Australia’s $15 billion renovation divide revealed as Brisbane outpaces Sydney and Gold Coast

Brisbane has been crowned Australia’s renovation capital. A new study has revealed Australia’s renovation boom is far from evenly spread, with Brisbane dominating nationally while Sydney recorded the steepest decline of any council area. Australian furniture retailer The Furniture Trader conducted a ‘Renovation Boom’ study, ranking Australian local government areas (LGAs) with recorded renovation activity using five years of ABS Building Approvals data from financial years 2021/22 to 2026. There is a renovation boom in Brisbane. Brisbane has been crowned Australia’s renovation capital, with an average of $88.5 million in residential renovation work approved every month over the past five years, and a five-year total of more than $5.3 billion, the highest of any council area in the country. Brisbane has also recorded the nation’s biggest jump in renovation activity, with approved value climbing 71.7 per cent between 2021 and 2026, from $73.5 million to $126 million a month. Northern Beaches, in NSW, ranks second with nearly $33 million a month. Picture: John Appleyard Northern Beaches, in NSW, ranks second with nearly $33 million a month, followed by Gold Coast, in third with $26.5 ...