CONSTRUCTION


BUILDING APPROVALS

The number of dwelling units approved in South Australia (in trend terms) has fallen for the first time in nearly a year, with 1,115 approvals in June 2010. This represents a fall of 0.4% over the estimate for May 2010 (1,120) but is 15.8% higher than the previous low of 963 approvals in July 2009. Nationally, the number of dwelling units approved has fallen for the fourth consecutive month. The estimate of 13,845 in June 2010 is 8.5% below the peak recorded at the beginning of the year (15,125 approvals January and February 2010).

The trend estimate for the number of private sector houses approved in South Australia fell to 699 in June 2010. Private sector house approvals as a proportion of total dwelling units have fallen from a high of 76.3% in February 2009 to 62.7% in June 2010.

In the year to June 2010, the total number of dwelling units approved in South Australia rose 5.0% over the previous year. Decreases recorded in the South East (down 25.2%), Northern (down 8.6%) and Yorke and Lower North (down 5.9%) Statistical Divisions moderated the increase in the number of dwelling units approved in the Eyre, Outer Adelaide and Adelaide Statistical Divisions (up 26.1%, 8.9% and 7.1% respectively).

DWELLING UNITS APPROVED, by Statistical Division, Original, South Australia
	Year ended June 2009		Year ended June 2010
	Dwelling units	Change over previous year	Dwelling units	Change over previous year
	no.	%	no.	%
Adelaide	8 289	-11.6	8 876	7.1
Outer Adelaide	1 571	-5.3	1 711	8.9
Yorke and Lower North	511	-18.4	481	-5.9
Murray Lands	437	-13.1	448	2.5
South East	535	37.5	400	-25.2
Eyre	238	-29.0	300	26.1
Northern	431	-12.0	394	-8.6
South Australia	12 012	-10.2	12 610	5.0
Source: Building Approvals, Australia - data available on request

Map of South Australia's Statistical Divisions (PDF 3.083MB)


CONSTRUCTION WORK DONE

In the March quarter 2010, the total value of building work done (in trend terms) in South Australia rose to $1,221.5m, an increase of 4.4% over the December quarter 2009.

Between the December quarters 2007 and 2009, the trend estimate for the value of engineering work done rose sharply ($628.0m to $1,283.0m) before plateauing in the March quarter 2010 ($1,285.0m). For the last three quarters, the value of engineering work done has exceeded the value of building work done. This upsurge in engineering construction is the focus of the feature article presented in the April 2010 issue of SA Stats.