Approvals to build new houses have now been lifting for six months in a row, according to data released this week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The latest figures show that the total number of private sector house approvals rose 1.5 per cent in trend terms in May.
Approvals for dwellings ‘other than houses’ dropped by 0.6 per cent, contributing to the 1.0 per cent increase in the total number of dwelling units approved.
Dwelling approvals increased in May in the Australian Capital Territory (4.1 per cent), Tasmania (3.6 per cent), Western Australia (2.7 per cent), South Australia (1.8 per cent), Victoria (1.2 per cent) and New South Wales (0.8 per cent) but decreased in the Northern Territory (-4.9 per cent) and Queensland (-0.5 per cent).
In trend terms, approvals for private sector houses increased for the six consecutive month in May. Of the states and territories, New South Wales (2.6 per cent), Victoria (2.3 per cent) and South Australia (2.2 per cent) experienced the largest rises in private sector house approvals.
The value of residential building approvals remained unchanged in May.