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COMMENTARY ON KEY INDICATORS

Population

• The preliminary ERP of ACT at 30 December 2009 was 354,892 persons, an increase of 6,386 persons (+1.8%) since 30 December 2008.
• Of this increase, natural increase accounted for 3,210 persons (50.3%) and net overseas migration for 3,775 persons (59.1%), while negative net interstate migration was recorded with a loss of 599 persons (-9.4%).
• Natural increase comprised 4,858 births and 1,648 deaths, net overseas migration comprised 8,648 arrivals and 4,873 departures and net interstate migration comprised 17,633 arrivals and 18,232 departures.

• In the March quarter 2010, accommodation takings for ACT hotels, motels and serviced apartments with 15 or more rooms increased by 12.0% to $60.8 million, compared to the previous quarter.
• The March quarter 2010 room occupancy rate of 80.2 for ACT hotels, motels and serviced apartments with 15 or more rooms was 8.5 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 March quarter 2010 increased to $170 from the previous quarter's takings of $163.

• The All Groups CPI for Canberra rose 0.3% in the June quarter 2010, compared to a rise of 0.6% in the previous quarter.
• Over the year to June 2010, the All Groups CPI for Canberra rose 2.3%, compared to an annual rise of 2.1% to June 2009.
• The most significant price rises for Canberra in the June quarter 2010 were for Tobacco (+15.9%), Hospital and medical services (+3.4%), House purchases (+1.2%), Rents (+0.9%) and Furniture (+3.6%). The most significant offsetting price falls were for Vegetables (-7.2%), Motor Vehicles (-1.8%), Women's outerwear (-6.8%), Fruit (-6.9%) and Domestic holiday travel and accommodation (-2.2%).

• State final demand for the ACT increased by 1.2% (trend terms) between the December quarter 2009 and the March quarter 2010 - the fourth quarterly increase in a row. Growth this quarter was driven by Public gross fixed capital formation (+2.9%), General government final consumption expenditure (+1.7% and Household final consumption expenditure (+1.1%). Offsetting the growth was Private gross fixed capital formation declining 2.6%.
• Over the year to the December quarter 2009, state final demand for the ACT increased by 8.1% (trend terms), mainly due to a rise in General government ($341m).

• The trend estimate of employed persons in ACT increased by 200 to 200,900 from May 2010 to June 2010. Full-time employed persons increased by 500 to 149,400 and part-time employment decreased by 300 to 51,500.
• From June 2009 to June 2010, the trend estimate of employed persons for ACT increased by 7,500 with full-time employed persons increasing by 3,600 and part-time employed persons increasing by 3,900.
• The trend estimate of unemployed persons in ACT decreased by 100 to 6,800 from May 2010 to June 2010 and by 400 from June 2009 to June 2010.
• The trend unemployment rate for ACT remained steady at 3.3% from May to June 2010 to March 2010 and increased by 0.3 of a percentage point from June 2009 to June 2010. From May 2010 to June 2010, the male unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 of a percentage point to 3.5% while the female unemployment rate increased by 0.1 of a percentage point to 3.0%.
• The trend participation rate for the ACT remained steady at 73.1% from May 2010 to June 2010. The male participation rate decreased by 0.3 of a percentage point to 76.5% and the female participation rate increased by 0.1 of a percentage point to 69.8%.

• In seasonally adjusted terms, total retail turnover in the ACT increased by 0.5% from May 2010 ($377m) to June 2010 ($379m). Nationally, there was an increase of 0.2% over the same period.
• Household goods retailing (+5.0%) and Department stores (+1.3%) increased in June 2010, while Other retailing (-1.4%), Cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (-1.1%) were the largest decreases.

• The trend estimate for the number of dwelling units approved in the ACT was 410 in June 2010, an increase of 5.7% from the previous month.
• Over the year to June 2010, there were 4,047 dwelling units approved in the ACT, an increase of 47.5% over that for the year to June 2009 (2,743).

• In trend terms, the value of owner occupied housing finance commitments (excluding alterations and additions) in the ACT decreased by 2.0% from May 2010 ($245m) to June 2010 ($240m).
• The number of commitments for owner occupied housing finance in the ACT decreased by 1.6% from May 2010 (925) to June 2010 (910), in trend terms.
• In trend terms over the year to June 2010, there were 12,295 owner occupied housing finance commitments in the ACT, an increase of 4.2% over that for the year to June 2009 (11,799).
• In original terms, the number of commitments for owner occupied housing finance in the ACT for June 2010 was 969. Of this, 11.0% related to the construction of dwellings, 5.7% to the purchase of new dwellings and 83.3% to the purchase of established dwellings (including refinancing).

• Preliminary estimates show the price index for established houses in Canberra increased by 2.1% in the June quarter 2010 and 19.6% over the year to June quarter 2010.
• The Canberra project home price index increased 1.4% in the June quarter 2010 and 2.8% over the year to June quarter 2010.