The council level data released on 9 November shows where September’s jump in New South Wales apartment approvals landed, why the monthly house fall barely registers council by council, and how far detached approvals are up across the full quarter.
Detached house approvals across Australia were 12.5 per cent higher in the September quarter than a year earlier, according to council level data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on 9 November.
Over July, August and September, 34,249 new houses were approved nationally, up from 30,442 in the same three months of 2025.
The quarterly result sits against a softer September. Seasonally adjusted house approvals fell in every state that month, while a surge in apartments lifted New South Wales.
The council breakdown shows where both of those monthly movements came from, and which parts of the country are carrying the detached cycle.
Western Sydney, not the CBD, drove the NSW jump in September
New South Wales approved 5,322 dwellings in September in seasonally adjusted terms, up 37.3 per cent on August and the largest monthly rise of any state.
The council data shows where it came from. In original terms, NSW apartment approvals more than doubled, from 901 in August to 1,995 in September.
Most of the increase came from five councils that approved no apartments at all in August. Blacktown approved 401, Parramatta 321, Cumberland 310, Willoughby 198 and Hornsby 133. Together that is 1,363 apartments.
The City of Sydney went the other way, falling from 607 to 264.
So the month’s new apartment approvals sat mostly in Sydney’s west and north rather than the city centre. As always with apartments, a handful of large projects can move these numbers in a single month.
September’s house fall barely shows up at council level
The September fall in house approvals is harder to locate.
The 5.3 per cent fall was in seasonally adjusted terms. The ABS publishes council data in original terms, and on that basis national house approvals edged up, from 11,249 in August to 11,343 in September.
Much of the monthly fall comes from the seasonal adjustment itself, which expects September to run stronger than August. There is no seasonally adjusted series at council level to pinpoint it further.
What the original figures do show is a thin spread. In original terms, 183 councils approved fewer houses than in August and 200 approved more. Victoria was the only large state clearly lower, down from 3,187 to 3,073.
The biggest council falls, in Hume, Brisbane, Melton, Ipswich and Mandurah, were each between 50 and 70 houses. The fall was not concentrated in the growth corridors. It was spread thinly.
Detached approvals rose in every state and territory over the quarter
Across the full quarter, every state and territory approved more new houses than in the September quarter of 2025.
Western Australia led at 18.3 per cent, followed by Queensland at 16.2 per cent and South Australia at 15.0 per cent. The Northern Territory rose 14.5 per cent and the ACT 13.8 per cent, both from small bases.
New South Wales rose 11.0 per cent. Victoria, at 7.2 per cent, and Tasmania, at 7.0 per cent, were the slowest.
Townhouses and apartments went the other way. Approvals for new other residential building fell 5.3 per cent to 20,338, with falls of 21.9 per cent in Queensland and 17.8 per cent in Victoria offsetting rises in South Australia and Western Australia.
Total dwellings approved rose 5.0 per cent to 54,787. On our calculation, houses made up 62.7 per cent of new residential dwellings approved, up from 58.6 per cent a year earlier.
Ten councils accounted for most of the national increase
The national lift of 3,807 houses was not spread evenly.
On our analysis of the ABS data, the ten councils with the largest increases added 2,363 houses between them. That is 62.1 per cent of the national gain.
Moreton Bay is the standout. It approved 1,334 new houses in the quarter, more than any other council in the country, up from 838 a year earlier. That is a rise of 59.2 per cent.
The national lift of 3,807 houses was not spread evenly.
Playford, on Adelaide’s northern fringe, rose 73.7 per cent to 745. In Perth, Wanneroo rose 32.3 per cent to 1,150 and Armadale rose 61.2 per cent to 574.
Camden in Sydney’s south west almost doubled, from 219 to 423. Greater Geelong rose 24.3 per cent to 783. Mitchell, north of Melbourne, went from 176 to 332.
