The economy was still on a roll as it started 2015, ANZ's Truckometer indicator suggests.
The heavy traffic index, which reflects truck and tanker movements on 11 roads chosen for their historically close match to concurrent economic activity, rose 0.9 per cent last month, seasonally adjusted, on top of a
3.4 per cent rebound in December.
For the December quarter the index rose 1.4 per cent, which would be consistent with gross domestic product growth of around 0.7 per cent, said ANZ economist Sharon Zollner.
"It's a good start to 2015, particularly coming on top of a sizeable lift in December," she said. However, traffic flows rose on five of the 11 roads monitored, which made a partial reversal in February likely.
ANZ also tracks light vehicle movements on 10 roads which have provided a steer on GDP growth six months ahead. That index was flat in January after rising 2 per cent in December.
