1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2003  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 24/01/2003   
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Contents >> Construction >> Trends in construction activity

Trends over recent years in the level of activity of the construction industry as a whole are shown in table 20.3, which indicates the value of work done, in chain volume terms, by kind of activity. Chain volume measures show changes in value after the direct effects of price changes have been eliminated. The table illustrates that, in 2000-01, Residential construction accounted for 39% of the activity, with Engineering construction accounting for a further 36%, and Non-residential construction for the remaining 25%. The introduction of The New Tax System was a significant factor behind the value of work done in that year being substantially lower than in 1999-2000, reversing the growth in the proceeding four years.

The table also illustrates how the pattern of building activity changes over time. The biggest change in the sectoral shares of total construction activity occurred in 1993-94. Then Residential building accounted for 45% of the total while Non-residential building only accounted for 24%. Only two years before, in 1991-92, the composition of total construction activity was 39% Residential building, 31% Engineering construction and the remaining 30% Non-residential building.


20.3 TOTAL CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY(a), Value of work done - By type of activity
Residential building
Non-residential building
Engineering construction
Total construction(b)
$m
$m
$m
$m
1991-92
15,748
12,146
12,370
40,246
1992-93
18,375
11,051
12,751
42,213
1993-94
20,065
10,746
13,821
44,762
1994-95
20,779
11,699
14,158
46,720
1995-96
17,207
13,092
15,485
45,805
1996-97
17,025
14,282
15,964
47,254
1997-98
20,208
14,350
17,982
52,570
1998-99
21,896
15,058
19,804
56,802
1999-2000
25,552
14,690
19,908
60,150
2000-01
18,747
12,193
17,544
48,485
(a) Chain volume measures, reference year is 1999-2000.
(b) Chain volume measures are not additive for most periods; the component measures do not sum to a total in the same way as the corresponding current price components do.

Source: Building Activity, Australia (8752.0); Engineering Construction Activity, Australia (8762.0).


A longer time series of the data presented in table 20.3 is shown in graph 20.4. It shows the decline in the value of Residential construction from mid 1995, followed by a steady recovery from about mid 1997, accelerating to record levels ahead of the introduction of The New Tax System in July 2000, followed by a significant downturn.

Graph - 20.4 annual construction activity(a), by type of activity



Construction activity for the public sector has remained relatively constant at around $15b annually over the last 10 years, as shown in the graph 20.5. The volatility evident in the total construction series is mainly due to private sector construction activity. The growth in total construction activity from June 1997 until June 2000 was driven by the growth in private sector activity. The decline in private sector construction activity following July 2000 is evident.

Graph - 20.5 annual construction activity(a), by sector



More detailed information on the value of residential and non-residential building work done, in chain volume terms, is presented in table 20.6. The value of building work done fell by $9,301m (23.1%) to $30,941m in 2000-01, following a rise of 8.9% in 1999-2000. The 2000-01 decline was most heavily influenced by the drop in work done on new houses (contributing some 73.2% of the fall). Non-residential construction activity fell by $2,497m.


20.6 BUILDING ACTIVITY(a), Value of work done - By type of activity
New residential building
Houses
Other residential
buildings
Total(b)
Alterations and additions
to residential buildings
Non-residential
building
Total
building(b)
$m
$m
$m
$m
$m
$m
1991-92
10,369.5
2,936.4
13,382.1
2,366.4
12,146.3
27,959.5
1992-93
11,919.4
3,888.8
15,871.8
2,510.1
11,050.9
29,566.4
1993-94
12,873.2
4,494.0
17,419.3
2,655.5
10,745.9
31,022.8
1994-95
12,700.1
5,183.6
17,892.6
2,893.2
11,698.4
32,668.5
1995-96
10,141.3
4,274.6
14,416.5
2,790.5
13,091.8
30,326.1
1996-97
10,023.2
4,215.6
14,239.8
2,785.0
14,282.1
31,297.3
1997-98
12,034.5
4,927.3
16,966.6
3,241.1
14,350.1
34,585.0
1998-99
12,779.1
5,676.9
18,458.4
3,438.2
15,058.1
36,983.0
1999-2000
15,336.9
6,322.0
21,658.8
3,892.9
14,690.0
40,241.9
2000-01
10,663.3
5,100.8
15,764.2
2,983.2
12,193.5
30,940.8
(a) Chain volume measures, reference year is 1999-2000.
(b) Chain volume measures are not additive; for most periods the component measures do not sum to a total in the same way as the corresponding current price components do.

Source: Building Activity, Australia (8752.0).



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