INVESTMENT


PRIVATE NEW CAPITAL EXPENDITURE

Between the June and September quarters 2010, the South Australian chain volume (trend) estimate of private new capital expenditure fell by 4.4% to $1,173m. Expenditure on Buildings and structures rose $16m (3.4%) to $519m, whilst expenditure on Equipment, plant and machinery fell $71m (9.8%) to $652m.

Over the same period, private new capital expenditure for Australia rose $409m (1.5%) to $28,061m. Expenditure on Equipment, plant and machinery fell 4.8%, but expenditure on Buildings and structures rose 7.3%.

MINERAL AND PETROLEUM EXPLORATION EXPENDITURE

The value of South Australian mineral exploration expenditure (in original terms) was $47.4m in the September quarter 2010; a decrease of 1.4% over the previous quarter and 50.2% below the peak recorded in the June quarter 2008 ($95.2m). Australian expenditure on mineral exploration was $669.4m in the September quarter 2010; an increase of 5.1% from the June quarter 2010 estimate ($637.1m).

Exploration expenditure on Copper ($18.6m) and Uranium ($13.4m) accounted for more than two thirds (67.5%) of all South Australian mineral exploration expenditure in the September quarter 2010. A further $7.0m was spent on exploration for Iron ore.

Data relating to expenditure on petroleum exploration in South Australia (and Victoria) were not available for publication in the June or September quarter 2010, but they have been included in the national total. Nationally, expenditure on petroleum exploration decreased by 15.5% from $1,005.9m to $850.4m between the June and September quarters 2010.