House approvals lifted in April, especially in NSW and Queensland, according to seasonally adjusted data released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
The latest figures show that the total number of dwellings approved fell 5.7 per cent in April, to 14,633, due largely to a drop in apartment approvals which fell by a whopping 19 per cent.
Meanwhile, approvals for standalone houses were up 3.1 per cent across Australia (to 9,349 dwellings), following a 1.9 per cent fall in March. The April 2025 result is 4.6 per cent higher than April 2024.
ABS head of construction statistics Daniel Rossi said that New South Wales and Queensland were the main drivers of the overall rise in house approvals, with both states up 7.3 per cent in April.
"New South Wales had over 2,000 private sector houses approved for the first time since December 2023", Rossi added.
The 19 per cent fall in approvals for dwellings excluding houses (to 4,999 dwellings) followed a 14.4 per cent fall in March. The April 2025 result was, nevertheless, 14.3 per cent higher than April 2024.
Fewer apartment approvals drove the overall fall in the sector. In original terms, 5,612 apartments were approved across March and April, compared with 8,625 approved across January and February.