MARCH KEY FIGURES

		Mar qtr 09	Dec qtr 08 to Mar qtr 09	Mar qtr 08 to Mar qtr 09
		$m	% change	% change
TREND ESTIMATES(a)
Value of work done
	Building	17 694.5	-1.9	-1.0
	Residential	10 067.5	-2.7	-2.5
	Non-residential	7 629.3	-0.8	1.2
	Engineering	17 575.4	2.8	19.2
	Total construction	35 317.3	0.6	8.3
SEASONALLY ADJUSTED ESTIMATES(a)
Value of work done
	Building	17 424.9	-4.4	-2.1
	Residential	9 853.1	-6.0	-4.6
	Non-residential	7 571.8	-2.1	1.3
	Engineering	17 040.8	-3.0	10.1
	Total construction	34 465.8	-3.7	3.5
(a) Chain volume measures, reference year 2006-07.

Value of construction work done, Chain volume measures - Trend estimates

Value of building work done, Chain volume measures - Trend estimates

MARCH KEY POINTS


VALUE OF WORK DONE, CHAIN VOLUME MEASURES

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION

• The trend estimate for total construction work done rose 0.6% in the March quarter 2009.
• The seasonally adjusted estimate for total construction work done fell 3.7%, to $34,465.8m, in the March quarter, following a revised rise of 2.3% in the December quarter.

BUILDING

• The trend estimate for building work done fell 1.9% in the March quarter. Residential building work done fell 2.7% while non-residential fell 0.8%.
• The seasonally adjusted estimate of building work done fell 4.4% to $17,424.9m, in the March quarter. Residential building fell 6.0% to $9,853.1m and non-residential building fell 2.1%, to $7,571.8m.

ENGINEERING

• The trend estimate for Engineering work done rose 2.8% in the latest quarter.
• The seasonally adjusted estimate for Engineering work done fell 3.0%, to $17,040.8m, in the March quarter.

NOTES

FORTHCOMING ISSUES

ISSUE (QUARTER)	Release Date
June 2009	26 August 2009
September 2009	25 November 2009

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 2009 and in Building Activity, Australia (cat. no. 8752.0) on 15 July 2009.


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 revisions have been identified in Building Approvals information for a number of regions in Australia in recent years. 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 2007.


INQUIRIES

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