The trend estimate for total number of dwelling units approved in Victoria was flat in April. The trend estimate for the number of private sector houses rose 0.7% in April and has risen for 10 months.

 Approvals on a national scale were more positive: the number of dwellings approved rose 1.2 per cent in April 2016, in trend terms, and has risen for five months, according to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) yesterday.

Dwelling approvals increased in April in the Australian Capital Territory (6.7 per cent), Queensland (2.9 per cent), South Australia (2.2 per cent), Tasmania (1.9 per cent) and New South Wales (1.4 per cent). Dwelling approvals decreased in the Northern Territory (15.2 per cent) and Western Australia (0.1 per cent) in trend terms, and were flat in Victoria.

In trend terms, approvals nationally for private sector houses rose 0.2 per cent in April. Private sector house approvals rose in South Australia (2.0 per cent), Victoria (0.7 per cent) and New South Wales (0.7 per cent), but fell in Western Australia (1.4 per cent) and Queensland (0.6 per cent).

In seasonally adjusted terms, dwelling approvals increased 3.0 per cent nationally, driven by private sector dwellings excluding houses which rose 8.7 per cent. Private sector house approvals fell 2.3 per cent in seasonally adjusted terms.

The value of total building approved rose 1.1 per cent in April, in trend terms, and has risen for three months. The value of residential building rose 1.6 per cent while non-residential building was flat.