CONSTRUCTION


BUILDING APPROVALS

The number of dwelling units approved in South Australia (in trend terms) has risen for the tenth consecutive month with 1,182 approvals recorded in May 2010. This was slightly above the previous high recorded in June 2008 (1,180 approvals). In comparison, the number of dwelling units approved at the national level has fallen for the fourth consecutive month. The estimate of 14,270 in May 2010 is 4.4% below the peak recorded at the beginning of the year (14,924 approvals January 2010).

The trend estimate for the number of private sector houses approved in South Australia fell slightly to 741 in May 2010. Private sector house approvals as a proportion of total dwelling units have fallen from 76.5% in July 2009 to 62.7% in May 2010.

In the year to May 2010, the total number of dwelling units approved in South Australia rose 1.7% over the previous year. Decreases recorded in the South East (down 22.2%), Northern (down 13.5%) and Yorke and Lower North (down 9.5%) Statistical Divisions moderated the increase in the number of dwelling units approved in the Eyre, Outer Adelaide and Adelaide Statistical Divisions (up 9.4%, 5.5% and 3.8% respectively).

DWELLING UNITS APPROVED, by Statistical Division, Original, South Australia
	Year ended May 2009		Year ended May 2010
	Dwelling units	Change over previous year	Dwelling units	Change over previous year
	no.	%	no.	%
Adelaide	8 584	-3.5	8 909	3.8
Outer Adelaide	1 624	0.6	1 714	5.5
Yorke and Lower North	517	-18.7	468	-9.5
Murray Lands	466	0.9	460	-1.3
South East	522	34.5	406	-22.2
Eyre	265	-18.2	290	9.4
Northern	445	-4.3	385	-13.5
South Australia	12 423	-2.8	12 632	1.7
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.