British Speaking Commonwealth Countries May Raise Interest Rates

Technically Australia has managed to avoid recession altogether, seeing a contraction in its economy only for one solitary final quarter of 2008. Therefore it came as no surprise on Tuesday when Australia's central bank hiked its main interest rate to 3.25% from 3%, becoming the first G20 nation to do so.

In an upbeat economic assessment released to coincide with the rate increase, the bank noted house prices and mortgage lending were both growing at a solid pace. Confirmation of this assessment came today (Wednesday) when positive Australian housing and construction data added to the evidence of economic recovery. Strong demand for homes in the past year has been due to strong population growth and 50-year-low mortgage lending rates.

As the global economy bounces back, Australia is front-running the recovery. It is the only country in the developed world to show economic growth in the first half of 2009. While in the United States and Britain house prices were falling as financial and economic crisis unfolded, Australian house prices held up remarkably well, rising 4.2 percent in March-June.

The housing market accounted for 27 percent of all loans issued in August, and an increase in commitments by home-buyers saw investment lending surge 7.6 percent this month.

New build home construction loans rose 4.6 percent in the same time period, up 69 percent from a year ago and a nalysts now think that pent-up demand for housing and a growing population will foster a housing construction boom into 2010.

Such positive data backs the view that the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) will keep lifting interest rates in coming months from 'emergency' low levels. David de Garis, senior economist at National Australia Bank agreed with this view, saying 'Overall, this adds to the litany of other hard economic evidence that the recovery is well and truly emerging and there is absolutely nothing in this report to dissuade the RBA from lifting the cash rate again in November'

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