8752.5 - Building Activity, Western Australia, Jun 1998  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 27/10/1998   
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  • ABS survey shows homes to the rescue in WA construction (Media Release)

MEDIA RELEASE

October 27, 1998
Embargoed: 11:30 AM (AEST)
104/1998

ABS survey shows homes to the rescue in WA construction

Work done on non-residential building in Western Australia fell in the June quarter for the third successive quarter, to $225.0 million. This figure, based on seasonally adjusted average 1989-90 prices, is the lowest figure recorded since September quarter 1996.

New commencements on non-residential buildings also continued to fall, with a drop of 10.3 per cent during the June quarter 1998.

However, overall, the value of work done on both residential and non-residential building fell only 1.3 per cent during the June quarter 1998. This resulted from growth in new residential buildings which reached $461.2 million, the highest figure since the June quarter 1995. Work done on new houses increased by 4.9 per cent to $407.7 million, while work on other residential buildings rose 5.2 per cent to $50.6 million.

Further evidence of a drop-off in the construction of non-residential buildings is the continuous fall (in original figures) over the past 5 quarters of 'work yet to be done' at the end of the period. In March quarter 1997 work yet to be done was $419.9 million, by the June quarter 1998 this had fallen 50.4 per cent to $208.3 million. Work yet to be done represents the difference between anticipated completion value and the estimated value of work done up to the end of the period on building jobs commenced but not completed.



Details are in Building Activity Western Australia, June Quarter 1998 (cat. no. 8752.5) available in ABS bookshops in all capital cities.