This article is from the Australian Property Journal archive
NEW dwelling starts had a solid finish to 2016, having eased mid-year after an all-time high in the March quarter, according to new data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The 0.3% rise in the December quarter reflected a 0.8% increase over 12 months. Detached dwellings commencements fell 3.4%, but were covered by a 4.4% jump in multi-unit commencements.
Total new dwelling commencements were at 57,043 in the quarter, for a total of 231,889 over the calendar year. Detached dwellings in the quarter numbered 28,690 for 116,857 over the year, and “other” dwellings 28,353 for 115,042.
Victoria and South Australia returned increases in dwelling commencements in the December quarter, of 7.6% and 2.8% respectively. The ACT’s total of 2,122 was its strongest quarter on record and underpinned by multi-unit commencements, whilst the Northern Territory’s was on the back of detached housing.
New South Wales commencements fell 0.2% in the quarter, by 5.3% in Tasmania and 8.0% in Western Australia, whilst Queensland’s plummeted by 19.3%.
Australian Property Journal
