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
John Collett
Crunch time looms for property investors on repayment holidays The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Investment property mortgages on deferral remain persistently high and a crunch may be looming that could result in forced sales.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/borrowing/crunch-time-looms-for-pro…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19.Boost for renters as state pumps $800m into clean power
Michael Fowler The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Euan Thomas' rental home in Melbourne's east sometimes felt like living in two different climates. "It appeared that half the house was insulated. Our main bedroom was a hotbox in summer, then ...”
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/victoria/boost-for-renters-as-st…
# Australia, Rent, Utilities electricity water gas.Premier's planning shake-up came after developers signed secret letter
Carrie Fellner The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Premier Gladys Berejiklian moved the Greater Sydney Commission under her control against the advice of a key departmental boss two months after a secret lobbying push by a group including big business and developers.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/premier-s-planning-shake-up-…
# Australia, Planning and development.Bold step': Other states urged to follow NSW's lead on stamp duty reform
Jennifer Duke, Shane Wright and Matt Wade The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)State and territory premiers are under pressure to follow the NSW government's plan to give home buyers a choice between paying a one-off stamp duty or an annual fee, risking a hit to the budget bottom line while interest rates are low to scrap the widely disliked tax.’ Read their article entitled: ‘Bold step': Other states urged to follow NSW's lead on stamp duty reform.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/bold-step-other-states-u…
# NSW, Tax.Like all big tax reforms, replacing stamp duty won’t be easy’
Matt Wade The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Stamp duty was introduced to NSW in 1865 and Treasurer Dominic Perrottet says it’s time for a change. He plans to give NSW home buyers a choice between paying stamp duty at the point of purchase or a smaller annual land tax similar to council rates. Once a property has been traded without stamp duty it would remain annually taxed for subsequent owners.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/like-all-big-tax-reforms-rep…
# NSW, Tax.NSW budget: The Sydney regions where buyers spend most on stamp duty
Kate Burke Domain (Paywall)Scrapping stamp duty could save house hunters tens of thousands of dollars in up-front costs, with buyers in some pockets of Sydney likely to save six-figure sums if they get to opt for a new property tax.
https://www.domain.com.au/news/nsw-budget-the-sydney-regions-whe…
# NSW, Tax.A duty to reform: NSW takes “path of least resistance” with tax switch
Matt Wade The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The new property tax would also replace the existing NSW land tax (separate to stamp duty) which is levied on residential properties other than the principle place of residence valued above a certain threshold, including investment properties and holiday homes. The NSW government says protections would be put in place to ensure the introduction of the annual property tax does not result in rent increases without a tenant’s agreement.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/a-duty-to-reform-nsw-takes-p…
# NSW, Tax.NSW's new $812 million social housing package doesn't go far enough, advocates say
Evan Young SBS (No paywall)The NSW announcement comes on the heels of a $5.3 billion social housing pledge by the Victorian government that aims to build 12,000 homes throughout Melbourne and regional areas. Homelessness NSW CEO Katherine McKernan welcomed renewed funding for existing homelessness services but said the NSW social housing package stood in “stark contrast” to the Victorian one.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/nsw-s-new-812-million-social-housing…
# NSW, Public and community housing, Homelessness.