SunshineCoastRegionalReport2ndQtr2004

                                                                                                                                                     Petrol prices at the North Coast and
PRICES, INFLATION &                                                                                                                                  Caloundra increased by over 20% in the
                                                                                                                                                     year to June 2004, in line with the statewide
FINANCIAL MARKETS                                                                                                                                    trend.
PETROL & BUILDING MATERIALS PRICES

PETROL PRICES

                                                     Petrol Prices, June 2004                                                          Petrol prices on the Sunshine Coast and Caloundra increased in the three
                                                       Average Pump % change on % change                                               months to June 2004, in line with the statewide trend. According to
                                                            Price c/L   Mar-04 on Jun-03                                               FuelTrac, average petrol prices on the North Coast rose by 9.2 to 91.3c/L
North Coast                                                              91.3                       9.2                20.6            in the three months to June 2004, to be above Brisbane Metropolitan
Caloundra                                                                86.8                       6.2                20.4            prices (90.2c/L). Over the same period, average fuel prices in Caloundra
                                                                                                                                       increased by 6.2% to be at 86.8c/L.
Brisbane                                                                 90.2                       7.8                24.1

Source: FuelTrac                                                                                                                       In annual terms, petrol prices on the North Coast and Caloundra increased
                                                                                                                                       by 20.6% and 20.4% respectively, while Brisbane recorded a 24.1% rise.
                                                                   Petrol Prices
                 c/L
                                                                   Sunshine Coast
                                                                                                                                       Driven by increases in world oil prices and exchange rates, average fuel
 100.00
                                                                                                                                       prices in Australia jumped noticeably during May and June 2004 to record
                                                         North Coast            Caloundra           Brisbane Metro
                                                                                                                                       highs. However, the most recent data suggests that prices may ease in the
        95.00
                                                                                                                                       coming months due to a reduction in international prices.
        90.00



        85.00



        80.00



        75.00



        70.00
            Jul-03                            Sep-03            Nov-03         Jan-04         Mar-04          May-04          Jul-04

Source: FuelTrac

BUILDING MATERIALS PRICES

                                                House Building Materials Index                                                         Brisbane house building material prices climbed by 1.8% in the June
                                10.0
                                                       Brisbane             Sydney          Melbourne          Australia
                                                                                                                                       Quarter 2004, to be 3.9% higher in annual terms. Annual growth in house
                                 8.0                                                                                                   building materials prices was higher in Brisbane when compared to the
                                                                                                                                       national average. House building materials prices appear to have steadied
 annual % change, quarterly




                                 6.0
                                                                                                                                       at an annual growth rate of around 2-4% over the past year.
                                 4.0


                                 2.0


                                 0.0


                                -2.0


                                -4.0
                                   Jun-00   Dec-00     Jun-01      Dec-01     Jun-02      Dec-02     Jun-03     Dec-03     Jun-04




                                            Non-House Building Materials Prices                                                        Brisbane recorded a significant 3.4% increase in non-house building
                                 7.0
                                                 Brisbane            Sydney             Melbourne         Australia                    materials prices in the June Quarter 2004, which strongly contributed to a
                                 6.0
                                                                                                                                       4.7% increase in annual terms. Brisbane’s annual increase was higher than
                                 5.0                                                                                                   the corresponding increase recorded in Sydney and Melbourne, although
   annual % change, quarterly




                                 4.0                                                                                                   all major city indices have increased sharply.
                                 3.0

                                 2.0
                                                                                                                                       It should be noted that this is the last quarter in which this index will be
                                 1.0
                                                                                                                                       published by the ABS. In future editions of the AECgroup regional report
                                 0.0                                                                                                   series alternate indicators of building prices will be presented.
                                -1.0
                                   Jun-00   Dec-00     Jun-01      Dec-01     Jun-02      Dec-02    Jun-03     Dec-03      Jun-04

Source: ABS 6427.0




©0, Sunshine Coast Regional Economy, Second Quarter 2004                                                                                                                                                   - 46 -