Housing News Digest
Housing News Digest
The Tenants' Union Housing News Digest compiles our pick of items from all the latest tenancy and housing media, sent once per week, on Thursdays.
Below is the Digest archive from November 2020 onwards. From time to time you will find additional items in the archive that did not make it into the weekly Digest email. Earlier archives are here, where you can also find additional digests by other organisations.
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Archive
Aged care is about to get more expensive. Here’s what you need to know
Rachel Lane The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)If you’re a self-funded retiree or choose not to disclose your income and assets, residential aged care is about to get a lot more expensive. The government have announced that from October residential aged care facilities will be moving to a new funding model. The model is called the Australian National Aged Care Classification, or AN-ACC, and is designed to align funding with the costs of delivering care.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/super-and-retirement/aged-care-is-a…
# Australia, Housing market, Older people.Byron Bay locals unite against short stay rental cap
(No paywall)Locals and business owners in Byron Bay have banded together to challenge the Byron Shire Council’s push to cap short-stay home rentals to 90 days every year. Tourism Research Australia’s national and international visitor survey shows the 90-day cap could see a loss of $267 million per annum from the local economy, threaten up to 1448 jobs and may have very little positive impact on housing stock or affordability in the region. (Travel Weekly) Also, see Bruce MacKenzie's article from June of this year, entitled: 'Byron Bay council gets go-ahead for 90-day holiday letting cap' on ABC at: [https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-10/byron-bay-council-gets-go-ahead-for-90-day-holiday-letting-cap/101142014]
https://www.travelweekly.com.au/article/byron-bay-locals-unite-a…
# NSW, Housing market, Short-term holiday letting.Class action threatened over WestConnex property damage claims
Megan Gorrey The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The NSW government is facing the threat of a class action from homeowners in Sydney’s inner suburbs who claim their properties have been damaged due to construction of the multibillion-dollar WestConnex motorway. Law firm Dentons is investigating the potential lawsuit which it says could be joined by thousands of residents living above or near the route of the 33-kilometre tollroad - touted as Australia’s biggest infrastructure project.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/class-action-threatened-over…
# NSW, Home ownership, State Government.Half a trillion in wealth wiped from Australian households in three months
Shane Wright The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)High interest rates and financial turmoil have wiped $500 billion in wealth from Australian households, with warnings from Treasurer Jim Chalmers the global economy has become a “pretty dangerous place” that will pull some of Australia’s key trading partners into recession. As official data showed inflation at a 30-year high, Chalmers said it would be “foolish” to believe Australia and the federal budget could be spared from the fallout of the troubling economic conditions emerging around the world. ... The value of land and buildings dropped by almost $150 billion in the quarter ... The biggest hit to property was in NSW and Victoria.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/global-economic-environm…
# Australia, Families, Home ownership.Albany house fire leaves family homeless as dad braves flames to save daughters
Briana Fiore and Eliza Borrello ABC (Paywall)A West Australian family has become homeless again after a fire destroyed their rental overnight, with two young children and three pet dogs saved by the parents' quick-thinking.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-29/albany-house-fire-family-…
# Australia, Rent, Homelessness, Personal stories.Newcastle’s housing crisis in spotlight amid row over emergency accommodation
Mostafa Rachwani The Guardian (No paywall)Advocacy groups have criticised the New South Wales government for rejecting a proposal to use former disability housing for emergency homeless accommodation amid a housing crisis in Newcastle. ... Nicole Grgas, the coordinator of the Hunter Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service, said the centres could have at least been used temporarily. “We could at least in the meantime use this as even temporary accommodation for families or single people,” she said. “Because we don’t have a lot of options for people at the moment.”
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/aug/15/newcastle…
# NSW, Homelessness, Regional NSW, State Government.Queensland government shelves controversial land tax changes as treasurer defends policy
Rachel Riga ABC (No paywall)The Queensland government has shelved changes to land tax after the premier met with interstate leaders — but Treasurer Cameron Dick has continued to defend the policy. The proposed changes, which were slated to come into effect next year, would have meant some people with properties in Queensland and interstate would have paid more tax on their land. The amendments to the tax had already been legislated, which means they will now be deferred in Parliament. The decision comes after opposition from other state and territory governments and the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ), which labelled the plan "illogical". Earlier this week, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said his government would refuse to supply data to Queensland to help implement the tax. Also, read Matt Dennien's article entitled: 'Queensland shunts land tax change, but treasurer "stands by everything he’s said"’ at: [https://www.smh.com.au/politics/queensland/queensland-shunts-land-tax-change-but-treasurer-stands-by-everything-he-s-said-20220930-p5bm7s.html] Read the article by Toby Crockford and Matt Dennien entitled 'Premier didn’t tell Treasurer about land tax U-turn before going public' in 'The Sydney Morning Herald' at: [https://www.smh.com.au/national/queensland/premier-didn-t-tell-treasurer-about-land-tax-u-turn-before-going-public-20221001-p5bmh5.html]
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-30/queensland-land-tax-gover…
# Australia, Housing market, Landlords and agents, State Government, Tax.Regional NSW towns where first home buyers can purchase for less than $750,000
Kate Burke Domain (No paywall)More first home buyers across regional NSW will be able to get into the property market sooner and with a smaller deposit, as a new government assistance scheme rolls out from today. But with first home buyer activity at its lowest level in years, as rapidly rising interest rates curb buyers’ borrowing power and lift mortgage repayments, industry figures do not expect a rush to buy. Ten thousand regional first home buyers nationally will be able to purchase with a low 5 per cent deposit each year, under a new scheme introduced amid a rental crisis and falling sales prices.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/regional-nsw-towns-where-fi…
# NSW, Home ownership, Housing market, Regional NSW.