Australia’s housing pipeline is weakening again after new data shows building approvals—particularly for apartments—drop sharply, according to reports in Perth. Both outlets say the latest decline deepens the housing shortage by reducing the number of new dwellings likely to be delivered in the coming years. The reports link the fall in approvals to further movement away from a key national housing target. While apartment approvals contract, the coverage emphasizes that the overall pace of housing construction is not keeping up with required levels. The result is described as widening the gap between current housing supply trends and policy goals aimed at increasing housing availability. The outlets’ shared focus is on the slumping approvals figures and the impact this has on meeting the target, rather than on identifying a single cause. Taken together, the reporting indicates that reduced apartment development activity is contributing to a continued deterioration of housing affordability conditions and ongoing challenges for supply planning.