The total construction work done in Australia rose 2.7 percent in the September quarter compared to the figure in the previous quarter, taking the annual growth rate to 1.3 percent, official figures showed Wednesday.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the seasonally adjusted estimate for total construction work done rose to 53.43 billion AUS dollars (US $48.62 billion) in the September quarter, reports Xinhua.
The total building work done in the quarter was up 1.5 percent to 20.96 billion AUS dollars while engineering work done rose 3.5 percent to 32.47 billion AUS dollars.
Figures from the bureau showed most of the gains came from non-residential building and engineering work, but building in the residential sector was flat in the quarter.
Market forecasts centred on a 0.5 percent rise in the quarter.
Economists said the September construction figures indicate that mining and resources investment in Australia is still going strong.
"It was meant to peak in the second half of this year, it could be peaking as we speak and we won't know if it peaked until subsequent data prints," economist Tom Kennedy from investment bank JP Morgan said.