<html><body>
Australians are among the most enthusiastic online shoppers in the world.
Our most recent survey, published in the CCi Digital Futures report, <a rel="nofollow" href="https://apo.org.au/research/cci-digital-futures-2012-internet-australia">The Internet in Australia 2012</a>, has found a quarter of Australian internet users make weekly purchases online, compared to 18% in the UK and only 12% in New Zealand.
And it is rapidly growing. Surveys we have conducted in 2007, 2009 and 2011 showed growth in all commercial activities we asked about. (Although, interestingly for the debate in Australia, we saw stronger growth between 2007 and 2009 than for 2009 to 2011.)
And while activity is growing among those who are online, the online Australian population is also continuing to grow.
In 2007, 73% of Australians used the internet; by 2009 this figure had grown to 81%, and it grew again to 87% in 2011. There are more Australians online, buying more often.
But amidst these figures, reporting has concentrated on flat “official” retail figures, high profile retail collapses and the “threat” of online retail.
Poor pre-Christmas sales in 2010 prompted big retailers including Harvey Norman and Myer to press the federal government to apply GST to goods bought online worth less than $1,000.
But this reaction gave the impression they had only just heard of the internet.
While perfectly justified, their complaint that the GST-free threshold on goods bought by Australians from overseas sites made for an uneven playing field, was a little beside the point.
Australians were not going online just to save 10%. A <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/online-tax-no-silver-bullet-say-retailers-20120908-25lex">public campaign</a> to increase the costs of goods bought online was never going to strike a popular chord.
So why have Australia’s large bricks and mortar retailers been slow to respond to the challenge of the internet? If the conventional rule is “once bitten, twice shy”, the response to the tech-wreck of the early 2000s suggests that for Australian retailers, the multiplier is greater than the customary two. Cheaper prices and greater variety has led Australians to purchase overseas.
Australian retailers are not the only, or even the greatest, villains in the story. The high Australian dollar, the popularity of overseas travel, and the emergence of transnational online stores like iTunes, has highlighted how Australia is priced differently by many overseas firms.
Australia is seen by many as a “high-margin market”, which seems to be code for “a land of sweeping returns”. The number of parallel importing cases before the courts is an interesting by-product of this dynamic.
Yet news is far from gloomy for Australian retailers. Australians are keen to shop with Australian websites. Around half of Australian consumers who shop online make most or all of their purchases with Australian sites.
<hr>
Reasons include the belief it is less risky for consumers, as returning products should be simpler and cheaper and that enforcing consumer rights is possible.
In addition, two major shifts in online retail have major potential upside for domestic retailers.
The first is a shift to purchasing that is more time sensitive. Up until now, online shopping seems to have been driven largely by the chance to save money and acquire goods that are hard to find locally.
The next phase is likely to be about convenience; making online purchasing easier than visiting the store. This requires distribution networks that can achieve next day or same day delivery. Large Australian retailers already have distribution networks that should give them a solid platform to compete on this basis.
In the United States, there has been a long debate — somewhat like our GST debate — about the application of state-levied sales taxes on online purchases. (Somewhat surprisingly, the Victorian state government joined the tax-free threshold debate recently.)
It’s interesting that some US online retailers now appear to be trading off their out-of-state tax-free transactions against the ability to deliver more quickly, through greater physical proximity to their customers.
The second is the rise of the mobile internet, and its promise of nearly ubiquitous, always-on connectivity. Debates about online retailing, like many other internet related debates, have tended to polarise between “the online” and “the offline”.
As the internet has matured it turns out that most of the interesting stuff is about reconfiguring the connections between the offline and online worlds. In a dial-up environment, people “went” online; now they are more likely to be moving between the on-and offline environments; often using the internet to navigate and complement their offline activities.
The attraction of the mobile internet is not only the idea that it is available almost everywhere (in cities, at least). It is increasingly sensitive to place. The result will be lots of new opportunities for communication and commerce for traditional retailers.
The possibilities include helping customers to find stuff, allowing them to search store layouts, to order for in-store pick up, and to use their mobile phones to purchase in-store. The challenge for retailers is how to best integrate these proliferating channels with their businesses.
Many smaller Australian companies and start-ups are showing the way. They will help ensure that local retailing remains competitive in an increasingly dynamic environment.
Scott Ewing is a senior research fellow at the Swinburne Institute for Social Research and at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Creative Industries and Innovation. Julian Thomas is drector of the Swinburne Institute for Social Research, and Professor of Media and Communications at Swinburne University of Technology. This article first appeared on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://theconversation.edu.au/click-here-for-bankruptcy-scamming-and-small-businesses-7084">The Conversation</a>.
 
