Construction work completed in Western Australia reached a record $3.46 billion in the December quarter of 2005, while the state's population passed 2 million at June 2005 according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
In a recent ABS report, Western Australia experienced its eighth quarter of growth in construction work with an increase of 16.1 per cent for the December quarter 2005.
Nationally, the increase was just 0.1 per cent, with falls recorded in New South Wales (-5.5 per cent), Victoria (-0.4 per cent), Queensland (-0.2 per cent), South Australia (-2.9 per cent) and Tasmania (-7.4 per cent).
Treasurer Eric Ripper said the increase in WA was largely due to the value of completed engineering construction work such as roads, bridges, railways and heavy industry, which increased 24.3 per cent in the quarter.
The value of completed building work (including both residential and non-residential construction) increased by 5.3 per cent over the same period.
Meanwhile in an ABS report released today, Western Australia recorded population growth of 1.6 per cent for 2005 to over 2 million people, 0.4 percentage points above the national growth rate of 1.2 per cent.
Perth recorded the fastest growth rate of all inner city areas in 2004/05 with a 13 per cent increase in population growth, while the largest decline in population in 2004-05 (in a small area) occurred in Joondalup which decreased by 760 people.
The largest growth in local government areas were in Wanneroo, Rockingham, Gosnells and Cockburn, while growth continued along the coastline in Mandurah, Busselton, Harvey and Capel.
