ABS Building Approvals show that the number of dwellings approved fell 2.4 per cent in January 2013, in seasonally adjusted terms, and has fallen for two months.

Dwelling approvals decreased in January in Queensland (-5.8 per cent), South Australia (-3.2 per cent), Victoria (-2.6 per cent) and New South Wales (-1.3 per cent) but increased in Tasmania (13.9 per cent) and Western Australia (3.1 per cent) in seasonally adjusted terms.

In seasonally adjusted terms, approvals for private sector houses rose 3.2 per cent in January. Approvals rose in Western Australia (7.4 per cent), Queensland (4.2 per cent) and Victoria (3.6 per cent). Private sector house approvals fell in South Australia (-8.4 per cent) and New South Wales (-0.9 per cent).

The value of total building approved rose 6.6 per cent in January, in seasonally adjusted terms, after falling for three months. The value of residential building fell 1.7 per cent while non-residential building rose 20.9 per cent.

This release includes revisions resulting from a major audit of building approvals data. Building approvals data has been revised from July 2001 to December 2012. Further information is available in Building Approvals, Australia (cat no. 8731.0) on the ABS website at www.abs.gov.au.