Information about Building Approvals data cubes
The files under the data cubes heading contain data for small geographic areas in Excel and SuperTABLE formats. Excel files contain data for a financial year whereas SuperTABLE files contain data for individual months. Excel files open with all geographic areas displayed whereas the SuperTABLE files require users to specify those to display by using the "recode" option on the geography field (tip: hold the shift key and click the icon } to quickly view all the available geographic levels).
Please note that Building Approvals data are subject to revision. Data cubes are re-released each month including data for the latest month and revisions to data for previous months.
SuperTABLE data cubes
Number and Value ($m) of Approvals, States and Territories is a SuperTABLE dataset containing state level data for all states/territories.
Classifications |
State/Territories | All States & Territories |
Reference Month | Monthly |
Sector of Ownership | Private, Public, Total |
Type of Building | Houses, Other Residential, Residential, Non-residential, Non-house and Total building |
Type of Work | New, Alterations & additions (incl. conversions and refurbishments), Total work |
Data Items | Value of approval ($m), Number of dwelling units (no.)
|
Statistical Area 2s: State are SuperTABLE datasets containing Statistical Area 2, Statistical Area 3, Statistical Area 4, and Greater Capital City Statistical Area data for that state/territory for each month.
Note SuperTABLE does not distinguish between cells containing the value zero ('0') and cells unavailable for publication ('np'); these all appear in the SuperTABLE datacubes as '-'. As a result, manual aggregation containing such cells should be treated with caution.
The table below shows which cross classifications are available. Therefore if any of the cells for these cross-classifications appear as '-' users can assume the value is 'nil or rounded to zero, including null cells'. For all other instances, users should assume the value is 'not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated'.
Building Type | Sector of Ownership | Type of Work | Variables |
Houses | Private/Public/Total | New/Total | Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) |
Semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses -
One storey | Private/Public/Total | New | Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) |
Semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses -
Two storey | Private/Public/Total | New | Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) |
Semi-detached, row or terrace houses, townhouses - Total | Private/Public/Total | New | Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) |
Flats units or apartments - In a one or two storey block | Private/Public/Total | New | Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) |
Flats units or apartments - In a three storey block | Private/Public/Total | New | Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) |
Flats units or apartments - In a four or more storey block | Private/Public/Total | New | Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) |
Flats units or apartments - Total including those attached to a house | Private/Public/Total | New | Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) |
Total Other Residential | Private/Public/Total | New | Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) |
Total Residential | Private/Public/Total | New/Alterations and additions/Conversions/Alterations and additions including conversions/Total | Number of dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) |
Retail and Wholesale Trade Buildings | Private/Public/Total | Total | Value of Approval ($000) |
Transport Buildings | Private/Public/Total | Total | Value of Approval ($000) |
Offices | Private/Public/Total | Total | Value of Approval ($000) |
Commercial Buildings nec | Private/Public/Total | Total | Value of Approval ($000) |
Commercial Buildings Total | Private/Public/Total | Total | Value of Approval ($000) |
Factories and other secondary production buildings | Private/Public/Total | Total | Value of Approval ($000) |
Warehouses | Private/Public/Total | Total | Value of Approval ($000) |
Agricultural and aquacultural buildings | Private/Public/Total | Total | Value of Approval ($000) |
Other Industrial buildings nec | Private/Public/Total | Total | Value of Approval ($000) |
Industrial Buildings Total | Private/Public/Total | Total | Value of Approval ($000) |
Education Buildings | Private/Public/Total | Total | Value of Approval ($000) |
Religion Buildings | Private/Public/Total | Total | Value of Approval ($000) |
Aged care facilities | Private/Public/Total | Total | Value of Approval ($000) |
Health buildings | Private/Public/Total | Total | Value of Approval ($000) |
Entertainment and recreation buildings | Private/Public/Total | Total | Value of Approval ($000) |
Short term accommodation buildings | Private/Public/Total | Total | Value of Approval ($000) |
Other non-residential nec | Private/Public/Total | Total | Value of Approval ($000) |
Other Non-Residential Total | Private/Public/Total | Total | Value of Approval ($000) |
Total non-residential | Private/Public/Total | Total | Number of Dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) |
Dwellings excluding new residential | Private/Public/Total | Total | Number of Dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) |
Dwellings excluding new houses | Private/Public/Total | Total | Number of Dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) |
Total | Private/Public/Total | Total | Number of Dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) |
Local Government Areas: State, Year are SuperTABLE datasets containing Local Government Area data for that state/territory for each month in the relevant year.
