Compared with May, the value of retail sales rose 0.7% in June 2015, making a strong contribution to year-end growth of 5.0%, measured on a seasonally adjusted basis. Solid total growth was ho…

Since 1985, BIS Shrapnel, one of Australia’s leading macro-economic forecasters and building industry specilaists, has been producing its sawn timber in Australia report. The latest edi…

The price of global lumber, measured in US Dollars, declined throughout 2014-15, largely driven by the appreciation of the US Dollar, coupled with observably weak demand in many major marke…

Imports of sawn softwood have continued to climb sharply over 2015, reaching a new record of 725,300 m3 for the year-ended June 2015. The full year data sharpens the mind, as does the 23.7% lift…

Sales of Treated Structural H2F timber for the year ended June 2015 were 533,700 m3, up 12.2% from 475,800 m3 recorded for the prior year. Although backed off slightly from the year-end record…

Annual inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was a very modest 1.5% per annum, measured to the end of June 2015. Although this was a rise of 0.2% compared with the year ended Marc…

In early 2015, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and the Australian Prudential Regulatory Authority (APRA) commenced ‘jawboning’ the major banks to moderate their lending practices in a…