Building approvals for houses and ?other dwellings? are continuing to slide in Australia, with trend estimates showing figures for all states to be in various stages of decline.

Nationally, seasonally-adjusted total approvals fell 5.6% in May, following a revised increase of 3.4% in April, according to the Bureau of Statistics. Analysts say the weak May figure and the downward revision of the April increase is another sign that home buyers are opting for established housing to avoid the high cost of new construction.