CONSTRUCTION


BUILDING APPROVALS

Since March 2010, the number of dwelling units approved in South Australia has shown little variation with 1,119 approvals recorded in August 2010. This represents a slight increase of 0.7% over the estimate for July 2010 (1,111) and is 16.1% higher than the previous low of 964 approvals in July 2009. Nationally, the number of dwelling units approved has fallen for the sixth consecutive month. The estimate of 13,166 in August 2010 is 14.5% below the peak recorded earlier in the year (15,391 approvals February 2010).

The trend estimate for the number of private sector houses approved in South Australia fell to 680 in August 2010. Private sector house approvals as a proportion of total dwelling units have fallen from a high of 76.2% in February 2009 to 60.8% in August 2010.

In the year to August 2010, the total number of dwelling units approved in South Australia rose 11.0% over the previous year. Increases were recorded in five of the seven Statistical Divisions (SD) with the largest increase in the Murray Lands SD (up 87.8%). The largest decrease was in the South East SD (down 25.4%). This follows a 45.5% increase for this SD during the year ended August 2009.

DWELLING UNITS APPROVED, by Statistical Division, Original, South Australia
	Year ended August 2009		Year ended August 2010
	Dwelling units	Change over previous year	Dwelling units	Change over previous year
	no.	%	no.	%
Adelaide	8 111	-15.6	8 937	10.2
Outer Adelaide	1 542	-10.2	1 736	12.6
Yorke and Lower North	501	-20.9	482	-3.8
Murray Lands	409	-20.3	768	87.8
South East	547	45.5	408	-25.4
Eyre	234	-31.4	291	24.4
Northern	386	-26.2	393	1.8
South Australia	11 730	-14.5	13 015	11.0
Source: Building Approvals, Australia - data available on request

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


CONSTRUCTION WORK DONE

In the June quarter 2010, the total value of building work done (in trend terms) in South Australia rose to $1,297.9m, an increase of 4.2% over the March quarter 2010.

Between the December quarters 2007 and 2009, the trend estimate for the value of engineering work done rose sharply ($627.5m to $1,268.0m). Since this time, the value of engineering work has fallen to be $1,241.6m in the June quarter 2010. The $14.6m drop over the last quarter sees the value of engineering work done fall below the value of building work for the first time since the March quarter 2009.

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.