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COMMENTARY ON KEY INDICATORS

Population

• The preliminary ERP for ACT at 30 June 2009 was 351,182 persons, an increase of 5,631 persons (1.6%) since 30 June 2008.
• Of this increase, natural increase accounted for 3,051 persons (+54.2%), net overseas migration for 3,402 persons (+60.4%) and net interstate migration for -822 persons (-14.6%).
• Natural increase comprised 4,749 births and 1,698 deaths, net overseas migration comprised 8,058 arrivals and 4,656 departures, and net interstate migration comprised 18,082 arrivals and 18,904 departures.

• In the September quarter 2009, accommodation takings for ACT hotels, motels and serviced apartments with 15 or more rooms increased by 12.1% to $54.5 million, compared to the previous quarter.
• The September quarter 2009 room occupancy rate of 72.6% for ACT hotels, motels and serviced apartments with 15 or more rooms was 5.1 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 2009 was $160 ($156 in the previous quarter).

• The All Groups CPI for Canberra rose 0.4% in the December quarter 2009, compared to a rise of 0.9% in the previous quarter.
• Over the year to December 2009, the All Groups CPI for Canberra rose 3.4%, compared to an annual rise of 3.6% to December 2008.
• The most significant price rises for Canberra in the December quarter were for Fruit (+16.4%), Domestic holiday travel and accommodation (+6.1%), Optical services (+5.6%), Glassware, tableware and household utensils (+3.7%) and Newspapers and magazines (+3.5%). The most significant offsetting price falls were for Men's underwear, nightwear and socks (-0.9%), Audio visual and computing equipment (-7.6%) and Children's footwear (-7.4%).

• State final demand for the ACT increased 1.4% (trend terms) from June quarter 2009 to September quarter 2009 - this was the second quarterly increase in a row. This increase was largely as a result of a rise of 9.5% in public gross fixed capital formation.
• Over the year to the September quarter 2009, state final demand for the ACT increased by 1.3% (trend terms), mainly due to a rise of 5.3% (+$53m) in private gross fixed capital formation.

• The trend estimate of employment in ACT increased by 500 to 195,600 persons from November 2009 to December 2009. Full-time employment increased by 700 to 148,300 persons and part-time employment decreased by 200 to 47,300 persons.
• From December 2008 to December 2009, the trend estimate of employment for ACT decreased by 1,300 with full-time employment increasing by 800 and part-time employment declining by 2,100.
• The trend estimate of unemployment in ACT increased by 200 to 7,600 persons from November 2009 to December 2009, and by 2,500 persons from December 2008 to December 2009.
• The trend unemployment rate for ACT remained constant at 3.7% from November 2009 to December 2009 and increased by 1.2 percentage points from December 2008 to December 2009. From November 2009 to December 2009, the male unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percentage points to 4.4%, the female unemployment rate remained steady at 3.0%.
• The trend participation rate for the ACT increased by 0.2 percentage points to 72.4% from November 2009 to December 2009. The male participation rate increased (+0.2%) to 77.1% and the female participation rate increased (+0.1%) to 67.8%.

• In seasonally adjusted terms, total retail turnover in the ACT increased by -0.4% from November 2009 ($377m) to December 2009 ($376.2m). Nationally, there was a decrease of -0.7%.
• Other retailing (+7.5%), Cafes,restaurants and takeaway food services (+1.9%) and Household goods retailing (+1.0%) increased in December 2009, while Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (-8.0%), Department stores (-6.5%), Food retailing (-1.0%) all decreased.

• The trend estimate for the number of dwelling units approved in the ACT was 364 dwellings in December 2009, a decrease of 4.9% from the previous month.
• Over the year to December 2009, there were 3,339 dwelling units approved in the ACT, an increase of 36.6% over that for the year to December 2008 (2,444).

• In trend terms, the value of owner occupied housing finance commitments (excluding alterations and additions) in the ACT remained relatively constant increasing from $296m in October 2009 to $298m in November 2009.
• The number of commitments for owner occupied housing finance in the ACT remained constant at 1093 between October 2009 and November 2009, in trend terms.
• In trend terms over the year to November 2009, there were 13,102 owner occupied housing finance commitments in the ACT, an increase of 31.4% over that for the year to November 2008 (9,973).
• In original terms, the number of commitments for owner occupied housing finance in the ACT for November 2009 was 1,124. Of this, 8.8% related to construction of dwellings, 5.2% to purchase of new dwellings and 86% to purchase of established dwellings (including refinancing).

• Preliminary estimates show the price index for established houses in Canberra increased by 3.6% in the December quarter 2009 and 12.4% over the year to December 2009.
• The Canberra project home price index had no change in the December quarter 2009 and 2.2% over the year to December quarter 2009.