Consumer confidence is creeping up across the Illawarra with business and property sectors recording positive growth, according to new data.
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The Illawarra Regional Information Service’s (IRIS) latest quarterly figures show upward trends in median property prices, business trading conditions and tourist statistics.
IRIS executive director Simon Pomfret said the overall picture for the region in the 12 months to September had been highly positive.
"Even though sentiment is still down in the community, and unemployment is still rising, most of the indicators are still quite positive as we’ve gone into the back of last year," he said.
The results of the business survey had been particularly promising, with 25.8 per cent of respondents recording positive trading conditions during the December quarter, up 13.3 per cent since the previous December quarter.
The value of non-residential building approvals in the Illawarra statistical district lifted by just over 79 per cent to $541 million, with almost half coming from the private sector.
"So, we’re not relying on the public purse there, there’s investment happening across the city, not only what we’re seeing coming out of the ground now, but potential future development that’s going to occur, particularly with that mixed office and residential development," Mr Pomfret said.
The tourism sectorwelcomed 995,000 domestic visitors into the region, up by 6.4 per cent.
But there was some bad news, with the labour market experiencing mixed conditions.
Although the average yearly unemployment rate contracted by 0.9 per cent to 5.9, the figure for youth unemployment worsened by 3.8 per cent to 17 per cent.