1300.1.55.001 - Statistics News NSW, Dec 2007  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 10/12/2007   
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ACT in Focus, 2007

ACT IN FOCUS, 2007

Australian Capital Territory in Focus, 2007 (cat. no. 1307.8) is a valuable reference document, containing a wide range of information on the history, physical environment, government, demography and social and economic characteristics of the ACT and surrounding region.

The statistics contained in the publication were sourced from ABS collections as well as data wide range of data from other agencies.

Some highlights include:
  • The estimated resident population of the ACT at June 2006 was 334,200 people. For the Australian Capital Region (ACR) it was 552,600 people, with 69% (381,400) living in the Canberra-Queanbeyan Statistical District.
  • More than half (55%) of the population growth in the ACT over the five years to June 2006 occurred in the suburban fringe district of Gungahlin-Hall (up 8,200).
  • The average 2006-07 labour force participation rate for the ACR was 69.1% (original terms) and for the ACT was 73.6%. The unemployment rate in 2006-07 was 3.3% for the ACR and 3.0% for the ACT.
  • Full-time employees in the ACT have higher average weekly ordinary time earnings than those in other states and territories ($1,288 in trend terms in May 2007, compared with $1,088 nationally).
  • Drought conditions worsened in 2006 with below average rainfall for most months of the year, 2006 was the hottest, and fifth driest year on record for the ACT. It was also a sunnier than usual year, with an average of 8.5 hours of sunshine per day, compared with a long-term average of 7.6 hours. At February 2007, dams servicing Canberra and Queanbeyan were at 35% of capacity, almost half the volume of a year earlier.
  • During the December quarter 2006, Canberra had the highest quarterly median weekly rent for 3 bedroom houses of any capital city ($330) and the second highest median rent for 2 bedroom dwellings ($300).

For further information go to the ABS website www.abs.gov.au or contact the National Information and Referrals Service on 1300 135 070 or email client.services@abs.gov.au.