On 30 September 2026, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released its August building approvals data. Two numbers stand out: private-sector house approvals reached their highest level since 2021, while approvals for apartments and townhouses dropped by more than a fifth in a single month. If you are studying a trade or building qualification in Melbourne or Brisbane, both numbers tell you something about the work that is being planned.
Information checked on: 5 October 2026. Source data: ABS Building Approvals, August 2026, released 30 September 2026. Approvals figures are revised each month, so please check the ABS website for the latest numbers.
What the ABS reported for August 2026
All figures below are seasonally adjusted and come from the ABS media release unless stated otherwise.
- Total dwelling approvals fell 6.1% to 16,953.
- Private-sector houses rose 3.7% to 10,885. This was the eighth month in a row above 10,000, and 18.4% higher than a year earlier.
- Private dwellings other than houses (apartments and townhouses) fell 21.2% to 5,674. Apartments alone fell 24.9% to 3,268, and townhouses fell 20.7% to 2,546.
- Total value of building approved fell 21.3% to $16.82 billion, mostly because non-residential approvals dropped 44.8% to $5.53 billion. Residential building value was almost steady, down 0.6% to $11.30 billion.
Trade publication The Good Builder reports that house approvals are now at their highest level since August 2021, and that houses made up 64.2% of all approved dwellings, up from 59.8% a year earlier.
How Victoria and Queensland compare
The two states where Evantaa has campuses showed quite different pictures.
| Victoria | Queensland | |
|---|---|---|
| Private-sector houses approved (August) | 3,044 | 2,456 |
| Total dwellings approved (August) | 5,163 | 3,327 |
| Apartment approvals | Not reported separately in the sources checked | 337 in August, down from 1,330 in July (original terms) |
Sources: ABS Building Approvals, August 2026; The Good Builder, 30 September 2026. Victoria remains Australia’s largest detached-housing market, approving roughly 40% more houses than New South Wales in August according to The Good Builder. Queensland’s drop in total approvals was driven mainly by apartments, not houses. Queensland house approvals actually rose 6.5%.
A quick caution about monthly figures
Building approvals jump around from month to month. One weak month for apartments does not mean apartment building has stopped, and one strong month for houses does not guarantee steady work. Approvals are also not the same as construction starts: a project can be approved and then wait months for finance, materials or a builder. Treat a single release as one data point, and look at the trend over several months.
Why this matters for trade students
A house is a long list of trade tasks. Framing and fit-out are carpentry work. External walls can be brick or block. Wet areas need tiling. Internal walls and ceilings need plastering and painting. Kitchens, vanities and built-in storage involve cabinet making. More house approvals means more of that work is being planned, although where and when it happens depends on many things outside any one student’s control.
Here is how the August data connects to each current Evantaa qualification. This is general information only, not a prediction of jobs or wages.
- Certificate III in Carpentry: house construction relies on framing, roofing and finishing carpentry. Strong house approvals are the type of data carpenters watch.
- Certificate III in Bricklaying and Blocklaying: brick and block are common in Australian house construction, so house approvals are directly relevant.
- Certificate III in Wall and Floor Tiling and Certificate III in Solid Plastering: both are finishing trades that come later in a build. New approvals today usually reach these trades some time after the first stages are complete. Solid Plastering is offered at the Melbourne campus only.
- Certificate III in Painting and Decorating and Certificate III in Cabinet Making and Timber Technology: fit-out and finishing work for both houses and apartments.
- Certificate IV in Building and Construction: supervisors and site managers need to understand how housing and apartment pipelines rise and fall, because scheduling and subcontractor planning depend on them.
- Diploma of Business and Advanced Diploma of Business: building firms are small businesses. Understanding pipeline data helps with planning, quoting and cash flow.
The bigger picture: the 1.2 million homes target
The Australian Government’s National Housing Accord aims for 1.2 million new homes over five years from mid-2024. The National Housing Supply and Affordability Council’s August 2026 quarterly report estimates the target will now be reached in the December quarter of 2030, one quarter later than it previously expected.
- About 308,000 new homes had been completed since the Accord began, as of the March quarter 2026.
- A record 244,000 dwellings were under construction in the March quarter 2026, the highest since records began in 1984.
- House construction costs were reported as 51% higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Council expects interest rates and weaker confidence to delay some projects.
The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has also pointed to a workforce challenge. In a 23 July 2026 article, HIA said Australia needs an estimated 83,000 additional skilled tradespeople, and that around half of construction apprentices do not complete their training. Training matters because finishing your qualification is the part of the pipeline that depends on you.
What students can do with this information
- Follow the data, not the headline. Check the ABS Building Approvals release each month (usually early in the following month) and compare several months, not one.
- Learn how a build is sequenced. Ask your trainer where your trade sits in the timeline of a house or apartment build, and how long after approval your type of work usually begins.
- Build adjacent skills. Workplace safety, reading plans, estimating and clear communication help in any market, whether housing is rising or falling.
- Look at both cities. Victoria and Queensland follow different cycles. Our comparison of all five trade qualifications can help you think about where each trade fits.
- Prepare for the next rule change. New workplace exposure limits begin on 1 December 2026. Read our guide to what the new limits mean for trade students.
Frequently asked questions
Do more house approvals mean more jobs for trade students?
Not automatically. Approvals show what is planned, not what is built or when. Employment depends on many factors, including costs, finance, weather and the supply of workers. Evantaa Institute cannot guarantee employment outcomes.
Why did apartment approvals fall so much in August?
According to the ABS and The Good Builder, most of the national drop came from Queensland, where only 337 apartments were approved in August compared with 1,330 in July. Monthly apartment figures can swing widely, so one month is not a trend.
Where can I find the official numbers?
The ABS Building Approvals page publishes the latest national and state figures.
Ready to explore a trade or building qualification?
Browse Evantaa Institute’s current trade and business courses and speak with our team about what each qualification involves at the Melbourne and Brisbane campuses. Course details, campus availability and entry requirements are on each course page.
Evantaa Institute does not provide personalised financial, career or migration advice. This article is general information based on the sources below.
Sources
- Australian Bureau of Statistics: Total dwelling approvals fall 6.1% in August (released 30 September 2026)
- ABS: Building Approvals, Australia, latest release (August 2026)
- The Good Builder: House approvals reach their highest level since 2021 as unit approvals drop away (30 September 2026)
- National Housing Supply and Affordability Council: Quarterly Report, August 2026
- Housing Industry Association: Trades buck national enrolment downturn (23 July 2026)
- Evantaa Institute: Our courses (checked 5 October 2026)