Classifications |
Geographic Classification | Local Government Area (LGA) and State |
Reference Month | Monthly (yyyy refers to the financial year) |
Sector of Ownership | Private, Public, Total |
Type of Building | Houses, Other residential, Residential, Non-residential, Total building |
Type of Work | New, Alterations & additions (incl. conversions and refurbishments), Total work |
Data Items | Value of approval ($000's), Number of dwelling units (no.), Selected value and dwelling ranges |
All cross tabulation available for SA2 are available at the LGA level, as well the additional data items detailed in the table below.
Building Type | Sector of Ownership | Type of Work | Variables |
Houses | Private/Public/Total | New | Number of Jobs, Dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) by dwelling and value ranges |
Total Other Residential | Private/Public/Total | New | Number of Jobs, Dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) by dwelling and value ranges |
Total Residential | Private/Public/Total | New | Number of Jobs, Dwellings and Value of Approval ($000) by dwelling and value ranges |
Commercial Buildings Total | Private/Public/Total | Total | Number of Jobs, Value of Approval ($000) by value ranges |
Industrial Buildings Total | Private/Public/Total | Total | Number of Jobs, Value of Approval ($000) by value ranges |
Other Non-Residential Total | Private/Public/Total | Total | Number of Jobs, Value of Approval ($000) by value ranges |
Total non-residential | Private/Public/Total | Total | Number of Jobs, Value of Approval ($000) by value ranges |
Validation Table for use with SuperTABLE data cubes
The validation table is an Excel spreadsheet containing state level data for checking purposes when using SuperTABLE datasets. It is VERY IMPORTANT to check totals from tables created against the validation table to ensure you have extracted correct data. Each classification must be added to the table or over-counting will result. If a classification is not added to the table, all levels or components of that classification will be added together. As some classifications contain subtotals and totals already, this will result in some records being counted more than once. Therefore, even if a classification is not required in the table, at least one category should be subset and added to the table. For example, if the Public/Private sector split is not required you should still add the Total category for this classification or SuperTABLE will add the Public, Private and Total categories together for the number and value data in the table resulting in double-counting.
Previous financial year Statistical Area 2 (SA2) SuperTABLE data cubes
For SA2 data cubes for financial years 2001-02 to 2010-11 see the January 2014 issue of
Building Approvals, Australia (cat.no. 8731.0).
For SA2 data cubes for financial years 2011-12 to 2014-15 see the January 2017 issue of
Building Approvals, Australia (cat.no. 8731.0).
For SA2 data cubes for financial years 2015-16 to 2016-17 see the January 2019 issue of
Building Approvals, Australia (cat.no. 8731.0).
Excel Spreadsheets
Statistical Area 2s: State, Year are Excel spreadsheets containing Statistical Area 2 data for that state/territory for the relevant year.
Information available |
| |
Geographic Classification | Statistical Area 2 (SA2), Statistical Area 3 (SA3), Statistical Area 4 (SA4), Greater Capital City Statistical Area and State |
Time period | Total year, or year to date for the current financial year |
Data items | New houses (number and value)
New other residential building (number and value)
Total dwellings (number)
Alterations and additions to residential buildings (value)
Total residential building (value)
Non-residential building (value)
Total building (value) |
Local Government Areas: State, Year are Excel spreadsheets containing Local Government Area data for that state/territory for the relevant year.
Information available |
| |
Geographic Classification | Local Government Area (LGA) and State |
Time period | Total year, or year to date for the current financial year |
Data items | New houses (number and value)
New other residential building (number and value)
Total dwellings (number)
Alterations and additions to residential buildings (value)
Total residential building (value)
Non-residential building (value)
Total building (value) |
Volatility of Local Government Area and Statistical Area 2 Data
Note that the estimates for small areas vary from month to month and caution should be used in drawing conclusions from monthly movements.
For Further Information
For any queries about the Buildings data in the cubes, please contact the National Information and Referral Service 1300 135 070. The
ABS Privacy Policy outlines how the ABS will handle any personal information that you provide to us.