Higher consumer demand in New Zealand, combined with a 5 per cent price rise in July, boosted Coca-Cola Amatil's revenue in Australasia.

The company reiterated its earnings guidance for the second half of 2009 after reporting solid third-quarter revenue and volume growth.

CCA said yesterday it was confident its previous guidance of high single-digit growth in both earnings before interest and tax (ebit) and net profit after tax for the second half would be achieved.

That assumes a normal summer trading season in Australasia in November and December, which account for around 20 per cent of the company's trading revenue.

CCA said its Australian beverage business achieved solid volume and revenue growth in the third quarter and robust transaction growth.

The New Zealand and Fijian units now expected to deliver modest local currency earnings growth for the second half of 2009, CCA said.

Strong volume growth was also experienced by CCA's Indonesian, Pacific Beverages and Food and Services units, with SPC Ardmona still on track to deliver full-year savings of around A$8 million ($10.1 million) from the rationalisation of its manufacturing sites in the Goulburn Valley.

Pacific Beverages customers' strong support for the Russian Standard premium vodka range, launched in July, meant initial sales exceeded forecasts, CCA said.

Pacific Beverages' Bluetongue Brewery in New South Wales remains on track for completion in May 2010.

CCA said the high Australian dollar would reduce full-year 2009 earnings growth by about 1 per cent.

Depreciation of the Indonesian rupiah against the US dollar and other factors would lead to a double-digit increase in the cost of goods sold in Indonesia during 2009.

Overall, the beverage cost of goods sold per unit case in 2009 would rise by between 5 and 6 per cent on a constant currency basis, excluding Indonesia, CCA said.

But CCA remained on track to recover its cost of goods increases in 2009, the company said.

Capital expenditure in 2009 would be about 7.5 per cent of revenue before CCA lifts capital expenditure in 2010 to 8.5 per cent of sales revenue.

CCA said it would invest around A$45 million ($57 million) in 2010 in the manufacture of PET bottles at its Northmead facility in New South Wales.

- AAP