Building approvals, live development applications and major projects across the
Alice Springs statistical area — covering Alice Springs, MacDonnell and Central Desert and 1 more.
SA3 70201Rest of NT43,614 residents10 statistical areas
1 Proposed1,591applications on record, none of them currently openLatest March 2026See applications ↓
2 Approved67dwellings approved in 2025-26, or 0.12 per 100 existing dwellings a yearOfficial · ABS to August 2026See approvals ↓
3 Building24major projects committed or under construction, 12 of them already on siteForward · completions to 2029+See projects ↓
4 Delivered855new addresses verified since the 2021 Census, up 6.0% on the existing baseActual · to August 2026Where it landed ↓
In the 2025-26 financial year the ABS recorded 67 dwelling approvals across Alice Springs. AreaSearch tracks 24 major projects here that are committed or under construction, the largest being Telstra InfraCo Intercity Fibre Network at an estimated $1.60bn. On the ground, 855 new addresses have been verified since the 2021 Census — growth of 6.0% on the existing address base.
These four figures are deliberately not added together. An application, an
approval and a project under construction are often the same building at three points in its life,
measured by three different bodies with three different lags. Read them as a sequence, not a total.
ApprovedBuilding Approvals in Alice Springs
What councils and certifiers have formally
permitted — the ABS series, published about four months in arrears.
Approvals are running at 0.12 per 100 existing dwellings a year, below the Northern Territory rate of 0.26. Development here remains overwhelmingly detached: houses account for 76% of recent approvals. That is a clear shift back toward detached housing — the five-year average is 67% houses. The mix being approved closely matches what is already standing — 67% houses against 68% of existing homes. The average approved dwelling is valued at $521,000 in construction cost.
For its size, Alice Springs is adding 0.12 dwellings a year per 100 existing homes — below the Northern Territory rate of 0.26 and the national rate of 0.71. That is about 1.6 approvals a year for every 1,000 residents. Building intensity has fallen by about 35% across the published series.
Measured against people rather than housing stock, Alice Springs is approving 1.54 dwellings a year per 1,000 residents — below the Northern Territory rate of 3.19. The two rate views differ by household size, which here averages 3.3 people per home. Housing the projection to 2041 would need about 2.67 per 1,000 residents a year.
Dwelling approvals a year per 100 existing
homes, with Northern Territory and Australia for comparison. This is the
same activity as the totals view, divided by the size of the area — which is the only
fair way to compare a large SA3 with a small one.
Dwelling approvals a year per 1,000
residents, each year divided by that year’s estimated resident
population (ABS ERP at 30 June), not by today’s — which matters most in fast-growing
areas, where a fixed denominator can understate the early years by half. The most recent periods use the latest published ERP, as the population series runs a year behind approvals. Read it alongside the per-100-homes view: the two differ wherever household size does.
Dwelling units approved each financial year. The dashed line is the five-year average of 68.
How intensively is it building?
Dwelling approvals a year per 100 existing dwellings.
Alice Springs0.12
Northern Territory0.26
Australia0.71
What is here, and what is coming
Detached houses as a share of existing homes,
against the share of recent approvals.
Existing homes (2021 Census)68%
Approved, last 5 years67%
Approved, latest year76%
Detached housesApartments, townhouses & other
Approvals mix by year
Share of each year’s approvals.
2023
2024
2025
2026
2025-26
$41.6m
Residential work approved
2025-26
$130m
Commercial work approved
construction cost
$521,000
Average value per approved dwelling
last two years
960
Residents per approval
Supply & DemandIs Alice Springs Building Enough Homes?
The same approvals, measured against the population
they have to house.
Alice Springs approves about 1.6 new dwellings a year for every 1,000 residents. Since the 2021 Census it has added 7,143 residents but only 855 new addresses — about 8.4 extra people for every home built, against an average household of 3.3. On those numbers supply has not kept pace with growth. Housing the population projected for 2041 implies roughly 116 new dwellings a year from here, which puts the recent approval rate of 68 a year well behind what the projection needs.
Growth against supply since the Census
People added for every new address verified,
against the size of an average local household.
People added per new home8.4
Average household size3.3
A bar longer than the household average means
the area gained more residents than its new housing could hold, and the extra had to be
absorbed by existing homes.
Approval rate against projected need
Dwellings a year: what is currently being
approved, against what the 2041 population projection implies.
Approved (5-yr average)68
Implied need to 2041116
Implied need assumes the average household stays
at today’s 3.3 people. Approvals are not
completions, and not every approval is built.
What is being asked for right now — applications
collected from council planning portals, before any of it reaches the ABS series above.
