MARCH KEY FIGURES

		Mar qtr 08	Dec qtr 07 to Mar qtr 08	Mar qtr 07 to Mar qtr 08
		$m	% change	% change
TREND ESTIMATES(a)
Value of work done
	Building	16 529.6	-0.1	0.2
	Residential	9 729.5	-0.1	-1.7
	Non-residential	6 796.8	-0.3	3.1
	Engineering	13 342.3	2.9	10.1
	Total construction	29 895.1	1.3	4.5
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED ESTIMATES(a)
Value of work done
	Building	16 444.5	-	-1.3
	Residential	9 731.4	0.3	-2.6
	Non-residential	6 713.1	-0.5	0.8
	Engineering	13 523.8	5.2	9.5
	Total construction	29 968.3	2.3	3.3
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) Chain volume measures, reference year 2005-06.

Value of construction work done, Volume terms - Trend estimates

Value of building work done, Volume terms - Trend estimates

MARCH KEY POINTS


VALUE OF WORK DONE, CHAIN VOLUME MEASURES

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION

• The trend estimate for total construction work done rose 1.3% in the March quarter 2008.
• The seasonally adjusted estimate for total construction work done rose 2.3%, to $29,968.3m, in the March quarter, following a revised fall of 0.8% in the December quarter.

BUILDING

• The trend estimate for building work done fell 0.1% in the March quarter. Residential building work done fell 0.1% while non-residential fell 0.3%.
• The seasonally adjusted estimate of building work done was flat in the March quarter at $16,444.5m. Residential building rose 0.3% to $9,731.4m and non-residential building fell 0.5%, to $6,713.1m.

ENGINEERING

• The trend estimate for Engineering work done rose 2.9% in the latest quarter.
• The seasonally adjusted estimate for Engineering work done rose 5.2%, to $13,523.8m, in the March quarter.

NOTES

FORTHCOMING ISSUES

ISSUE (QUARTER)	Release Date
June 2008	27 August 2008
September 2008	26 November 2008

ABOUT THIS ISSUE

This publication provides an early indication of trends in building and engineering construction activity. The data are estimates based on a response rate of approximately 80% of the value of both building and engineering work done during the quarter. More comprehensive and updated results will be released in Engineering Construction Activity, Australia (cat.no.8762.0) on 1 July 2008 and in Building Activity, Australia (cat. no. 8752.0) on 15 July 2008.


CHANGES IN THIS ISSUE

There are no changes in this issue.


DATA NOTES

As a survey of approved building jobs, outcomes from the Building Activity Survey are subject to the accuracy of Building Approvals information used in preparing the collection. Some errors have been identified in Building Approvals information for a number of regions in Australia over recent years. Adjustments were made to the affected Building Approvals series and revisions were incorporated into the March 2008 issue of Building Approvals, Australia (cat. no. 8731.0), released on 1 May 2008.

As a result of the changes in the Building Approvals series there will be corresponding revisions to other building series. These changes have been incorporated into this issue going back to the September Quarter 2001.


INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070 or Paul Pamment on Adelaide (08) 8237 7647.