An unprecedented number of new homes were approved to be built in Ballarat in February, official figures show.
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The number of building approvals hit its highest ever monthly tally data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) indicates.
There were 239 building permit approvals issued that month, compared to the previous high of 207 registered in September last year.
It also takes this year's tally of new residential approvals to 1,353, which already exceeds the previous financial year's figure of 1,224.
There have already been more building approvals issued in the year to date than any previous annual cycle, with four months of the financial year remaining.
It confirms home building work - mostly in growth areas on the southern and western fringes of Ballarat's urban area - is continuing in the city at its fastest ever pace in modern times.
While there was a slight seasonal drop-off in December and January, the level picked up dramatically in February, the most recent month for which figures have been published.
A similar pattern is also evident in other municipal areas, and across the country as a whole in a move that is widely being attributed to the federal government's HomeBuilder stimulus.
A record number of approvals was also seen in the City of Greater Geelong, for example, which is tracking at close to double the rate of the City of Ballarat.
Currently the pace of growth in Ballarat is far outstripping that of one of the local government areas it is most often compared to, the City of Greater Bendigo. Growth in that municipality, while still rapid, stands at 810 residences approved for this financial year, with its February total standing at 135.
The HomeBuilder stimulus, which initially offered $25,000 to those signing building contracts for new residences on land worth up to $750,000, has had a huge take-up across the country.
The strategy was introduced in June last year as part of efforts to stimulate the economy in the wake of the financial challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The stimulus package was varied in November - reducing to a $15,000 grant with an increased property value cap of $850,000, while the deadline for signed building contracts extended from December 31, 2020 until the end of last month.
The deadline for applications for the grant was on Wednesday this week.
The demand, however, is unlikely to drop off too dramatically with builders having six months from the contract being signed to begin work.
The HomeBuilder grant has created an enormous demand for builders in the area, and a significant shortage of tradespeople.
It also means the city's population is likely to expand at an even faster rate than previously predicted, putting pressure on land in the existing urban growth zone to the west of the city.
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The vast majority of the building approvals are for new homes in the Alfredton and Delacombe areas of Ballarat. Around 70 per cent of new residences approved were for those areas to the south and west of the CBD.
The process is now underway to rezone an area to the north of the city around Mount Rowan for future development.
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