</body></html>

cknowlton-QnEa6ntUYP

How Australian retailers can capitalise on the rise of online shopping

<html><body>
8 Henderson Street, Merrylands, NSW, 2160
<img src="/images/stories/2012/08/henderson.jpg" width="470">
Within walking distance to shops, this two-bedroom house sold at auction for $425,000 to an investor. There were five registered bidders. The tenants have been in residence for 15 years and are paying $425 a week. Laing + Simmons selling agent Jas Singh says it could potentially fetch $10 or $15 more a week but that the vendor was happy to have a stable tenant rather than insist upon market rent. The weatherboard cottage on 525 square metres has high ceilings, a garage and a small study.
Singh gave pre-auction price hopes in the "early to  mid-$400,000s". At its current rent it will secure its buyer a gross rental yield of 5.2%, above the median gross rental yield for Merrylands houses of4.6%, according to RP Data. The gross rental yield does not consider the costs of maintaining the property, including council rates and other fees such as water bills and managing agent fees.
<a href="https://calc.washingtonbrown.com.au/wbdcalculator/calculator.aspx?RID=HPCAZOPTTT" target="_blank">Washington Brown</a> estimates the first-year tax depreciation deduction to be $3,000 and over five years to be $6,000.
The median house price in Merrylands rose 1.1% in the past year and rose 24.7% in the past five years, according to RP Data.
For more information about prices and yields in <a href="/news">Merrylands, see the RP Data suburb page.</a>
</body></html>

Investor form guide wrap: Yields of 5.2% in Merrylands

<html><body>
The wellbeing of low-income Australian households is being seriously undermined by the increasing cost of housing and electricity. Many such households are suffering from both housing stress and energy poverty.
Housing stress occurs when low-income households (the bottom 40% of households) use about a third of their income to pay for accommodation. Energy poverty, we suggest, occurs when low-income households spend 10% or more of after-tax income on household energy bills, in addition to rent or mortgage payments.
No Australian studies have examined the link between housing stress and energy poverty and its effect on wellbeing. But findings from <a target="_blank" href="https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=656764580142785;res=IELHSS">our current research</a> suggest that they often go hand in hand, and financial hardship is an ever-present reality in the households concerned.
<h2>The extent of housing stress</h2>
The data on housing stress alone is well developed. The COAG Reform Council’s <a target="_blank" href="https://www.coagreformcouncil.gov.au/reports/housing.cfm">annual report</a> on the state of housing in Australia paints a dismal picture. In 2009-10, some 42% of low-income households in the private rental market were suffering from housing stress, up from 37% in 2007-08.
More than half of private renters in the lowest 10% of households by income were in housing stress during this period. The same report concluded that in 2009-10, some 37% of low-income households with a mortgage were also suffering from housing stress.
<h2>The extent of energy poverty</h2>
The proportion of low-income households suffering from energy poverty is less clear. What is evident is that increases in electricity prices have far outstripped inflation and wage increases.
An Australia-wide snapshot of average electricity price increases over the past five years shows that New South Wales household electricity prices rose 80%, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania by 60%, and in Western Australia by 57%. Over the same period the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6401.0" target="_blank">Consumer Price Index</a> rose by 14.5%, and average weekly earnings by over a quarter.
So now an increasing number of low-income households are suffering from energy poverty.<a href="https://abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/4442.0.55.0012009-10?OpenDocument" target="_blank">Australian Bureau of Statistics</a> data show that in 2009-10, the lowest 20% of Australian households had an average weekly income of $314. Their average expenditure on household energy was 7% of disposable income – three times more than the wealthiest households. These figures don’t take account of the more recent substantial electricity price increases.
Indeed, our research signals that much higher proportions are now being paid. This partly confirms the <a href="https://www.ipart.nsw.gov.au/Home/Industries/Electricity/Reviews_All/Retail_Pricing/Changes_in_regulated_electricity_retail_prices_from_1_July_2011/14_Jun_2011_-_Final_Report/Final_Report_-_Changes_in_regulated_electricity_retail_prices_from_1_July_2011_-_June_2011" target="_blank">NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal’s</a> recent estimate that 5% of Sydney households, and 8% of households in country New South Wales were paying more than 10% of disposable income on electricity bills.
In Victoria, electricity and gas bills have been found to be the greatest cause of <a href="https://epubs.scu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1111&amp;context=jesp">rental arrears</a> (63% of cases). And the ABS found nearly 40% of the two lowest household income groups were unable to pay electricity, gas or telephone bills on time during 2010.
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
 
