The Australian Capital Territory and Victoria were the stand-out building and population "Hotspots" in Australia in 2010/11, according to the Housing Industry Association.
The HIA-JELD-WEN Population and Residential Building Hotspots report provides a snapshot of Australia's fastest growing metropolitan and regional areas in 2010/11.
A "Hotspot" is defined as a local area where population growth exceeds the national rate (which was 1.4 per cent in the year to June 2011) and where the value of residential building work approved is in excess of $100 million.
Canberra City was Australia's top building and population Hotspot in 2010/11 with $131.7 million of residential building work approved and a population growth rate of nearly 40 per cent.
The second-placed Hotspot was Whittlesea North in Victoria with over $717 million worth of residential building work approved and a population growth rate of 17.4 per cent. Wyndham South placed third where in 2010/11 the value of residential building work approved hit over $441 million and the population growth rate was 14.0 per cent.
Victoria registered nine of the top twenty national Hotspots, Western Australia had five, Queensland had three, and the Northern Territory had one.
"There were ninety Hotspots around Australia in 2010/2011, clearly demonstrating the potential for considerably higher levels of residential construction activity than is occurring," said HIA Chief Economist, Dr Harley Dale.
