Building approvals fall as high rise apartment development languishes
The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show little headway being made in the Federal Government’s push to create more housing
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Building approvals fell 6.1 percent in August after a rise of 11 percent in July, mostly driven by the apartment sector, new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed. Figures released yesterday show the number of total dwellings approved in the last month of winter was 13,991, with the biggest decline in NSW and South Australia, both at -11.5 percent, seasonally adjusted. However, approvals for private dwellings excluding houses — townhouses and apartments — saw a 16.5 percent drop on the same time last year.
The fall has been attributed to the drop in approval for high density apartments blocks more than nine storeys high. Figures show there were 1,214 apartments approved in August 2024 compared with 2,504 in July.
Property Council of Australia Group Executive Policy and Advocacy Matthew Kandelaars said the numbers were disappointing.
“We need to increase the number of homes approved and ensure a strong pipeline of apartment supply, to drive towards our housing targets at scale,” Mr Kandelaars said.
“But the reality is that it has never been more difficult and costly to get apartments out of the ground.”
He said ‘apartment-killer’ taxes and planning systems had had a negative effect on housing supply at a time when the country is struggling to deal with a housing crisis.
“Over the past year, we approved nearly 9,000 fewer apartments and townhouses across the country than in the preceding 12-month period,” he said.
“We need that number to increase month on month to build the homes Australians need.”
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The influencer and fitness entrepreneur is offloading the four-bedroom Main River residence she has called home since 2020 following her split from ex-husband Matt Zukowski.
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Fitness entrepreneur and social media personality Tammy Hembrow has put her Broadbeach Waters mansion on the market, ending a six-year stint in the riverfront home she has regularly featured in content shared with her millions of followers.
Hembrow bought the property in June 2020 for $2.88 million.
Sitting on an oversized 979sqm allotment with north-east orientation and more than 30 metres of river frontage, the double-storey residence is set behind security gates at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac.
The home has been a fixture of Hembrow’s online presence for years, serving as the backdrop to family life and business updates for the mother-of-three, who also lived there with her former husband, Love Island Australia star Matt Zukowski, before the pair separated in mid-2025 following a brief marriage.
Inside, the residence centres on an open-plan kitchen, lounge and dining area that opens onto the pool and alfresco entertaining space, designed to make the most of the Gold Coast’s indoor-outdoor lifestyle.
Upstairs, the master suite includes a walk-through robe, dedicated dressing room and ensuite, alongside two further bedrooms, while a fourth bedroom downstairs offers separate access for guests or extended family. A multi-purpose room adds flexibility for use as a media room, home office or children’s retreat.
Outdoor features include a tiled pool, built-in barbecue and bar area, firepit and private boat ramp — amenities suited to the waterfront entertaining lifestyle the Broadbeach Waters pocket is known for.
The property is being marketed by Jay Helprin of Ray White through an expressions of interest campaign, with private inspections only and no scheduled public opens.
Hembrow, who built her public profile from 2014, documenting her fitness journey through three pregnancies, went on to launch fitness app TammyFit, which has since been downloaded more than a million times.
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