The number of dwellings approved in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) rose by 28% in March, according to the latest data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
ACT was much farther ahead than the other states, with the Northern Territory holding the second highest rise at 5.3%. Queensland also saw a rise at 2.3%.
There were falls in trend terms in Western Australia (6.7%), Tasmania (4.8%), Victoria (0.5%) and South Australia (0.1%).
In trend terms, approvals for private sector houses rose 0.8% in March. Private sector house approvals rose in Victoria (1.8%) and Queensland (1.5%), but fell in Western Australia (2.1%) and New South Wales (0.2%). Private house approvals were flat in South Australia.
In seasonally adjusted terms, total dwellings rose by 2.6% in March, driven by a 6.1% increase in private sector dwellings excluding houses. Private sector houses rose 1.1% in seasonally adjusted terms.
The value of total building approved fell 0.6 per cent in March, in trend terms, and has fallen for six months. The value of residential building rose 0.4 per cent while non-residential building fell 2.5 per cent.
Justin Lokhorst, director of construction statistics at the ABS said, "The strength in the total dwellings series is being driven by approvals for private sector houses, which have now risen for 13 consecutive months. Private sector house approvals are now at their highest level since 2003, in trend terms."
