New home sales build

NEW home sales rose in May to record a second consecutive month of improved housing activity, the latest figures show.

Strong gains in New South Wales and Queensland drove the result in the latest Housing Industry Association report, released yesterday, while a 2.2 per cent increase in detached house sales was offset by a 2.6 per cent drop in unit sales.

The HIA report highlighted variations in the national market with contractions in sales seen in South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria.