The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that construction starts fell sharply in the first quarter of 2012, down 12.6% overall.

Starts for detached houses fared much better, down 7.7% compared to other dwellings, which were down by 21.1%.

The number of construction starts fell in six of the eight states and territories, down by 37.4% in New South Wales, 8.3% in Victoria, 4.8% in Western Australia, 15.8% in Tasmania, 0.4% in the Northern Territory, and 41.2% in the ACT ( Australian Capital Territory). The two areas where construction starts increased were Queensland, up 2.5% and South Australia up by 0.6%.

The number of construction starts overall was the lowest since Q3 1996.