The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has today released concrete production statistics for the month of December, which revealed a -23% monthly decline in pre-mixed concrete volumes nationally, with big falls recorded in all states and territories.
The data is incredibly volatile and no doubt affected by seasonality. As such, it is presented below in index form on a rolling annual basis:
In the year to December 2012, concrete volumes fell by -4% nationally, with falls recorded in all states and territories except the key mining jurisdictions of Western Australia (+1%), Queensland (+5%), and the Northern Territory (+35%).
Western Australia and the Northern Territory have also experienced the biggest increase in concrete use since January 2011, increasing by 58% in Western Australia and by 417% in the Northern Territory, compared with 45% growth nationally. Presumably much of this growth is on the back of the mining investment boom.
No sign yet of any turnaround in the non-mining economy.
unconventionaleconomist@hotmail.com
