The number of buildings approved provides information about the housing market supply over time in Local Government Areas (LGAs).

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) publication Building Approvals, Australia reports the number of residential dwellings approved by LGA. A dwelling is defined as a self-contained suite of rooms, including cooking and bathing facilities, intended for long-term residential use. The monthly publication presents details of building work approved including construction; alterations and additions; approved non-structural renovation and refurbishment work; and approved installation of integral building features. Construction activity not defined as buildings or dwellings (e.g. roads, bridges, railways, earthworks, etc.) is excluded. From July 1990, data include all approved residential buildings valued at $10,000 or more and all approved non-residential building valued at $50,000 or more. Estimates in the publication are rounded.

Building Approvals, Australia data are also used in the following dashboard menu options: Building approvals - dwellings approved, Building approvals - new residential dwellings and Building approvals - value of buildings.

See ABS – Building Approvals, Australia (https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/industry/building-and-construction/building-approvals-australia) for further information, including in-depth commentary and analysis, in particular the source data Quality Declaration.

Source reference – Data Explorer datasets, Building Approvals by Local Government Area (LGA 2021) - Number and value of approvals, monthly, 2021/22; Building Approvals by Local Government Area (LGA 2022) - Number and value of approvals, monthly, 2022/23.