The number of dwellings approved in Australia fell by 1.9 per cent in August 2018 in trend terms, according to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.

"The fall was mainly driven by private dwellings excluding houses, which decreased by 2.7 per cent in August," said Justin Lokhorst, Director of Construction Statistics at the ABS. "Private sector houses also fell, by 1.2 per cent."

Among the states and territories, dwelling approvals fell in August in Victoria (5.1 per cent), South Australia (3.6 per cent) and New South Wales (1.6 per cent) in trend terms.

Dwelling approvals rose in trend terms in Western Australia (2.7 per cent), Tasmania (2.3 per cent), Northern Territory (1.5 per cent) and Australian Capital Territory (0.1 per cent). Dwelling approvals were flat in Queensland.

In trend terms, approvals for private sector houses fell 1.2 per cent in August. Private sector house approvals fell in Queensland (3.3 per cent), Victoria (1.4 per cent), New South Wales (1.1 per cent) and South Australia (0.7 per cent), but rose in Western Australia (1.4 per cent).