BLUE skies look
to be ahead for
Rockhampton’s construction workers, such as John Murphy,
with more than $1 billion worth of key projects in the pipeline or
surging ahead. As the global economic crunch threatens jobs cross Australia, Rockhampton’s business and community leaders yesterday said they were very much getting on with the job of uilding a bright future for the city.

This year's report takes a global view of property markets.
Last year we encouraged investors to look beyond the backyard. Now Australian investors are actively joining the race around the world for opportunities and yield.
In peaking domestic property markets, property values at home are more sensitive this year to interest rates and
government policy. The race is well and truly underway to find attractive alternatives.
As Australia's economy becomes more subject to overseas influences, our property markets, particularly office and
industrial, are also moving in sync with global markets.

Previous years’ reports have devoted a lot of commentary to residential property.
Whatever perspective you had - investing, developing, financing, home owning - you were likely to have done well. Now, as redicted, we are seeing residential cool in some Australian markets.
This year's report is all about lifting our gaze beyond the backyard to the bigger picture of opportunity and influences for
our property markets.
Why the big picture? Because, as you will see in our economic forecasts, the growth drivers of our property markets are shifting from internal influences to external influences. We are moving from an economy financed by residential construction to one driven by overseas influences. These overseas influences will increasingly be major drivers for our property markets, particularly the nonresidential markets of office and industrial.

In the latest RP Data Property Pulse National Research Director Tim Lawless confirmed that the combined effect
of the Federal Government’s First Home Buyer stimulus incentives coupled with historically low interest rates and prime buying conditions, has seen the number of housing loans for first home buyers jump.

The gateway to World Heritage listed Fraser Island,
Hervey Bay is situated just a scenic three and half
hour drive from Brisbane or 45 minute flight north
of Brisbane and 90 minutes flight time from Sydney.

The market for housing in Hervey Bay experienced earlier periods of increased demand during Queensland's 2001-03 property boom, however the volume of half yearly sales has begun to trend upward once again. These increased levels of demand coincided with a considerable volume of price growth over the past five years, with house prices in this area having increased by an average 18.7% per annum during this period.

Looking at the house sales cycle to the right, while the strongest rates of median price growth occurred during the abovementioned 2001-03 boom period, persistent levels of price growth have resulted in a record high median house price of $301,282 during the recent Jun-07 half year. This equates to an increase of some $11,532 or 4% over this period last year, which resulted from an increase in houses sold for between $200,000 and $400,000 in the past twelve months, in conjunction with a decline in the availability of houses for less than $200,000. This record median was derived from 886 separate dwelling transactions during the Jun-07 half year, which equates to an increase in the demand for an additional 182 houses over this time last year.

With a record high median house price approximating $300,000 furthermore, the lure of coastal living at an affordable entry price has represented a key driver of property demand in this region."

This report provides a summary of comparable prices and rentals in the Hervey Bay region.

Mackay regions Mining Boom is showing no signs of abating. Newspaper report.

Preliminary estimates show the price index for established houses for the weighted
average of the eight capital cities decreased –0.3% in the June quarter 2008.
! The capital city indexes rose in Darwin (+1.9%), Brisbane (+0.6%), Adelaide (+0.4%)
and Sydney (+0.3%), and fell in Perth (–2.4%), Hobart (–2.0%), Canberra (–1.4%) and
Melbourne (–0.3%).
! The movement in the preliminary established house price index between December
quarter 2007 and March quarter 2008 has been revised from an estimated increase of
1.1% to an increase of 0.4%.

Infrastructure investment specialised fund group, Babcock & Brown Infrastructure (ASX: BBI) today announces that Phase 1 of it’s A$1.3 billion 7X expansion project at Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal (“DBCT”) has been completed. Phase 1 completion takes DBCT’s capacity from 59Mtpa to 68Mtpa. Completion of Phase 2/3 will result in a DBCT capacity of 85Mtpa.
This significant milestone is the culmination of several years of intense design and construction activity within an operating terminal. The Phase 1 expansion consists of a new 3rd train inloading facility & conveyor system and various major upgrades to the stockyard, including three new yard machines.

Currently Forgan Bridge carries about 30,000 vehicles
per day and this is expected to increase to 40,000 over
the next 20 years. Drivers experience heavy congestion along the Mackay-Slade Point Road link, which encompasses Forgan Bridge. This congestion often backs traffic up through intersections as far back as Evans Avenue (Kooyong intersection). The bridge was built in 1937 and is nearing the end of its working life. There is a $1.7 million maintenance program in place to keep the bridge operational until the new bridge is opened.

On the back of significant investment in the Mackay Region
there has been a steady growth in population, which has
allowed for the major development and expansion of services
and infrastructure.

The major employers include retail trade, wholesale trade, accommodation, cafes and restaurants, followed by manufacturing, construction and utilities. In the hinterland areas of the region, significant employment in the mining industry is being driven by the global demand for resources, especially coal.

Securing the future prosperity of North-West
and North Queensland as a triangle of mineral processing and industrial development over the course of the next half century.

Development scheme for the Gladestone Area.

Population growth – highlights and trends,
Queensland 2006 contains analysis of the latest
available Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
estimates of the resident population of Queensland,
its regions (Statistical Divisions) and Local
Government Areas. These include preliminary estimates of the population as at June 2005 and revised estimates of the population as at June 2004.

Key opportunities exist in Queensland’s residential market - particularly in the state’s regional boom towns - according to new forecasts from CB Richard Ellis.
Speaking at the firm’s annual Private Client Group Market Outlook function today in Brisbane, CBRE Director Jason Degn said Queensland’s strong economic outlook combined with interstate migration, jobs growth and significant infrastructure investment would result in regional Queensland remaining
somewhat insulated from any wider economic downturn.

Over the past year or so, news has reached Australia about the exceptional growth seen in the UK’s property derivatives market – the world’s leading market. Property derivatives is becoming a topic of interest in Australia. However, details about the area and what they involve are still relatively scarce. This month’s Economic Insight hopes to provide a brief overview of the topic.

This report shows the property price growth for un its in Logan in Queensland . Slacks Creek shows a 35.5% increase in the price of units for the year to Dec 2007.

THis report from the REIQ show unit price growth in Ipswich QLD to Dec 2007.

Report from the REIQ for price growth of units and townhouses in Brisbane to Dec 2007.