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COMMENTARY ON KEY INDICATORS

Population

• The preliminary ERP of ACT at 30 March 2010 was 357,673 persons, an increase of 6,443 persons (+1.8%) since 30 March 2009.
• Of this increase, natural increase accounted for 3,610 persons (56%) and net overseas migration for 3,108 persons (48.2%), while negative net interstate migration was recorded with a loss of 275 persons (-4.3%).
• Natural increase comprised 5,210 births and 1,600 deaths, net overseas migration comprised 8,404 arrivals and 5,296 departures and net interstate migration comprised 17,813 arrivals and 18,088 departures.

• In the June quarter 2010, accommodation takings for ACT hotels, motels and serviced apartments with 15 or more rooms decreased by 8.8% to $55.5 million, compared to the previous quarter.
• The June quarter 2010 room occupancy rate of 74.8% for ACT hotels, motels and serviced apartments with 15 or more rooms was 5.4 percentage points lower than the previous quarter.
• For ACT hotels, motels and serviced apartments with 15 or more rooms, the average takings per room night occupied in the June quarter 2010 decreased to $164 from the previous quarter's takings of $170.

• The All Groups CPI for Canberra rose 0.6% in the September quarter 2010, compared to a rise of 0.3% in the previous quarter..
• Over the year to September 2010, the All Groups CPI for Canberra rose 2.1%, compared to an annual rise of 1.4% to September 2009.
• The most significant price rises for Canberra in the September quarter 2010 were for Tobacco (+6.6%), Utilities (+2.8%), Domestic holiday travel and accommodation (+3.9%), House purchases (+1.1%) and Rents (+1.0%). The most significant offsetting price falls were for Automotive fuel (-3.6%), Vegetables (-5.1%), Pharmaceuticals (-4.1%), Soft drinks, waters and juices (-4.8%) and Audio, visual and computing equipment (-4.1%).

• State final demand for the ACT increased by 2.0% (trend terms) between the March quarter 2010 and the June quarter 2010 - the fifth quarterly increase in a row. Growth this quarter was driven by Public gross fixed capital formation (+10.1%), Household final consumption expenditure (+1.3%) and General government final consumption expenditure (+1.1%).
• Over the year to the June quarter 2010, state final demand for the ACT increased by 9.6% (trend terms), mainly due to a rise in Public gross fixed capital formation ($407 m).

• The trend estimate of employed persons in ACT increased by 500 to 204,000 from September 2010 to October 2010. Full-time employed persons decreased by 100 to 150,800 and part-time employment increased by 600 to 53,200.
• From October 2009 to October 2010, the trend estimate of employed persons for ACT increased by 6,400 with full-time employed persons increasing by 1,700 and part-time employed persons increasing by 4,700.
• The trend estimate of unemployed persons in ACT decreased by 100 to 6,300 from September 2010 to October 2010 and by 1,300 from October 2009 to October 2010.
• The trend unemployment rate for ACT decreased by 0.1 percentage points from September 2010 to October 2010 and by 0.7 of a percentage point from October 2009 to October 2010. From September 2010 to October 2010, the male unemployment rate remained steady at 3.0% while the female unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 of a percentage point to 3.0%.
• The trend participation rate for the ACT increased by 0.1 of a percentage point to 72.8% from September 2010 to October 2010. The male participation rate increased by 0.2 of a percentage point to 76.6% and the female participation rate remained steady at 69.1%.

• In seasonally adjusted terms, total retail turnover in the ACT decreased by 0.2% from August 2010 ($378.4m) to September 2010 ($377.6m). Nationally, there was an increase of 0.3% over the same period.
• Household goods retailing (+0.9%) and Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (+1.0%) increased in September 2010, while Other retailing (-2.1%), Cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (-2.5%) were the largest decreases.

• The trend estimate for the number of dwelling units approved in the ACT was 267 in September 2010, a decrease of 10.4% from the previous month.
• Over the year to September 2010, there were 4,030 dwelling units approved in the ACT, an increase of 39.7% over that for the year to September 2009 (2,884).

• In trend terms, the value of owner occupied housing finance commitments (excluding alterations and additions) in the ACT increased by 2.0% from August 2010 ($257m) to September 2010 ($262m).
• The number of commitments for owner occupied housing finance in the ACT increased by 0.7% from August 2010 (917) to September 2010 (923), in trend terms.
• In trend terms over the year to September 2010, there were 11,594 owner occupied housing finance commitments in the ACT, a decrease of 8.6% over that for the year to September 2009 (12,689).
• In original terms, the number of commitments for owner occupied housing finance in the ACT for September 2010 was 966 . Of this, 9.3% related to the construction of dwellings, 5.2% to the purchase of new dwellings and 85.5% to the purchase of established dwellings (including refinancing).

• Preliminary estimates show the price index for established houses in Canberra decreased by 0.4% in the September quarter 2010 and 11.0% over the year to September quarter 2010.
• The Canberra project home price index increased 1.0% in the September quarter 2010 and 2.7% over the year to September quarter 2010.