Tasmania is defying the national real estate slump.
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In February, the state notched 12 straight months of trend terms growth in the number of home loan commitments for owner-occupation, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The 817 commitments in February were up by 69 from February 2018 and the most since November 2009.
Monthly commitments dropped into the 500s in many months early in the decade.
There is also plenty of action in the home building industry, and that looks set to continue.
Tasmanian councils approved 2135 new dwellings in the eight months to the end of February, the ABS said.
If approvals kept up at that rate, they would push to about 3200 for the full financial year.
Approvals totalled 2850 in 2017-18.
The Clarence City Council was the state's busiest for approvals in the current financial year, with 320 until the end of February.
The fast-growing Latrobe municipality led the way in the North-West, with 91 financial year to date approvals.
The state's most populous municipality, Launceston, topped the North and was second statewide with 221 approvals.
Brighton, north of Hobart, was running third with 197 approvals.
In the North, West Tamar was running second to Launceston with 82 approvals for the financial year to date.
Elsewhere in the Northern region:
- Meander Valley had 71 approvals;
- Northern Midlands, 57;
- Break O'Day, 37;
- Dorset, 34;
- George Town, 14; and
- Flinders, 6.
Of the other North-West areas:
- Devonport had 78 approvals;
- Central Coast, 63;
- Waratah-Wynyard, 35;
- Burnie, 22;
- Kentish, 21;
- Circular Head, 11;
- the West Coast, one; and
- King Island, one.