CONSTRUCTION


BUILDING APPROVALS

The March 2011 trend estimate for the number of dwelling units approved in South Australia has risen for the first time since falling from its peak in March 2010. The current estimate of 851 represents an increase of 1.8% over the previous month (836), but is 23.9% lower than the peak recorded a year earlier (1,118). Nationally, the number of dwelling unit approvals fell (1.0%) to 13,130, with the March 2011 estimate 15.1% below the peak recorded in February 2010 (15,458).

The trend estimate for the number of private sector houses approved in South Australia fell slightly (1.4%) to 561 in March 2011. Private sector house approvals as a proportion of total dwelling unit approvals was 67.2% in March 2010, while in March 2011 this proportion was lower at 65.9%.

In original terms, for the year to March 2011 the total number of dwelling units approved in South Australia fell by 4.0%. Decreases were recorded in four of the seven Statistical Divisions (SD) with the largest decreases seen in the Northern SD (down 30.0%) and the South East SD (down 22.4%).

These decreases in dwelling unit approvals in the year to March 2011 were moderated by increases in the Murray Lands SD (up 39.4%) and the Yorke and Lower North SD (up 21.1%).

DWELLING UNITS APPROVED, by Statistical Division, Original, South Australia
	Year ended March 2010		Year ended March 2011
	Dwelling units	Change over previous year	Dwelling units	Change over previous year
	no.	%	no.	%
Adelaide	8 704	-1.7	8 141	-6.5
Outer Adelaide	1 530	-9.9	1 550	1.3
Yorke and Lower North	455	-17.3	551	21.1
Murray Lands	459	-9.6	640	39.4
South East	419	-20.9	325	-22.4
Eyre	261	-16.9	247	-5.4
Northern	367	-23.2	257	-30.0
South Australia	12 195	-5.7	11 711	-4.0
Source: Building Approvals, Australia - data available on request

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


*DATA NOTES

Please refer to source publications for impact of floods on data and collections.

The trend estimates should be interpreted with caution as the underlying behaviour of building approvals may be affected by initiatives within the Government stimulus package, which included the "Building the Education Revolution" (BER) program and the Social Housing Initiative as well as other developments associated with global economic conditions. From June 2009 to February 2010 BER impacts were quantified and removed from the trend estimates because of its short term nature. From March 2010 these impacts are no longer removed from the trend estimates as their effect has significantly declined. For more details on trend estimates, please see paragraphs 20 to 23 of the explanatory notes.


CONSTRUCTION WORK DONE

In the December quarter 2010, the total value of building work done (in trend terms)* in South Australia fell to $1,328.8m, a decrease of 1.5% over the September quarter 2010.

Between the December quarters 2007 and 2009, the trend* estimate for the value of engineering work done rose sharply ($660.4m to $1,223.6m). Since this time, the value of engineering work has fallen to $1,052.6m in the December quarter 2010; 2.5% below the September quarter.

The upsurge in engineering construction between the December quarters 2007 and 2009 was the focus of the feature article presented in the April 2010 issue of SA Stats.

*INTRODUCTION OF NEW BASE YEAR

A new base year, 2008-09, has been introduced into the chain volume estimates which has resulted in revisions to growth rates in subsequent periods. In addition, the chain volume estimates have been re-referenced to 2008-09, thereby preserving additivity in the quarters after the reference year. Re-referencing affects the levels of, but not the movements in, chain volume estimates.