Summary: Construction spending declines 0.4% in December quarter; fall contrasts with 2.5% increase expected; delta disruptions more extended than anticipated; residential sector down 2.9%, non-residential building up 1.3%, engineering up 0.7%. Construction expenditure increased substantially in Australia in the early part of last decade following a more-steady expansion through the 2000s. A large portion of the increase came from the commissioning of new projects and the expansion of existing ones...