House approvals on 6-month streak

Approvals to build new homes lifted again in June, according to data released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

The latest figures show that the total number of dwellings approved rose 7.2 per cent in June to 18,328, seasonally adjusted.

Approvals to build new multi-unit dwellings rose by 17.8 per cent in June, following an 11.0 per cent fall in May. In original terms, apartment approvals rose 69.9 per cent to 4,888 dwellings, 21.9 per cent higher than the average from the last 12 months (4,009 dwellings).

During the 2025-26 financial year there were 48,778 new apartment dwellings approved, a 13.2 per cent rise from the 43,079 approved in 2024-25.

While approvals for new houses rose just 0.4 per cent in June, the result marks the sixth month in a row with more than 10,000 houses approved across Australia.

Queensland recorded the largest rise in house approvals, up 2.9 per cent. South Australia was close behind, with a rise 2.8 per cent, to the highest level since August 2021. Meanwhile, house approvals in Western Australia fell 5.4 per cent, following a 9 per cent rise in May.

ABS head of construction statistics Daniel Rossi noted that a total of 205,249 dwellings were approved to be built over 2025-26, a 9.2 per cent increase on the 187,944 approved in the previous financial year.

“The increase saw dwellings approved in the 2025-26 financial year at its highest level since 2020-21, with private sector houses at the highest level since 2021-22 and private sector dwellings excluding houses at the highest level since 2017-18”, Rossi said.

The value of total residential building value rose 15.1 per cent (to $11.75 billion) in June, comprising a 18.0 per cent rise in new residential building (to $10.42 billion) and a 4 per cent fall in alterations and additions (to $1.32 billion).

The average approval value for a new house has continued to rise. During the 2025-26 financial year the average house approval was $517,430, a 5.0 per cent rise on the average of $492,931 in 2024-25.