• Lending to build new homes recorded a healthy increase in December. Loans for the construction of dwellings rose by 1.0 per cent in December – the fourth consecutive increase.
• Overall, the value of housing loans rose by 2.5 per cent in December with the number of loans to owner occupiers up 2.1 per cent. But the number of home loans is 2.8 per cent lower than a year ago.
• Fixed rate loans accounted for 8.9 per cent of all loans in December – the highest reading in 30 months and up from the recent lows of 3.4 per cent in August.
• Credit card balances are growing at the slowest annual pace in 13 months. The average credit card balance in December was up just 1.9 per cent on a year ago. The average balance recorded the usual seasonal lift in the month, up $34.10 to $3,314.90.
• Petrol prices are tracking sideways. According to the Australian Institute of Petroleum, the national average Australian price of unleaded petrol remained unchanged at 26 month highs of 135.2 cents a litre in the week to February 13.

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