Committee for Perth factsheet reveals evolving economic powerhouse ::: GOVERNMENT OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

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13.09.2013

Committee for Perth factsheet reveals evolving economic powerhouse

For the second consecutive year Western Australia has been named as the top performing economy in Australia, leading the way on retail trade, equipment investment and housing finance. While still at healthy levels, new investment in the mining and engineering construction sectors is easing but Perth’s ever-increasing population is driving growth in the housing sector.

“Not surprisingly, the economy and population growth are two of the key drivers that are responsible for some of the transformational changes that Perth and Western Australia are currently going through,” said Committee for Perth CEO Marion Fulker.

“We are experiencing incredible growth and change on a number of levels, including a large number of policy announcements and projects that have been approved, begun or completed in recent months which will or have already transformed the local landscape. The good news is that for the fifth consecutive year Perth has ranked in the top 10 cities in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Survey, once again coming in ninth.”

The Committee for Perth’s third FACT Sheet is a snapshot of Perth and WA, containing all of the major economic indicators, technology, innovation and infrastructure announcements, as well as the policy decisions that are contributing to our evolving lifestyle.

Information in FACT Sheet 3 includes:

• $177 billion of resource projects are under construction or committed in Western Australia and a further $120 billion under consideration

• Perth ranked in the top 10 cities in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Survey

• Details about the City of Perth’s proposed expanded boundaries • The State Government’s plans to reform local government

• Plans for the $1.8 billion light rail MAX project

• Construction of the $18.6 million State Netball Centre

• The opening of the new sunken Fremantle rail line in the CBD

• Business investment in Western Australia increasing 33% in real terms in 2012

• Of the 1.32 million Western Australians with jobs, the mining industry employed 110,500 workers directly in the 2013 March quarter, 5,400 more people than a year earlier

• By mid-June, 555,000 people passed through the Perth Arena doors

• For the year ended June 30, Perth Airport passenger traffic increased 8.17% to 13.7 million travellers and flights rose 6.5% to 151,333.

“On top of this, innovation and technology in WA is rapidly moving ahead. We are evolving into an internationally recognised hub for minerals, renewable energy and agriculture. Sixty per cent of global mining software is created in Perth, the green-light has been given for WA’s first full-scale tidal power station, and environmental approval has been granted to develop a waste to energy plant,” added Mrs Fulker.

For more information and the fact sheet see the Committee for Perth website www.committeeforperth.com.au