The number of dwellings approved fell 1.7 per cent in December 2017, in trend terms, and has fallen for three months, according to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today. "Dwelling approvals have weakened in December, driven by a large decline in private dwellings excluding houses," said Daniel Rossi, Director of Construction Statistics at the ABS. "Approvals for private sector houses have remained stable, with just under 10,000 houses approved in December 2017." Dwelling approvals decreased in December in the Australian Capital Territory (35.0 per cent), the Northern Territory (12.9 per ... (full story)