INVESTMENT


PRIVATE NEW CAPITAL EXPENDITURE

Between the June and September quarters of 2009, the South Australian chain volume (trend) estimate of private new capital expenditure rose by 4.4% to $1,352m. Expenditure on Equipment, plant and machinery rose $65m (9.6%) to $750m, while expenditure on Buildings and structures fell $8m (1.3%) to $602m.

Over the same period, private new capital expenditure for Australia fell $526m (1.9%) to $26,717m. Expenditure on Equipment, plant and machinery and Buildings and structures fell 1.1% and 2.6% respectively.

Note: Use of new classification

Commencing with the release of data for September quarter 2009, the frame information and sample design for the Survey of Private New Capital Expenditure have been improved by incorporation of the 2006 Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), (cat. no. 1292.0), replacing the 1993 ANZSIC, the inclusion of non-employing businesses which contribute significantly to economic activity and the integration of updated size variable information for each business on the frame.

These changes have resulted in statistical impacts on our previously published historic data series. This publication and other Survey of Private New Capital Expenditure outputs released on or after November 26, 2009, feature revised historic series which align past published estimates to the estimates including statistical changes introduced from this quarter. An information paper (cat. no. 5625.0.55.001) describing these changes in more detail is available at www.abs.gov.au.


MINERAL AND PETROLEUM EXPLORATION EXPENDITURE

The value of South Australian mineral exploration expenditure (in original terms) was $48.2m in the September quarter 2009; an increase of 15.4% over the previous quarter but still 49.4% below the peak recorded in the June quarter 2008 ($95.2m). Australian expenditure on mineral exploration was $557.4m in the September quarter 2009; an increase of 15.3% from the June quarter estimate ($483.5m).

Exploration expenditure on Uranium ($25.2m) accounted for more than half (52.3%) of all South Australian mineral exploration expenditure in the September quarter 2009. A further $8.5m and $8.3m were spent on exploration for Copper and Gold, respectively.

Expenditure on petroleum exploration in South Australia in the September quarter 2009 was $27.1m, down 20.6% from the previous quarter. Nationally, expenditure on petroleum exploration also declined markedly (21.6%) falling from $1,017.4m to $797.7m over the same period.