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
Future of Luddenham in doubt as plan to build more houses blocked by builders of Western Sydney airport
Cath Hanrahan ABC (No paywall)A tiny village in Western Sydney faces a "long, slow death spiral" because the federal government corporation building the city's new airport is blocking a plan to save it, locals say. Luddenham village, population 450, is located just a kilometre from the new Western Sydney airport, set to open in 2026. Airport construction, and the new road infrastructure to service it, has swallowed many of the homes in Luddenham. It now sits in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis that will surround the new airport, in an agribusiness zone that does not permit new residential development. Two options in a NSW government plan would see land to the north of the village rezoned to allow between 550 and 1,200 new homes to be built. However, Western Sydney Airport Corporation (WSA Co), set up by the federal government to build and operate the airport, has lodged an objection to further housing in Luddenham.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-20/luddenham-village-future-…
# NSW, Federal Government, Housing market, Planning and development, State Government.One year after the aged care royal commission, families say 'nothing's changed' at a nursing home in Melbourne
Norman Hermant ABC (No paywall)Like so many people who face a decision about placing a parent into residential aged care, for Litsa Beck it was a struggle. Seven years ago her father George Poulos was living with dementia and could no longer look after himself. His family moved him into Bupa Aged Care Templestowe, in Melbourne. "I was expecting specialist dementia care. I was expecting a workforce that were highly trained," Ms Beck said. "That was my impression … that is not what I found as time went on."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-24/family-concerns-about-bup…
# Australia, Housing market, Older people.High rents in Victoria's Western District leave families with $80 a fortnight for food
ABC (No paywall)As the community development worker with the Salvation Army, every week Mark Thomas is on the road delivering food hampers throughout Coleraine, Casterton and Hamilton. ... Mr Boulder has heard about the lives of the people that he delivers food hampers to, who have told him the basic costs of living in western Victoria were now simply too high. "The cost of rent has gone up, and fuel prices have hit hard, and food prices have made it worse," Mr Boulder said. "And living costs, food prices are higher in Coleraine. "After paying rent, my clients have got about $80 left to buy food for the fortnight.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-24/families-with-80-dollars-…
# Australia, Rent, Families.Property market continues to cool as clearance rates soften
Sarah Webb Domain (No paywall)The nation’s red-hot property market has finally cooled, with soft auction clearance rates collected across the country for the second week in a row, amid reports buyer inspection numbers also dipped. Despite a strong start to the year in Sydney and Melbourne, both cities have since slid from clearance rates in the 80s to register 68.3 and 67 per cent respectively – with the national average mirroring the downward trend at 68.6 per cent.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/property-market-continues-t…
# Australia, Housing market.Sydney and Melbourne house prices running out of puff
Sezen Bakan The New Daily (No paywall)The year is still young, but there are early signs that several Australian capital cities will see a downturn in house prices by the end of 2022.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2022/03/21/house-pri…
# Australia, Housing affordability, Housing market.Own an investment property? It may be time to diversify
Craig Sankey The New Daily (No paywall)Many residential properties have performed very strongly recently, but the following factors need to be considered ... [read on]
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2022/03/20/investmen…
# Australia, Housing market, Landlords and agents.Flipping heck! This house sold for $500,000 more in three months
Tawar Razaghi Domain (No paywall)Economist at the Housing Industry Association Angela Lillicrap said the property type was becoming more popular due to houses becoming less affordable. “Everybody wants a detached house, but at some point they become unaffordable, so a semi-detached house, like a duplex, is the next option,” Ms Lillicrap said.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/flipping-heck-this-house-so…
# NSW, Housing market.Inquiry says first home buyers should be able to use super savings as loan security
Nour Haydar ABC (No paywall)First home buyers should be allowed to use their super savings as security for a home loan and states should ditch stamp duty in favour of a land tax, according to a parliamentary inquiry into housing affordability in Australia. Committee chair Jason Falinski disputed the need for the federal government to review a number of tax concessions it offers, saying they were not a major factor contributing to high prices. In a dissenting report, Labor MPs rubbished the committee's findings, saying the inquiry failed to address the structural problems within the housing market. ... The committee also recommended that state and territory governments gradually replace "inefficient" stamp duty, which is paid at the point of sale, with a broad-based land tax which is paid annually.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-18/housing-affordability-inq…
# Australia, Federal Government, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market, Planning and development, Tax.