AreaSearch tracks applications of material scale; routine minor works such as signage and
fencing changes are not carried, so these are not counts of every application lodged. 294
of them carry an AreaSearch analyst assessment — look for the
Analysed marker in the search below.
AreaSearch tracks 1,591 development applications of material scale lodged with councils across Alice Springs, the most recent in March 2026. The most common types in the queue are industrial, multi-residential and childcare.
Coverage
AreaSearch reads applications directly from each council’s planning register.
Alice Springs is not yet covered evenly. Alice Springs (72% of residents) — no lodgement dates published; Central Desert (8.4% of residents) — no lodgement dates published. Those councils are under-represented in every count and chart below.
Number of applications by development type. This is the clearest
single picture of what kind of place Alice Springs is being asked to become. Councils in
Northern Territory do not publish an estimated cost of works in
their planning feeds, so applications here are counted rather than valued. A further 15 applications sit across
3 smaller categories,
too few to plot.
Where the applications stand
As reported by the council. Highlighted rows are
applications still in assessment.
Decided596
Decided or Past322
In Progress287
Archived202
Past170
On exhibition4
295 applications are still marked under
assessment but were lodged more than
18 months ago. Councils often leave determined or
abandoned applications open in their feeds, so
they are counted here but excluded
from the live queue above.
A further 1 application carry no status in the council feed.
By local government area
Applications on record within each council area that
overlaps Alice Springs. This counts applications inside this
statistical area only — it is not a total for the council.
MacDonnell711
Ipswich313
Sunshine Coast205
Alice Springs192
Redland92
Recent applications in Alice Springs
By the number of dwellings proposed, as lodged. Figures are the applicant’s own and are not verified by AreaSearch.
Mixed-density development of 937 dwellings (168 townhouses, 769 apartments) and ground floor retailSandover - Plenty · In Progress · lodged Dec 2025
937 dwellings
Vertical retirement village of 242 units across 6 buildings (6-7 storeys) with basement parkingSandover - Plenty · In Progress · lodged May 2025
243 dwellings
189 residential lots, 1 childcare lot, 2 balance lots, and new road over 2 stagesSandover - Plenty · In Progress · lodged Dec 2025
189 dwellings
10-storey mixed-use development with 90 residential units, office, and food/drink outletSandover - Plenty · In Progress · lodged Feb 2026
90 dwellings
Construction of an 83-unit townhouse development complexSandover - Plenty · In Progress · lodged Feb 2026
83 dwellings
73-unit townhouse development with communal open space and access via Boyne StreetSandover - Plenty · In Progress · lodged Sep 2025
73 dwellings
Nine-storey mixed-use development with 65 dwellings, ground floor cafe, and office spacesSandover - Plenty · In Progress (Impact) · lodged Feb 2026
65 dwellings
Development permit for Material Change of Use to construct 50 townhouses (8 x 3-storey, 42 x 2-storey)Sandover - Plenty · In Progress · lodged Dec 2025
50 dwellings
BuildingFORWARDMajor Projects & Infrastructure in Alice Springs
What is funded and moving — the projects large enough
to change how Alice Springs works, ranked by committed value and how close
they are to delivery.
AreaSearch tracks 24 current projects across Alice Springs. The largest is Telstra InfraCo Intercity Fibre Network at an estimated $1.60bn, due by 2027. That breaks down as 12 under construction, 3 approved and awaiting a start and 9 still in planning. The pipeline is weighted toward residential development, transport & logistics and communities, precincts & urban renewal.
