June key figures
| Jun qtr 20 | Mar qtr 20 to Jun qtr 20 | Jun qtr 19 to Jun qtr 20 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $m | % change | % change | ||
| Trend estimates(a) | ||||
| Value of work done | ||||
| Building | na | na | na | |
| Residential | na | na | na | |
| Non-residential | na | na | na | |
| Engineering | na | na | na | |
| Total construction | na | na | na | |
| Seasonally adjusted estimates(a) | ||||
| Value of work done | ||||
| Building | 28 416.7 | -3.9 | -5.3 | |
| Residential | 16 642.9 | -5.5 | -12.1 | |
| Non-residential | 11 773.8 | -1.5 | 6.2 | |
| Engineering | 21 712.1 | 3.8 | 2.2 | |
| Total construction | 50 128.8 | -0.7 | -2.2 | |
na not available
a. Reference year for Chain Volume Measures is 2017-18.
June key points
Value of work done, chain volume measures
Total construction
- The seasonally adjusted estimate for total construction work done fell 0.7% to $50,128.8m in the June quarter.
Building work done
- The seasonally adjusted estimate of total building work done fell 3.9% to $28,416.7m in the June quarter.
Engineering work done
- The seasonally adjusted estimate for engineering work done rose 3.8% to $21,712.1m in the June quarter.
Data notes
Mining projects tend to be complex in structure and comprise a number of different investment activities including exploration, engineering construction, plant and equipment and buildings. A feature article released in the March 2012 issue of Private New Capital Expenditure and Expected Expenditure, Australia (cat. no. 5625.0) provides a summary of the conceptual basis of the relevant ABS publications that measure investment in Australia, using a hypothetical mining project to illustrate how this investment is reflected in ABS data.
Managing the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on construction activity statistics
The ABS is currently monitoring for potential impacts from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on construction activity statistics and will continue to do so for the period of the pandemic.
Quality assurance of June quarter data did not identify any significant impact to headline statistics. The designation of construction as an essential service enabled activity to progress despite social distancing restrictions implemented from late March. Since it takes some time to approve and commence an application for building construction work, there will be a lag between any change in demand, the number of applications and subsequent impacts on new work.
The ABS is actively managing the potential risks from COVID-19 to data collection operations. The ABS appreciates the support of survey respondents in continuing to provide the data to compile this publication.
Suspension of trend series
The trend series attempts to measure underlying behaviour in construction activity. This measurement will be significantly affected by changes to regular patterns in activity during this time, as the construction industry faces on-going uncertainty. If the trend estimates in this publication were to be calculated without fully accounting for this irregular event, they would likely provide a misleading view of underlying construction activity.
It may be some time before the underlying trend in construction activity can be accurately estimated. The trend series have therefore been suspended starting from June 2020. The trend series will be reinstated when more certainty emerges in the underlying trend.
Inquiries
For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070. The ABS Privacy Policy outlines how the ABS will handle any personal information that you provide to us.