FX.co ★ Australia Building Permits Fall 3.4% in April

The seasonally adjusted number of total dwelling approvals in Australia fell by 3.4% month-on-month to 16,710 units in April 2026, in line with preliminary estimates and moderating from a sharp 10.5% decline in March. Approvals for private sector dwellings excluding houses decreased at a much slower rate (-3.6% vs. -25.7% in March), while permits for private sector houses slipped 1.0%, reversing a 0.5% rise in the previous month. By state, approvals declined in New South Wales (-9.5%), Victoria (-3.9%), and Western Australia (-7.4%), but increased in Queensland (0.3%), South Australia (4.3%), and Tasmania (42.2%). Despite the monthly pullback, total dwelling approvals were 10.2% higher than a year earlier, up from a 9.3% annual increase in March, underscoring continued underlying resilience in residential construction demand.