Approvals decline eases

While the Local Government residential pool approval figures for the calendar year 2008 show a decline of 13 per cent compared to 2007 (11,796 approvals compared to 13,549), the news is not all bad.

The comparison comes up well against the figures published previously in splashmagazine.com.au, which compared the 12 months to October 2008 with the previous 12 months. That comparison showed a decline of 18 percent.

The new data, therefore, shows that the rate of decline is easing by five percent. The best performers for the combined months of November and December were Queensland with 442 approval over the two months, more than double the figure for NSW, Victoria and Western Australia. Further improvements are expected as the January and February figures come in, given the recent hot weather.

These quoted figures may miss some swimming pools, spas or renovations which have not gone through the DA process, but they do give the best statistical guide to the state of the market. They include any residential pool project requiring council approval around Australia. For further information or for reports which drill down into the data, contact Magdalene Miller from Reed Construction Data on 1800 80 60 60.

Meanwhile, a survey of SPLASH! readers has shown a positive pool industry outlook. The survey, conducted at the end of 2008 (prior to November), shows that the pool industry is not all doom and gloom. In fact, 88 percent of respondents said the outlook for the industry was steady or better, with 48 percent indicating a favourable or highly favourable outlook. Only 12 percent said the outlook was negative.

While the survey period didn’t include some of the worst days of the stock market tumble, it still shows there was much positivity in the industry – a vital component of continued success.