<h2>The toll on wellbeing</h2>
There’s growing evidence that the combination of housing and energy stress can have serious impacts on health. Since mid-2000, the not-for-profit sector has provided snapshots of such difficulties as low-income households cut back on essentials in order to pay for electricity.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-14/energy-hike/4069678" target="_blank">The Salvation Army</a> recently found that in regional New South Wales, just over half the people are going without meals to pay for electricity. A third of these people could not afford to heat their homes.
In 2010, the <a href="https://www.wesleymission.org.au/Research/Financial_Stress/Report/Online%20report/The%20Wesley%20Report%20Oct%202010.pdf" target="_blank">Wesley Mission</a> concluded that more than two-thirds of financially stressed households were making sacrifices to meet electricity price increases, and 10% were unable to meet the cost.
Research by <a href="https://acoss.org.au/images/uploads/AJSI_Vol423.pdf" target="_blank">one of the authors</a> on older private renters under housing stress found the impact was often devastating; interviewees told of how they were unable to feed themselves adequately or replace essential items.
Social isolation was also a common problem. After paying for accommodation, electricity and telephone, there was no money left to engage in the world.
As one interviewee said, “Well, you sort of think what you can do with $2.50 [the cost of a public transport day pass]. That’s a loaf of bread type of thing.”
Besides the physical implications of inadequate nutrition, the psychological implications of housing stress and energy poverty can be profound. Many of the interviewees were plagued by constant anxiety, and depression was common. The not-for-profit sector is also reporting that these impacts of housing stress and energy poverty are becoming more widespread.
These are “real” live consequences of public policies on Australia’s 3.5 million low-income households. And they are, for the large part, being ignored by the political debate.
This article originally appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.edu.au/">The Conversation.</a>
Alan Morris is a senior lecturer in the school of social sciences at the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/">University of NSW.</a>
Lynne Chester is in the department of political economy at the <a target="_blank" href="https://sydney.edu.au/">University of Sydney.</a>
</body></html>

Housing stress and energy poverty undermining the wellbeing of low-income Australian households

<html><body>
9/14-20 Madeira Street, Sylvania, NSW 2224
<img width="470" src="/images/stories/2012/09/madeira.jpg">
Currently tenanted until March 2013 at $620 per week, this three-bedroom near-new townhouse has a spa bathroom, front and rear courtyards and a laundry. It is within easy walking distance of shops, cafes and transport.
Ray White listing agents Dave Watkins, Kim Nolan and John Basa <a target="_blank" href="https://www.raywhite.com/nsw/sylvania/839585/">are marketing the property</a> with price hopes of $550,000 plus, and if it sells for that price, that would secure an investor a gross rental yield of 5.9% at its current rent, well above the gross rental yield for Sylvnia houses of 3.6%, according to RP Data. The gross rental yield does not consider the costs of maintaining the property, including council rates and other fees such as water bills and managing agent fees.
<a href="https://calc.washingtonbrown.com.au/wbdcalculator/calculator.aspx?RID=HPCAZOPTTT" target="_blank">Washington Brown</a> estimates the first-year tax depreciation deduction to be $20,000 and over five years to be $60,000.
The median house price in Sylvania rose 4% in the past year and 27.4% in the past five years, according to RP Data.
The property will be open for inspection on Saturday, September 22 at noon and will go to auction on Saturday, October 6 at 1pm.
For more information about prices and yields in <a target="_blank" href="/news">Sylvania, see the RP Data suburb page.</a>
For another investment prospect going to auction this weekend, see page 2.
 
