MEDIA RELEASE
1 April 2015	Embargoed: 11.30 am (Canberra time)	46/2015

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Building Approvals show that the number of dwellings approved rose 1.6 per cent in February 2015, in trend terms, and has risen for nine months.

Dwelling approvals increased in February in New South Wales (5.4 per cent), Queensland (2.1 per cent) and Victoria (1.3 per cent) but decreased in Australian Capital Territory (16.2 per cent), Northern Territory (2.7 per cent), Western Australia (2.5 per cent), South Australia (2.4 per cent) and Tasmania (0.7 per cent) in trend terms.

In trend terms, approvals for private sector houses was flat in February. Private sector houses rose in New South Wales (1.8 per cent) and Victoria (0.7 per cent) but fell in South Australia (1.5 per cent), Western Australia (1.4 per cent) and Queensland (0.9 per cent).

The value of total building approved rose 1.0 per cent in February, in trend terms, and has risen for eight months. The value of residential building rose 2.1 per cent while non-residential building fell 1.4 per cent in trend terms.

Further information is available in Building Approvals, Australia (cat no. 8731.0) on the ABS website at https://www.abs.gov.au

Media Note:

• When reporting ABS data you must attribute the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or the ABS) as the source.