Building approvals fall in Dec

Building approvals fell more than expected in December, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

ABS data showed the number of buildings approved fell a seasonally adjusted 2.9 per cent to 16,141 in the month.

That compares to an initially reported 16,396 approvals in November, seasonally adjusted.

Bloomberg economists had expected the figures to show a 0.5 per cent fall in approvals during the month.

Building approvals are now 21.8 per cent higher, seasonally adjusted, than in the same month last year, falling short of an expected 23.4 per cent lift.

Approvals for private sector houses fell 3.4 per cent in the month, and the "other dwellings" category, which includes apartment blocks and townhouses, was down 1.2 per cent.