<hr class="system-pagebreak">
19/44 Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, VIC, 3182
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/kingsclere.jpg" width="470">
On the second floor of a Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, block, this one-bedroom apartment is currently vacant but could be expected to secure a rental of $360 to $370 per week, according to listing agent Carl Hexter of Biggin Scott. The apartment includes a separate study and an ornamental fireplace and is within metres of Fitzroy Street trams, cafes, restaurants and bars.
Hexter <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.bigginscott.com.au/property/details/6802">is marketing the property</a> with price hopes of $380,000 plus, and if it sells for $380,000 and were rented at $370, it would secure an investor a gross rental yield of 5.1%, above at the median gross rental yield for St Kilda units of 4.3%, according to RP Data. The gross rental yield does not consider the costs of maintaining the property, including council rates and other fees such as water bills and managing agent fees.
<a href="https://calc.washingtonbrown.com.au/wbdcalculator/calculator.aspx?RID=HPCAZOPTTT" target="_blank">Washington Brown</a> estimates the first-year tax depreciation deduction to be $4,000 and over five years to be $8,000.
The median unit price in St Kilda fell 0.6% in the past year but rose 37.9% in the past five years, according to RP Data.
The property will be open for inspection Saturday, September 22 at 12.45pm and will go to auction Saturday, October 6 at 1pm.
For more information about prices and yields in <a target="_blank" href="/news">St Kilda, see the RP Data suburb page.</a>
</body></html>

Friday form guide: Yields of up to 5.9% in Sylvania

<html><body>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/auctions/afl-grand-final-day-auction-avoidance-with-few-vendors-willing-to-risk-missing-the-bounce/2012091656603" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/2012/09/33.gif"></a>
The number of Melbourne vendors who are <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/auctions/afl-grand-final-day-auction-avoidance-with-few-vendors-willing-to-risk-missing-the-bounce/2012091656603" target="_blank">bringing their homes to auction on grand final day</a>. The weekend before there are about 700 auctions scheduled, according to APM, and 500 on the following weekend.
 
<hr>
 
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/retail/melbourne-shopping-strip-bridge-road-richmond-has-highest-vacancy-rate-in-five-years/2012091656593"><img src="/images/stories/2012/09/11point5percent.gif"></a>
The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/retail/melbourne-shopping-strip-bridge-road-richmond-has-highest-vacancy-rate-in-five-years/2012091656593">rental vacancy rate for Melbourne shopping strip Bridge Road</a>. This is up from 2.9% just two years ago.
<hr>
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/sydney-housing-crisis-deepens-as-outer-suburbs-fall-further-behind-on-new-home-building-targets-mckell-institute/2012091656598"><img src="/images/stories/2012/09/2908.gif"></a>
The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/residential/sydney-housing-crisis-deepens-as-outer-suburbs-fall-further-behind-on-new-home-building-targets-mckell-institute/2012091656598">shortfall of homes in Sydney for the first quarter of 2012</a>, according to the McKell Institute. The greatest concentration of houses is required in the south-west and the north-west, where the target is for 169,000 homes to be built by 2036, says the think-tank. “Councils across the city need to flatly reject NIMBYism and accept that if they don’t approve more dwellings and get the construction sector pumping, our housing affordability crisis will get out of control,” says McKell.
<hr>
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/retail/st-kat-s-george-calombaris-s-kew-premises-gets-chinese-landlord/2012091756615" target="_blank"><img src="/images/stories/2012/09/4point31m.gif"></a>
The <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/retail/st-kat-s-george-calombaris-s-kew-premises-gets-chinese-landlord/2012091756615" target="_blank">price paid by a Chinese investor for the premises of St Katherine's</a>, the much-lauded Kew restaurant of MasterChef's George Calombaris and his business associate Shane Dalia.
<hr>
<a target="_blank" href="/news"><img src="/images/stories/2012/09/1point56m.gif"></a>
The <a target="_blank" href="/news">price that self-betterment guru Siimon Reynolds has secured for his Double Bay bachelor pad</a>. The two-bedroom apartment was last traded for $788,000 in 1997.
</body></html>

