by Sara Seghedoni28   Aprile   2014

Australia, consumption rises 4%

Over 40 million sq m per year with a 4% yearly increase, and almost based on imports (local production covers only a 10% of domestic demand): that is the Australian tile sector, a fast-growing market that sees ever more certified tile installers and a large employment of the ceramic product, all in a changing construction sector.

Richard Bowman, from the Australian Tile Council, complains that too much competitiveness lowers prices and therefore quality. In that sense the Council has created tile professional installation courses to enhance installation quality and final customer’s satisfaction. Another issue to be discussed at the World Ceramic Tile Forum is tile slippery treatments, an issue concerning both producers and final customers.

Australia ranks 12th in the world tile market and has well performed over the five years of the big financial crisis: not only the construction sector has not fallen, but there has been an 11.9% increase in total investments in the sector in 2012. On the other hand there has been a reduction in building prices and a new traditionally European-style rental market has appeared. Thanks to the country’s mild climate and to the strong existing product culture, tiles are greatly appreciated by final consumers. As already said, the Australian market is mainly imports. China has seen its quota rising from 10% to 50% over just 10 years. Italy thanks to its high quality tiles ranks second, covering 16% of the import market.

According to Sam Giunta, main Australian distributor with three retail points established in the country, the value of Italian ceramics stands on design and innovation as well as on its ability to dictate fashion trends. After a period of flattening market competition, says Sam Giunta, Italian ceramics has found its leading role through its peculiar products. That’s why Cersaie is an important and unmissable annual appointment, to which Giunta goes every year since its first edition.
 

Country Report Australia ends with the contribution of architect Stephan Varady who underlines the importance of choosing materials according to the project they’re intended for – a task ceramic tiles can well accomplish. The success of a project often depends on the communication between the involved parties being them the client, the architect or the construction firm: to that extent, ceramic tiles are versatile and allow the best solution.
 

To view the entire Iran Country Report, download the magazine issue (n.344) on the free ' Ceramica ' App from iTunes.
You can also view and download Country Reports for the

- United States (Cer n.331)
- Germany (Cer n.332)
- Ukraine (Cer n.333)
- Turkey (Cer n.334)
- Brazil (Cer n.337
- Mexico (Cer n.338)
- Indonesia (Cer n.340)
- Iran (Cer n.342)
- India (Cer n.343)

published in various issues of CER il Giornale della ceramica.