- The total number of dwellings approved has declined 17.2% in seasonally adjusted terms
- Private sector dwelling approvals excluding houses declined by 43.5%, the lowest since January 2012
- WA lead the decline overall, with South Australia recording an increase
The total number of dwellings approved has declined by 17.2% in seasonally adjusted terms in July, according to data released by the Australia Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
This decline follows a 0.6% decrease in June.
“The decrease in the total number of dwellings approved in July was led by a sharp decline in approvals for private sector dwellings excluding houses, which dropped by 43.5 per cent,” said Daniel Rossi, the head of construction statistics at the ABS.
“This was the lowest level recorded since January 2012 and was driven by a lack of approvals for large apartment developments.”
“Approvals for private sector houses remained steady, rising 0.7 per cent in June, following a 1.6 per cent increase in June.”
WA lead the decline, SA bucks the trend
Western Australia recorded the largest decline in the number of dwellings approved (-36.9%), followed by Victoria (-17.4%), New South Wales (-16.2%), Tasmania (-14.5%) and Queensland (-13.7%).
In South Australia, dwelling approvals rose by 19.2% in seasonally adjusted terms.
Only two states saw a decline in approvals for private sector houses; Western Australia (-8.7%) and New South Wales (-6.3%). By contrast, private sector house approvals rose in South Australia (18.6%), Queensland (5.8%) and Victoria (1.5%).
There was a 12.9% fall in the value of total buildings approved in July, following a 6.2% decline in June.
The value of total residential buildings fell by 6.1%, consisting of a 6.9% decline in new residential buildings, and a 1.3% decrease in additions and alterations.
Non-residential building values fell by 22.6%, caused by falls in both the public and private sectors.
