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The Australian Bureau of Statistics today released its monthly building approvals data for February for detached houses and multi-units covering all states and territories.
“As expected, detached building approvals increased by 15.6 per cent and multi-units by 104.8 per cent,” added Mr Devitt.
“Approvals were held back in January by the Omicron outbreak and a higher than usual uptake of holiday leave. The absence of Council workers, private certifiers and building business staff weighed on the ability to process approvals.
“February’s data illustrates that the approvals for detached homes remain above pre-pandemic levels.
“Approvals of multi-units in February represented the second strongest month since June 2018. Affordability issues, land constraints and a return to the city is seeing increased demand for units, townhouses and apartments.
“It is also an encouraging sign that apartment construction will return prior to the return of overseas migration.
“The value of renovations approved also remains elevated. The last 12 months has seen the value of renovations approved increase by 44.4 per cent on the year before the pandemic.
“This elevated level housing demand will keep builders busy this year and well into next year, limited by the availability of land, labour and materials,” concluded Mr Devitt.
In seasonally adjusted terms, total residential building approvals decreased in the last three months compared to the previous quarter in Western Australia (-20.8 per cent), Queensland (-9.4 per cent), South Australia (-3.6 per cent), and New South Wales (-0.1 per cent), while increasing in Victoria (+1.0 per cent). In original terms, approvals increased in the Northern Territory (+18.7 per cent) and the Australian Capital Territory (+8.1 per cent) and decreased in Tasmania (-3.7 per cent).
“There were 9,490 detached homes approved in the month of April 2025, up by 3.3 per cent compared to the previous month,” stated HIA Senior Economist Maurice Tapang.
The Treasurer has handed down the 2025/26 Tasmanian Budget. The Budget focuses on alleviating cost of living pressures, health, education and infrastructure, while mapping out a path to a fiscal balance surplus in 2032/2033.
“The NSW planning system has failed to deliver the number of homes we desperately need and we fully support removing the politics from housing, to address this growing crisis,” said Brad Armitage, HIA Executive Director NSW.
The Victorian Opposition’s announcement that it would remove stamp duty for first-home buyers spending up to $1 million on a new or existing home if elected at next year’s state election, is a positive step towards improving home affordability,” says Steven Wojtkiw, HIA Victoria Deputy Executive Director.