Login
iscover
The Northern Territory has extended its home ownership grants to boost affordability and construction, following strong demand and rising building activity.
As part of the Northern Territory’s budget handed down on 13 May 2025, Treasurer Bill Yan announced that the government’s $30,000 and $50,000 grants for new home ownership have been extended until 30 September 2026.
The NT government’s FreshStart New Home Grant offers $30,000 that can be claimed by applicants who are not first home owners to buy or build a new home, while the HomeGrown Territory grant offers first home buyers $50,000 that can be put towards building or buying their first home.
However, the government noted that the $10,000 First Home Owner grant is still set to cease as planned on 30 September 2025, and will be phased out in favour of the newer $50,000 HomeGrown scheme.
Since the launch of the two new schemes on 1 October 2024, over $7.2 million in grants have been paid out to 479 recipients, including 55 for the $50,000 grant, 11 for the $30,000 grant, and 399 who received the $10,000 grant, while a further 118 applications have been approved but are awaiting payment.
Yan said that the uptake of the three schemes was a key motivator behind the decision to extend the window of availability for home ownership grants.
“The cost of housing has made home ownership feel out of reach for many people, and these grants help improve affordability for those wanting to set up roots in the territory,” Yan said.
Yan also highlighted that building approvals within the NT were up 48.6 per cent over the year to March, and were the second strongest in the nation, behind the 54.9 per cent increase in the ACT.
Yan said that further construction activity would continue to rise within the NT, prompting more buyers.
“We also promised we would rebuild the economy, and the extension of these grants will lead to increased housing construction activity, which is critically important,” Yan said.
Master Builders NT president, Neil Sunners, said that the extended grants would help to boost housing supply while strengthening the NT’s construction sector.
“Master Builders NT welcomes the extension of the home builder grants that will further encourage new home builds and provide a wider impact in relation to supporting local builders, providing local jobs and more broadly population growth,” Sunners said.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) executive director, Luis Espinoza, said the schemes would “support more Territorians into their own home”.
“The HomeGrown Territory grants are an important initiative by the NT government which will bolster home building activity, supporting local building, trade and supply businesses after several challenging years,” Espinoza said.
Beyond extending the grants, Espinoza also called on the NT government to ensure that it removes all barriers to home ownership by reducing red tape and taxation on housing, and supporting skills and workforce development in the construction sector.
“These and other forms of housing incentive programs are critical to boost housing supply and home ownership rates to support first home buyers, as well as existing home owners, to build a life in NT,” he concluded.
You are not authorised to post comments.
Comments will undergo moderation before they get published.