SunshineCoastRegionalReport2ndQtr2004

REGIONAL OVERVIEW
SUNSHINE COAST REGION


POPULATION
         No.                                         Estimated Resident Population
500,000
                                                                        Sunshine Coast                                                             Average annual population growth in the Sunshine Coast Region averaged
450,000
                                                                                                                                                   3.3% between 1998 and 2003, above that recorded by the State (1.9%).
400,000
                                                                                                                                                   Compared to State averages, the region’s population is generally older
350,000                                                                                                                                            (average age of 39.5 years) with a lower average household weekly income
300,000                                                                                                                                            ($755.70). Over the period to 2026, the Sunshine Coast’s average annual
250,000                                                                                                                                            population growth is forecast to be 2.7%, with the strongest population
200,000                                                                                                                                            growth rates forecast for Maroochy Shire (3.0%) and Caloundra City (2.8%).
150,000

100,000

       50,000

                                   0
                                           1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2006 2011 2016 2021 2026




EMPLOYMENT
                                                     Growth in Trend Labour Force
                             15
                                                       Caloundra City                Maroochy Shire                     Noosa Shire
                                                                                                                                                   Trend unemployment in the Sunshine Coast Region has hovered between 8
                             13
                             11
                                                                                                                                                   and 10% over the last year, although with the trend labour force expected to
                              9                                                                                                                    increase in the medium term, this may provide some upward pressure on the
annual % change, quarterly




                              7
                              5                                                                                                                    Sunshine Coast trend unemployment rate. The AECgroup job ad count for
                              3                                                                                                                    the Sunshine Coast recorded a 15.1% reduction in job ad numbers since
                              1
                              -1                                                                                                                   March 2004, but a 4.2% increase compared to June 2003.
                              -3
                              -5
                              -7
                              -9
                             -11
                             -13
                             -15
                               Mar-02                     Sep-02                  Mar-03                       Sep-03                   Mar-04




DWELLING INVESTMENT
                                                   Annual Growth in Dwelling Approvals
                                                                     Sunshine Coast Region
                             300                                                                                                             600   Residential building activity in the Sunshine Coast Region weakened in the
                                                 New Houses (LHS)            Total Dw ellings (LHS)            Other Dw elling Units (RHS)

                             250                                                                                                             500
                                                                                                                                                   June Quarter 2004, with both the number and value of dwelling approvals
                                                                                                                                                   recording negative growth. The reduction was fuelled by a fall in the number
annual % change, quarterly




                             200                                                                                                             400
                                                                                                                                                   of new houses approved (down 23.0% to 648 approvals) and other dwelling
                             150                                                                                                             300   approvals (such as flats, units and apartments, down 15.8% to 401
                             100                                                                                                             200
                                                                                                                                                   approvals). Overall, 1,049 residential new residential buildings were
                                                                                                                                                   approved in the June Quarter 2004 on the Sunshine Coast.
                              50                                                                                                             100


                               0                                                                                                             0


                             -50                                                                                                            -100
                               Jun-01             Dec-01           Jun-02         Dec-02              Jun-03          Dec-03           Jun-04




VISITOR NUMBERS

                                                                            Total Visitors
         Visitors
                                                              Sunshine Coast Tourism Region                                                        The total number of visitors to the Sunshine Coast Tourism Region (which
8,000,000
                                                            Domestic Overnight            Domestic Day trip             International              includes Caloundra City, Maroochy Shire, Noosa Shire and Cooloola Shire)
7,000,000
                                                                                                                                                   was higher across each visitor market the year ending March 2004 when
6,000,000                                                                                                                                          compared to the year ending March 2003, with the exception of domestic
5,000,000                                                                                                                                          overnight visitors, which recorded a reduction of 4.4%.
4,000,000

3,000,000
                                                                                                                                                   There were 103,571 domestic passengers recorded passing through the
                                                                                                                                                   Sunshine Coast Airport in the June Quarter 2004, a drop of 3.5% from the
2,000,000
                                                                                                                                                   March Quarter 2004. In annual terms, passenger activity through the
1,000,000
                                                                                                                                                   Sunshine Coast Airport was 20.5% higher.
                                       0
                                                 Mar-03             Jun-03              Sept-03                 Dec-03               Mar-04




©0, Sunshine Coast Regional Economy, Second Quarter 2004                                                                                                                                                                 -8-