Under construction$1.60bnby 2027
Telstra InfraCo Intercity Fibre Network
Telstra InfraCo is delivering a national 14,000 km ultra-high capacity intercity fibre network linking all mainland Australian capital cities. The project includes dual express and foundation fibre paths…
A 250 million AUD Australian and NT Government plan (now 345.9 million AUD) to improve community safety and infrastructure. Key 2026 milestones include the opening of the Todd Street Health Hub in Alice…
The Ammaroo Phosphate Project is a fully approved open-cut phosphate mining and beneficiation project in the Northern Territory. The project will produce export-grade phosphate rock concentrate for fertiliser…
Lasseters Hotel Casino Extension and RedevelopmentUnder construction · Tourism · by 2028 · Mount Johns
$200m
Tanami Road UpgradeUnder construction · Transport & Logistics · by 2033 · Tanami
$1.19bn
Enabling Digital Health Services for Regional and Remote AustraliaUnder construction · Health & Medical · by 2033 · Sandover - Plenty
$1.40bn
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Gallery of Australia (ATSIAGA)Approved · Arts & Culture · by 2027 · Charles
$149m
St Mary's Hostel Housing DevelopmentUnder construction · Residential Development · by 2028 · Ross
$26m
St Mary's Hostel Social and Affordable Housing ProjectUnder construction · Residential Development · by 2028 · Mount Johns
$26m
Melanka Accelerated Accommodation DevelopmentApproved · Residential Development · by 2028 · Charles
$100m
Gillen Oval Multi-Sport PrecinctUnder construction · Sports & Recreation · by 2027 · Flynn (NT)
$15m
Alice Springs Flood Mitigation ProjectUnder construction · Environmental & Disaster Management · by 2027 · Charles
$15m
Kilgariff EstateUnder construction · Communities, Precincts & Urban Renewal · by 2027 · Ross
$11m
Yeperenye Shopping Centre RedevelopmentIn planning · Precincts & Urban Renewal · by 2027 · Charles
$27m
Kilgariff Estate Residential DevelopmentUnder construction · Residential Development · by 2026 · Ross
9 further projects in
Alice Springs are not listed here.
Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as
definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other
investigations from the project’s source for actual imagery. Developers and
project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact
Us and we will do so.
Beyond 2030:
a further $2.59bn across
2 projects with completion dates further out — mostly precinct-scale programs whose dates are
indicative. Kept out of the chart so the years you can act on stay readable.
Estimated value of tracked projects by the year they are due to
complete, stacked by how certain they are. The dark band is money already being spent;
the pale band is still an intention. Estimates are indicative and mix infrastructure
cost with whole-of-precinct development value, so read the shape rather than the totals.
Approvals PipelineDevelopment Applications in Alice Springs
Development applications around
Alice Springs
Development approvals is a new addition to AreaSearch.
We’re actively expanding council coverage and refining the dataset — details and statuses for some councils may be partial. Check back regularly for the latest pipeline.
Applications
—
In the local catchment
Est. Value
—
Where disclosed
Under Assessment
—
Awaiting determination
Determined
—
Approved or decided
Approvals pipelineStatus, location, timing and project scale
Loading development applications…
Lodged
Address
Description
Type
Distance
Status
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
ProfessionalPRODevelopment Map for Alice Springs
Applications and major projects plotted where
they are actually proposed, with the
36 projects AreaSearch tracks here on their own tab — filterable by type, delivery stage,
area and committed value. To search every application on record rather
than this sample, use the section above.
DistributionWhere Development Is Happening in Alice Springs
Alice Springs covers 10 statistical areas, and development is not spread evenly between them. The busiest was Petermann - Simpson with 13 approvals in 2025-26. The top three between them took 49% of the total.
Approvals per 100 existing homes in
2025-26, by statistical area, with the Alice Springs figure marked. Ranked
rather than stacked: rates cannot be added together.
Approvals per 1,000 residents in 2025-26,
by statistical area, against each area’s own estimated resident population, with the
Alice Springs figure marked. A small area building hard is invisible in
the totals view and obvious here.
Dwelling approvals each financial year, split by the statistical area they
fell in. Each column totals the whole Alice Springs figure from the
approvals chart above — SA2s nest exactly inside an SA3, so the two always reconcile.
Tap or click an area in the legend to hide it and compare the rest.
The smallest 5 areas are
grouped as one band.
Map builder
Each area below opens a map builder on its own page — a tool for
putting a map and a table into a report. Pick the place types you want plotted
(schools, supermarkets, medical, child care, transport and the rest of what
AreaSearch holds), add development applications as their own layer, drop your own
points, then recolour, renumber and export the result as a table or CSV.
A this area only toggle clips everything to the boundary you are looking at.
Searches are charged against your credit balance — 1 credit per 40
results from AreaSearch data — and setting filters costs nothing until
you search. The builder works on one suburb-sized area at a time, which is why it
opens per area rather than across the whole of
Alice Springs.
Planning AuthoritiesCouncils Covering Alice Springs
Alice Springs spans 4 local government areas — Alice Springs, MacDonnell, Central Desert and Barkly. Applications here are assessed by whichever of those councils the site falls within. AreaSearch publishes development
figures at ABS statistical boundaries rather than council boundaries. That is deliberate: the ABS
issues a separate official building-approvals series for local government areas, and totals
built up from statistical areas would not match it. Reporting at SA3 keeps every figure on this page
reconcilable with the published ABS series.
