in the financial year, which was fourth among the 10 hot spots.
A boom in building activity in recent years has shown some signs of cooling, though activity in Tasmania remains exceptionally strong.
- Stuart Collins
It was equal third of the 10 on population growth with Cygnet in the South-East (2.9 per cent).
The hot spots are defined as local areas where population growth exceeded the national rate (1.6 per cent) and had a value of residential approvals of more than $10 million.
The Old Beach-Otago area of Hobart topped the state, followed by Brighton-Pontville, north of Hobart.
HIA executive director for Tasmania Stuart Collins said the state's 10 hot spots in the latest report were up from four in the previous year.
"A boom in building activity in recent years has shown some signs of cooling, though activity in Tasmania remains exceptionally strong," he said.
"With recent building approval figures continuing to trend positively in 2019, it will be no surprise to see Tasmania registering more hot spots in the next edition of the report."
The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated 280 dwellings were approved by Tasmanian councils in February in trend terms.
That was 19.1 per cent stronger than approvals in February 2018, but unchanged since January this year.
The HIA's Tasmanian hot spots, in order, were:
- Old Beach-Otago;
- Brighton-Pontville;
- Port Sorell;
- Cygnet;
- Rokeby;
- Sorell-Richmond;
- Dodges Ferry-Lewisham;
- Howrah-Tranmere;
- Kingston Beach-Blackmans Bay; and;
- Huonville-Franklin.
Of the top 20 national hot spots, 12 were in Victoria, five in Queensland and three in New South Wales.
They had at least $150 million worth of approvals.