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COMMENTARY ON KEY INDICATORS

Population

• The preliminary ERP of ACT at 30 June 2010 was 358,894 persons, an increase of 6,286 persons (+1.8%) since 30 June 2009.
• Of this increase, natural increase accounted for 3,662 persons (58.3%) and net overseas migration for 2,693 persons (42.8%), as for net interstate migration was recorded with a decrease of 69 persons (-1.1%).
• Natural increase comprised 5,266 births and 1,604 deaths, net overseas migration comprised 8,104 arrivals and 5,411 departures and net interstate migration comprised 17,867 arrivals and 17,936 departures.

• In the September quarter 2010, accommodation takings for ACT hotels, motels and serviced apartments with 15 or more rooms increased by 0.4% to $55.7 million, compared to the previous quarter.
• The September quarter 2010 room occupancy rate of 75.4% for ACT hotels, motels and serviced apartments with 15 or more rooms was 0.6 percentage points higher 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 september quarter 2010 decreased to $162 from the previous quarter's takings of $164.

• The All Groups CPI for Canberra rose 0.5% in the December quarter 2010, compared to a rise of 0.6% in the previous quarter.
• Over the year to December 2010, the All Groups CPI for Canberra rose 2.1%, compared to an annual rise of 2.3% to December 2009.
• The most significant price rises for Canberra in the December quarter 2010 were for Vegetables (+17.7%), Domestic holiday travel and accommodation (+5.1%), Automotive fuel (+3.2%), Fruit (+13.3%) and Rents (+1.4%). The most significant offsetting price falls were for Other financial services (-3.4%), Pharmaceuticals(-5.9%), Audio, visual and computing equipment (-6.4%), Deposit and loan facilities (-1.3%) and Accessories (-7.1%).

• State final demand for the ACT increased by 1.9% (trend terms) between the June quarter 2010 and the September quarter 2010 - the third quarterly increase in a row. Growth this quarter was driven by Public gross fixed capital formation (+10.8%), Household final consumption expenditure (+0.8%) and General government final consumption expenditure (+0.8%). Off setting the growth was Private growth fixed capital formation declining 0.1%.
• Over the year to the September quarter 2010, state final demand for the ACT increased by 4.2% (trend terms), mainly due to a rise in Public gross fixed capital formation ($330 m).

• The trend estimate of employed persons in ACT increased by 500 to 206,300 from December 2010 to January 2011. Full-time employed persons increased by 600 to 153,400 and part-time employment decreased by 100 to 52,900.
• From January 2010 to January 2011, the trend estimate of employed persons for ACT increased by 5,300 with full-time employed persons increasing by 3,500 and part-time employed persons increasing by 1,800.
• The trend estimate of unemployed persons in ACT increased by 200 to 7,300 from December 2010 to January 2011 and decreased by 300 from January 2010 to January 2011.
• The trend unemployment rate for ACT increased by 0.1 percentage points from December 2010 to January 2011 and decreased by 0.2 of a percentage point from January 2010 to January 2011. From December 2010 to January 2011, the male unemployment rate increased by 0.2 of a percentage point while the female unemployment rate decreased by 0.1 of a percentage point to 3.0%.
• The trend participation rate for the ACT increased by 0.2 of a percentage point to 73.6% from December 2010 to January 2011. The male participation rate increased by 0.3 of a percentage point to 78.2% and the female participation rate remained steady at 69.2%.

• In seasonally adjusted terms, total retail turnover in the ACT decreased by 0.5% from November 2010 ($383.2m) to December 2010 ($381.3m). Nationally, there was an increase of 0.2% over the same period.
• Household goods retailing (+0.6%) and Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (+0.5%) increased in December 2010, while Food retailing (-1.1%), and Cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (-1.3%) were the largest decreases.

• The trend estimate for the number of dwelling units approved in the ACT was 376 in December 2010, an increase of 7.5% from the previous month.
• Over the year to December 2010, there were 4,120 dwelling units approved in the ACT, an increase of 23.8% over that for the year to December 2009 (3,327).

• In trend terms, the value of owner occupied housing finance commitments (excluding alterations and additions) in the ACT increased by 1.1% from November 2010 ($272m) to December 2010 ($275m).
• The number of commitments for owner occupied housing finance in the ACT increased by 2.2% from November 2010 (1,014) to December 2010 (1,036), in trend terms.
• In trend terms over the year to December 2010, there were 11,492 owner occupied housing finance commitments in the ACT, a decrease of 12.9% over that for the year to December 2009 (13,189).
• In original terms, the number of commitments for owner occupied housing finance in the ACT for December 2010 was 1,086 . Of this, 8.7% related to the construction of dwellings, 6.5% to the purchase of new dwellings and 84.8% to the purchase of established dwellings (including refinancing).

• Preliminary estimates show the price index for established houses in Canberra increased by 1.9% in the December quarter 2010 and 6.5% over the year to December quarter 2010.
• The Canberra project home price index recorded no changes in the December quarter 2010 and increased by 2.7% over the year to December quarter 2010.