House price growth soft Australian house prices edged higher in the March quarter but lower than economists' expectations, adding to the bout of soft economic data ahead of the Reserve Bank's interest rate decision today. The weighted average of house prices in the eight capital cities rose 0.1 per cent, significantly lower than economists' expectations of a growth of 1.8 per cent. House prices lifted 2.6 per cent for the first three months of the year compared to the previous corresponding period, again below expectations of a 4 per cent gain. Darwin experienced the highest growth with 1.9 per cent for the quarter, while Brisbane and Hobart saw falls of 0.3 per cent. JPMorgan economist Tom Kennedy said the figures were uninspiring, with the results for Sydney and Melbourne - Australia's biggest property markets - particularly weak. The Housing Industry Association's senior economist Shane Garrett said the March quarter data showed the housing recovery was delicate. He urged the RBA, banks and other mortgage lenders to support the sector through their stances on interest rates. ""A sustained return to manageable price growth will lead to a multitude of knock-on benefits across the wider economy,"" Mr Garrett said. "The importance of a strong housing market should not be underestimated.""