The total volume of manufacturing sales fell 1.2 percent in the June 2018 quarter compared with the March 2018 quarter, when adjusted for seasonal effects. This was the largest fall in five years, partly due to one-off events in the petroleum and chemicals sectors.

The total volume of manufacturing fell in the June 2018 quarter, after a moderate rise in both the March 2018 and December 2017 quarters, up 1.0 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively.

Nine of the 13 industries saw rises in sales volumes in the June 2018 quarter. The largest movements were petrol and coal product manufacturing (down 8.0 percent), and chemical, plastics, and rubber manufacturing (down 7.9 percent).

"The fall in petroleum product manufacturing was a consequence of the maintenance shutdown at the Marsden Point refinery," manufacturing statistics manager Sue Chapman said.