ABS building approvals June 2026: apartment approvals up 13%, Housing Accord shortfall widens
2 min
New dwelling approvals rose 7.2 per cent in June to 18,328, seasonally adjusted, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data released on 30 July 2026 — ending three consecutive months of decline.
The gain was led by higher-density housing. Private sector dwellings excluding houses — a category covering apartments, townhouses and semi-detached homes — rose 17.8 per cent in June to 7,138, following an 11.0 per cent fall in May. In original terms, apartment approvals alone rose 69.9 per cent in the month to 4,888, which the ABS said was 21.9 per cent above the 12-month average.
Private sector house approvals rose a more modest 0.4 per cent to 10,631, the sixth consecutive month above 10,000 and 15.8 per cent higher than a year earlier. Queensland recorded the largest rise in house approvals (up 2.9 per cent) and South Australia the highest level since August 2021 (up 2.8 per cent), while Western Australia fell 5.4 per cent after a 9.0 per cent rise in May.
For the 2025-26 financial year, 205,249 dwellings were approved in original terms, a 9.2 per cent rise on the 187,944 approved in 2024-25 and the highest annual total since 2020-21. Within that, apartment approvals rose 13.2 per cent for the year, to 48,778 from 43,079. ABS head of construction statistics Daniel Rossi said the average approval value for a new house also continued to climb, reaching $517,430 for the financial year, up 5.0 per cent on $492,931 in 2024-25.
Non-residential building approvals fell 24.7 per cent in June to $8.26 billion, after a record high in May, pulling the total value of building approved down 5.5 per cent to $20.00 billion for the month.
Master Builders Australia, reacting to the same release, said the annual approvals total left the country 47,750 homes short of what is required to meet the National Housing Accord target of 253,000 a year. “The big message from today’s figures is that 47,750 fewer homes were built over the year compared with what we needed, and marks two consecutive years of Accord target shortfall,” said Shane Garrett, the association’s chief economist. Garrett said the Reserve Bank governor had recently acknowledged the housing market was weaker as a result of higher interest rates and recent government policy changes.
Master Builders Australia chief executive Denita Wawn said cost pressures were central to the shortfall, arguing that building a new home is now “almost 50 per cent more expensive than it was before the pandemic,” and citing a Productivity Commission estimate that regulatory costs add around $320,000 to the price of a new house. Wawn called for governments to address construction costs, lift productivity and address workforce shortages.
The Swiss watchmaker’s first collaboration with Atlassian Williams F1 Team produces two sporting Laureato models inspired by the team’s 2026 racing car.
Victorian auction buyers will soon receive a piece of information that has traditionally been withheld until bidding reaches it: the vendor’s reserve price. Under new property-sale and underquoting laws, agents must publish the agreed reserve at least seven days before an auction or fixed-date sale. Most changes begin on 1 October 2026 and apply to …
Continue reading “Victoria’s New Auction Rules Will Force Reserve Prices Into the Open”
More than 10,000 homes, an expansive central park and a mix of hospitality, retail and wellness facilities will form Azizi Developments’ first master-planned community in the emirate.
2 min
Sharjah is set to receive one of its largest new residential communities, with Azizi Developments unveiling plans for a US$8.1 billion master-planned precinct containing more than 10,000 homes.
Named Azizi Florence, the freehold development will comprise 1,130 villas, more than 6,000 townhouses and 3,500 apartments. Three-bedroom townhouses will start from US$515,000, with an indicative rate of US$231 per square foot of saleable space.
The project marks the Dubai-based developer’s first move into Sharjah, expanding a portfolio that includes the planned Burj Azizi skyscraper and the Azizi Venice community in Dubai.
A park at the heart of the community
Rather than treating landscaping as an afterthought, Azizi Florence will be organised around a 1.7 million sq ft central park.
The wider precinct is planned as a self-contained neighbourhood combining homes with retail, hospitality, education, leisure and wellness facilities.
Six residential clusters will sit within the development, each with its own park, clubhouse, community centre and landscaped gardens. The approach reflects a broader shift across large Middle Eastern developments, where greenery, recreation and everyday convenience are increasingly central to the residential proposition.
The scale of Azizi Florence suggests it is intended to function as a neighbourhood rather than a collection of housing estates. Its mix of housing types should also give the project broader appeal, accommodating apartment buyers alongside families seeking townhouses or standalone villas.
Azizi expands beyond Dubai
Azizi Developments has delivered more than 45,000 homes to buyers from over 100 countries and says it has approximately 150,000 units under construction.
Much of its growth has been concentrated in Dubai, where its portfolio extends across Palm Jumeirah, Mohammed Bin Rashid City, Dubai South, Sheikh Zayed Road and Downtown Jebel Ali.
Its most prominent current project is Burj Azizi, which is intended to become the world’s second-tallest building. Azizi Florence represents a different type of undertaking: a low-rise, family-oriented community built around public space and daily amenity.
For company founder and chairman Mirwais Azizi, the Sharjah project also carries a personal connection. The emirate was his first home in the UAE more than three decades ago, adding a symbolic dimension to the developer’s expansion.
Sharjah’s residential ambitions grow
Although Dubai and Abu Dhabi have traditionally captured much of the international attention directed at the UAE property market, Sharjah has been steadily broadening its residential offering.
Large freehold communities such as Azizi Florence have the potential to attract both local families and international purchasers looking for comparatively accessible entry points into the Emirates’ property market.
At a starting price of US$515,000, the project’s three-bedroom townhouses will sit well below the cost of equivalent family homes in many of Dubai’s more established luxury communities.
The ultimate appeal, however, will depend on execution. At this scale, the quality of the public realm, connections between residential clusters and delivery of the promised supporting infrastructure will be as important as the homes themselves.
If those elements come together, Azizi Florence could help establish a new benchmark for large-scale residential development in Sharjah—and give buyers another option beyond the UAE’s better-known property markets.
Limited to 630 units, Lamborghini’s latest Urus Capsule pushes personalisation further than ever, blending hybrid performance with over 70 bespoke design combinations.
In the lead-up to the country’s biggest dog show, a third-generation handler prepares a gaggle of premier canines vying for the top prize.
