The region’s eight councils approved 651 new dwellings in the year to the end of June, Australian Bureau of Statistics figures showed.

That was up from 522 in the previous financial year.

West Tamar led the growth with an increase of 49 approvals, taking its total for the year to 147.

Launceston had the region’s most approvals (220) and the city’s total was up by 27 compared to the previous year.

Meander Valley also had strong growth, up by 38 to 123.

Of the eight councils, only two had declines, and they were by just one approval each.

They were Dorset and George Town.

Flinders had an approvals boom relative to its population size, up from three approvals to 10.

Break O’Day’s approvals increased by nine to 45.

Northern Midlands was up by one to 61.

The North-West also had solid growth.

Approvals in the North-West and on the West Coast increased by about 10 per cent to 485.

Latrobe led the way in that region, with its approvals up by 35 to 129.

Statewide approvals increased by 599 (26.6 per cent)  to 2847.

The statewide growth in approvals was likely to be linked to the state’s increasing population growth rate.

Tasmania’s population increased by 4875 in the year to December 31, the ABS estimated.

That was driven by:

Both types of net migration contributed more growth than in the previous year, while births less deaths  weakened by 446.

The population growth rate was the strongest since last decade.