Local government area
Share of Alice Springs
Applications on record
Register read to
Alice Springs
72% of residents
192
No dates published
MacDonnell
16% of residents
711
March 2026
Central Desert
8.4% of residents
2
No dates published
Barkly
2.9% of residents
—
Not yet collected
CompareNearby Development Hubs
The same view of building approvals, applications and
major projects for areas neighbouring Alice Springs.
Collected from council planning portals. The
earliest signal available, but the least certain: many applications are amended,
withdrawn or refused, values are the applicant’s own estimate, and coverage
varies by council. This is a curated set, not the full council feed:
AreaSearch carries applications of material scale and does not track routine minor
works such as signage, fencing or small alterations, so the counts here are lower
than a council’s own total lodgement figure and should not be compared with it. Applications still shown as under assessment more than
18 months after lodgement are reported separately
and kept out of the live-queue figures: the age profile of open applications is
sharply split between a genuine queue under a year old and a long tail of records
councils never closed. Not every state publishes a cost of works — Queensland,
the Northern Territory and the ACT publish none at all — so on those pages
applications are counted rather than valued and no dollar figure is shown
rather than a partial one. Treated here as a snapshot of the current queue only —
AreaSearch does not chart application counts over time, because the history
reflects when each portal was collected rather than when development happened.
Approved — ABS building approvals
The official series, aggregated to SA3 from
ABS building approvals data, currently published to August 2026.
Counts dwelling units approved, not buildings and not completions. The most recent
financial year is annualised from nine months of data wherever it appears and is
labelled as such.
Building — major projects
Projects tracked individually by AreaSearch
from Infrastructure Australia, state infrastructure agencies, developer disclosures
and council records. Values are estimates and delivery dates are targets. Ranked on
this page by committed value and delivery stage rather than by distance.
Delivered — verified new addresses
New residential addresses verified in the national
address register since the 2021 Census. This is the closest available measure of what has
actually been built, though address creation can lead occupation and lags
construction. It is not a completions count.
Boundaries
Alice Springs is Statistical Area Level 3 70201 in the ABS Australian Statistical Geography Standard (2021 edition), made up of 10 Statistical Areas Level 2.
It has an estimated 43,614 residents, +19.6% since the 2021 Census.
Currency
Measure
Source
To
Dwelling approvals, five-year average
ABS / AreaSearch
July 2026
House share of approvals
ABS / AreaSearch
July 2026
Residents per approval
ABS / AreaSearch
July 2026
Value per approved dwelling
ABS / AreaSearch
July 2026
Commercial work approved
ABS / AreaSearch
July 2026
Verified new addresses since the Census
Address register / AreaSearch
August 2026
Development applications
Council planning portals
March 2026
Major projects
Infrastructure Australia / state agencies / AreaSearch
Ongoing
Figures on this page are read live from the
AreaSearch database each time it loads, so they update as soon as a source does.
Development in Alice Springs — common questions
How many new dwellings were approved in Alice Springs?
The ABS recorded 67 dwelling approvals across Alice Springs in the 2025-26 financial year, against a five-year average of 68 a year.
How many development applications are lodged in Alice Springs?
AreaSearch tracks 1,591 development applications of material scale across Alice Springs — routine minor works such as signage and fencing are not included, so this is not a count of every application lodged. Applications are assessed within the Alice Springs, MacDonnell and Central Desert local government areas. The most recent application in our data was lodged in March 2026.
What major projects are planned for Alice Springs?
AreaSearch tracks 24 current major projects in Alice Springs, 12 of them under construction. The largest include Telstra InfraCo Intercity Fibre Network, Better and Safer Future for Central Australia and Ammaroo Phosphate Project.
Which council covers Alice Springs?
Alice Springs is an ABS Statistical Area Level 3. It is covered by parts of 4 local government areas — Alice Springs, MacDonnell, Central Desert and Barkly. AreaSearch publishes development figures at ABS statistical boundaries rather than council boundaries, so they reconcile with the official ABS series.
Is Alice Springs growing faster than the rest of Northern Territory?
On development approvals, Alice Springs is adding new dwellings more slowly than Northern Territory as a whole — 0.12 approvals per 100 existing dwellings a year against the state figure of 0.26.
How current is this development data?
ABS building approvals are published with a lag of roughly four months; this page carries the series to August 2026. Development applications are collected from council planning portals and refresh continuously, with the most recent application here lodged in March 2026. Major project records are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Each section carries its own currency label so the four are never confused.
Development data is provided for general information.
Estimated values, dwelling counts and delivery dates come from the lodging or delivering party and
are not independently verified by AreaSearch. Confirm anything material with the relevant council
or agency before relying on it.
Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as
definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other
investigations from the project’s source for actual imagery. Developers and
project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact
Us and we will do so.