New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) shows that dwelling approvals rose by 8.2% in December but were down 7.5% year-on-year.
The rise was driven by unit approvals, which surged 27.5%. This was partly offset by house approvals, which fell 1.8%.
Over the year, houses approvals fell 21.3% whereas unit approvals rose 24.5%.
