Invest
Dwellings continue to fall as prices rise
Despite a recovering housing market, developers are not coming to the party, as official figures show the pipeline for new dwellings continues to fall with the number of high-rise approvals diminishing.
Dwellings continue to fall as prices rise
Despite a recovering housing market, developers are not coming to the party, as official figures show the pipeline for new dwellings continues to fall with the number of high-rise approvals diminishing.

Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that the seasonally adjusted estimate for total dwellings approved fell 8.1 per cent in October, driven by an 11.3 per cent decrease in private dwellings excluding houses. Private sector houses fell 7.0 per cent.
The value of total building approved fell 0.7 per cent in October, in trend terms, and has fallen for two months. The value of residential building fell 1.2 per cent, while non-residential building fell 0.2 per cent.
“The fall was driven by approvals for private sector houses, which decreased by 0.9 per cent in October,” said Daniel Rossi, director of construction statistics at the ABS. “Private dwellings excluding houses also fell, by 0.5 per cent.”
Despite Sydney and Melbourne showing signs of breaking previously held records by March 2020, investors continue to be wary of increasing volumes in the property market.

The national housing market is back in positive annual growth territory for the first time since April 2018 as the market accelerates, according to CoreLogic.
Despite this, the states and territories dwelling approvals fell in the Northern Territory (11.1 per cent), NSW (4.6 per cent), Queensland (1.4 per cent) and Western Australia (1.0 per cent). Tasmania (4.5 per cent), South Australia (3.1 per cent), ACT (3.1 per cent) and Victoria (1.3 per cent) recorded increases, in trend terms.
The value of total building approved fell 0.7 per cent in October, in trend terms, and has fallen for two months. The value of residential building fell 1.2 per cent, while non-residential building fell 0.2 per cent.
About the author

About the author


Property
Twice the demand: the case study behind Melbourne’s first‑home buyer surge
Melbourne has quietly engineered one of Australia’s most consequential housing turnarounds, with first‑home buyer demand running at roughly double the national pace and four of the top five buyer ...Read more

Property
First‑home buyers now anchor Australia’s mortgage growth — but the risk maths is changing
Great Southern Bank’s revelation that nearly one in three of its new mortgages went to first‑home buyers is not an outlier. It is the leading edge of a broader market realignment powered by government ...Read more

Property
Home guarantee scheme shake-up challenges Australia’s housing market players
From 1 October 2025, the expanded Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS) materially widens what first-home buyers can purchase and where. By sharply lifting price caps and relaxing eligibility settings, the ...Read more

Property
GSB’s first‑home buyer play: turning policy tailwinds into market share
Great Southern Bank’s latest results show that nearly one in three of its new mortgages now go to first‑home buyers—evidence of a fast‑moving market reshaped by government guarantees, easing rates and ...Read more

Property
Why investors are fleeing and renters are scrambling in Australia's housing maze
Australia’s rental market is tightening even as individual landlords sell down. New data points to a multi‑year investor retreat tied to higher holding costs and regulatory uncertainty, while prices ...Read more

Property
Australia's 5% deposit guarantee: Unlocking gains while balancing risks in the market share race
Can a bigger government guarantee fix housing access without fuelling prices? Australia is about to find out. The Albanese government’s expanded 5% deposit pathway aims to help 70,000 buyers, remove ...Read more

Property
Australia's bold move the 5% deposit scheme shaking up the housing market
Can a government guarantee replace lenders mortgage insurance without inflating prices or risk? Canberra’s accelerated 5% deposit scheme is a bold demand-side nudge in a supply‑constrained marketRead more

Property
When rates drop but stress sticks: exploring Australia's mortgage arrears dilemma
Headline numbers suggest arrears ease as rates come down. The reality in Australia is messier: broad measures dipped into mid‑2025, yet severe delinquencies and non‑bank portfolios remain under ...Read more

Property
Twice the demand: the case study behind Melbourne’s first‑home buyer surge
Melbourne has quietly engineered one of Australia’s most consequential housing turnarounds, with first‑home buyer demand running at roughly double the national pace and four of the top five buyer ...Read more

Property
First‑home buyers now anchor Australia’s mortgage growth — but the risk maths is changing
Great Southern Bank’s revelation that nearly one in three of its new mortgages went to first‑home buyers is not an outlier. It is the leading edge of a broader market realignment powered by government ...Read more

Property
Home guarantee scheme shake-up challenges Australia’s housing market players
From 1 October 2025, the expanded Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS) materially widens what first-home buyers can purchase and where. By sharply lifting price caps and relaxing eligibility settings, the ...Read more

Property
GSB’s first‑home buyer play: turning policy tailwinds into market share
Great Southern Bank’s latest results show that nearly one in three of its new mortgages now go to first‑home buyers—evidence of a fast‑moving market reshaped by government guarantees, easing rates and ...Read more

Property
Why investors are fleeing and renters are scrambling in Australia's housing maze
Australia’s rental market is tightening even as individual landlords sell down. New data points to a multi‑year investor retreat tied to higher holding costs and regulatory uncertainty, while prices ...Read more

Property
Australia's 5% deposit guarantee: Unlocking gains while balancing risks in the market share race
Can a bigger government guarantee fix housing access without fuelling prices? Australia is about to find out. The Albanese government’s expanded 5% deposit pathway aims to help 70,000 buyers, remove ...Read more

Property
Australia's bold move the 5% deposit scheme shaking up the housing market
Can a government guarantee replace lenders mortgage insurance without inflating prices or risk? Canberra’s accelerated 5% deposit scheme is a bold demand-side nudge in a supply‑constrained marketRead more

Property
When rates drop but stress sticks: exploring Australia's mortgage arrears dilemma
Headline numbers suggest arrears ease as rates come down. The reality in Australia is messier: broad measures dipped into mid‑2025, yet severe delinquencies and non‑bank portfolios remain under ...Read more