The ACT recorded 579 dwelling approvals in December - up significantly on November's 197 approvals - driven by higher-density dwellings, with 480 multi-unit homes and 99 detached houses approved.
Property Council ACT & Capital Region Executive Director Ashlee Berry said a lift would be welcome. But consistency is what will determine whether the ACT can deliver year after year.
"A better month is good news, but the ACT can't build a housing pipeline on stop-start results," Ms Berry said.
"We need a market where more projects stack up, more often. That's what turns approvals into starts and starts into completed homes."
Over the 12 months to December 2025, the ACT approved 4,353 dwellings. Since the start of the Housing Accord, the ACT has approved 5,157 dwellings.
Ms Berry said reform work underway in the ACT should be judged by whether it improves feasibility and reduces timeframes for projects that can deliver scale, particularly well-located multi-unit housing.
"The ACT has made sensible moves on streamlining and reducing duplication. The next step is getting the settings right so projects can proceed," she said.
"Feasibility is still the pressure point - if costs and charges keep pushing projects below the line, approvals will remain lumpy and delivery will stay under pressure."
Ms Berry said reform of the Lease Variation Charge remains central to restoring investment confidence and bringing forward supply.
"LVC settings have been a handbrake on delivery for too long. If reform genuinely improves feasibility, you'll see it show up in approvals and, more importantly, in starts," she said.
Ms Berry said industry also wants implementation of developer licensing and compliance reforms to lift standards without adding unnecessary cost, delay or process risk.
"The ACT has a real opportunity to shift from policy conversation to construction activity. That means making more projects viable, shortening the path from approval to site, and keeping the pipeline moving," Ms Berry said.