The ten busiest councils for new house approvals, September quarter 2026
| Council area | State | Sep quarter 2025 | Sep quarter 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moreton Bay | Qld | 838 | 1,334 | Up 59.2% |
| Wanneroo | WA | 869 | 1,150 | Up 32.3% |
| Melton | Vic | 1,013 | 1,111 | Up 9.7% |
| Logan | Qld | 883 | 923 | Up 4.5% |
| Wyndham | Vic | 974 | 894 | Down 8.2% |
| Brisbane | Qld | 723 | 841 | Up 16.3% |
| Greater Geelong | Vic | 630 | 783 | Up 24.3% |
| Hume | Vic | 837 | 781 | Down 6.7% |
| Casey | Vic | 883 | 767 | Down 13.1% |
| Ipswich | Qld | 697 | 747 | Up 7.2% |
Source: ABS Building Approvals, Australia, September 2026, small area data (LGA), released 9 November 2026. New houses, original terms, all sectors.
Some of the biggest established corridors went backwards
Four of Melbourne’s largest growth councils approved fewer houses than a year ago. Casey fell 13.1 per cent, Whittlesea 12.8 per cent, Wyndham 8.2 per cent and Hume 6.7 per cent. Together they approved 3,028 houses, down from 3,366.
Over the same quarter, Melton, Greater Geelong and Mitchell together rose from 1,819 to 2,226.
The approval data does not say why. Land release, estate staging and the timing of large subdivisions all move council numbers from one quarter to the next. What it does show is that the busiest council areas for new houses this time last year are not all the busiest ones now.
What the ABS small area data measures
The ABS small area data breaks building approvals down by local government area and SA2 region. It is published in original terms, without seasonal adjustment, so a quarter is best compared with the same quarter a year earlier. New houses are detached dwellings. New other residential building covers semi detached, row and terrace houses, townhouses and apartments. An approval is permission to build. It is not a commencement or a completion.
Council figures will be restated in January
The ABS has said 2026 council boundaries were not available until October 2026. Council level data for July to December 2026 is being published on 2025 boundaries, and will be updated when the new boundaries are adopted in the January 2027 release.
Both quarters compared here sit on 2025 boundaries, so the comparison holds, though some council totals may move.
The national number hides a moving map
Approvals are a leading indicator for residential construction. They tell us where commencements, slab pours and trade demand are likely to show up in the months ahead.
Earlier this year we mapped the busiest council areas for new homes. Several of the same names remain near the top. Several of the councils growing fastest sit one ring further out.
The October national figures are due on 1 December, with the council data a week later. We will be watching whether September’s monthly slip was a pause or the start of something longer.
THE GOOD BUILDER TAKE
We read this quarter as confirmation that the detached cycle is still running, but not evenly. The quarterly numbers say demand for new houses remained firm, and that the work is landing in a tighter group of councils than the national number suggests. For builders, trades and suppliers planning their 2027 workload, the council map matters more this quarter than the headline.
Follow us for ongoing analysis of approvals and housing data, and listen to The Good Builder Podcast for conversations with the builders doing this work on the ground.
Your questions answered
Moreton Bay in Queensland approved 1,334 new houses between July and September 2026, the most of any council in Australia. That was up 59.2 per cent from 838 in the same quarter of 2025, according to ABS small area data released on 9 November 2026.
Mostly from Sydney’s west and north. In original terms, NSW apartment approvals rose from 901 in August to 1,995 in September. Blacktown, Parramatta, Cumberland, Willoughby and Hornsby approved 1,363 apartments between them after approving none in August, while the City of Sydney fell from 607 to 264.
They rose. In original terms, 34,249 new houses were approved nationally in the September quarter of 2026, up 12.5 per cent on the same quarter of 2025, and every state and territory recorded an increase. In seasonally adjusted terms, private sector house approvals fell 5.3 per cent in the month of September alone.
The monthly headline compares September with August in seasonally adjusted terms. The small area data is published in original terms. In original terms, national house approvals edged up from 11,249 in August to 11,343 in September, so most of the reported monthly fall reflects the seasonal adjustment.
Yes. The ABS is publishing council data for July to December 2026 on 2025 boundaries because the 2026 boundaries were not available until October 2026. The figures will be updated when the 2026 boundaries are adopted in the January 2027 Building Approvals release.
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Last updated: 10 November 2026. Data: ABS Building Approvals, Australia, September 2026, small area data cubes (LGA), released 9 November 2026. Council figures are original terms, all sectors, new work.
General Information Only: This article provides general information only and does not constitute financial, legal or professional advice. It is based on publicly available data at the time of publication. Readers should seek independent professional advice relevant to their own circumstances.
Author: TGB Editorial
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