Down but still up: ABS dwelling approvals

The residential building see-saw continues, with new data showing another dip in approvals to build apartments but a rise in renovations.

Figures released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that the number of dwellings approved fell 1.2 per cent in June 2015, in trend terms.

This figure is, nevertheless, 14.4 per cent higher than at the same time last year.

There was no monthly change in the number of house approvals, however the ever-volatile multi-unit sector recorded a fall of 2.4 per cent over June.

To put that into perspective, the figure is 31.0 per cent higher than in June 2014.

Dwelling approvals decreased in June in South Australia (4.1 per cent), New South Wales (2.9 per cent), Victoria (1.8 per cent) and Western Australia (0.4 per cent) but increased in the Australian Capital Territory (14.6 per cent), Northern Territory (8.7 per cent), Queensland (0.2 per cent) and Tasmania (0.1 per cent) in trend terms.

Approvals for private sector houses rose in New South Wales (2.0 per cent), Queensland (0.3 per cent) and South Australia (0.2 per cent) but fell in Victoria (1.3 per cent) and Western Australia (1.0 per cent).

The total value of residential building approved fell 1.0 per cent in June, but the value of alterations and additions rose 1.7 per cent in June, continuing a six-month trend of improvements.