The 5 must-know numbers of the working week, starting with Melbourne auctions on grand final day

<html><body>
Westfield will not be following the lead of David Jones, having ruled out building any residential projects above its many Australian retail malls.
Westfield director  Domenic Panaccio says the company is committed to having retail malls and at most having office additions in some, but says there will be no foray into residential redevelopment of their retail portfolio.
Panaccio’s comments come as David Jones chief Paul Zahra said his company was considering commercial and residential developments above its stores.
“That could be a good option for David Jones," Panaccio told Fairfax Media.
"They’re looking for opportunities. It would bring people to the city and could create further growth if the residential demand was there,” Panaccio said.
David Jones have been undertaking valuations and investigating the potential for redevelopment of its stores after posting a 40% slump in profits.
It's been touted that David Jones could add an extra 20 levels above its Market Street store in Sydney as well as options at its two Bourke Street stores in Melbourne and its Elizabeth Street store in Sydney.
Westfield has been busy redeveloping some of its malls with Melbourne’s Fountain Gate re-opening yesterday.
The $340 million redevelopment has turned the mall into Australia's second largest at 174,000 square metres.
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/dj11.jpg">
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/dj21.jpg">
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/dj31.jpg">
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/dj41.jpg">
</body></html>

Westfield won't be following David Jones residential redevelopment lead

<html><body>
Until the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/opposition-divided-over-station-sale-20120903-25amj">recent bid</a> from a Chinese-Japanese consortium Shandong RuYi for megafarm Cubbie Station, it appeared the property would limp along under locally based administration.
But then the opportunity for the consortium to make a bid was approved by Treasurer Wayne Swan, who said he was convinced that a future sale was in the national interest after being given certain undertakings by the potential purchaser regarding the use of water, the employment of workers and the management of the station.
Should there be any fuss? After all, the government and opposition both welcome foreign investment in Australia. As recently as December last year Peter Costello joined Bob Hawke in a delegation to the Gulf States where both <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/bob-hawke-in-gulf-trade-push/story-e6frg8zx-1225976841263">implored countries</a> such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to expand their investments in Australian food and agricultural industries.
But Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce used the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/barnaby-joyce-rejects-xenophobia-tag/story-fn59niix-1226475218339">National Party federal conference</a> in Canberra this weekend to outline his passionate opposition to the sale, rebuffing claims that his view was based on xenophobia.
In an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/coalition-trades-blows-over-cubbie-station-20120904-25cnj">immediate response</a> to Swan’s announcement, Joyce labelled the Cubbie decision a “bloody disgrace”. Any sale of a property of this size to foreigners will undermine Australia’s ability to determine the use of its own resources into the future, he argued.
Finance farming
While there’s an unhealthy mix of rural populism and anti-Chinese sentiment in some of the complaints about Cubbie, there is no doubt that foreign firms will continue to increase their stake in Australian agriculture.
Cubbie is simply part of a bigger picture. In what has been termed the “financialisation” of farming, sovereign wealth funds, investment houses, private equity consortia and others dealing in financial instruments such as credit default swaps, derivatives, bonds, securities and futures trading have been increasing their investments in agriculture, worldwide.
In some countries this is deemed to be a “land grab” while, for developed nations, this is termed “foreign direct investment” and is welcomed as capital necessary for economic development.
There has been a host of agri-food purchases in Australia during the past two years:
<ul>
<li>more than 750,000 hectares of sheep and wheat land has <a target="_blank" href="https://sl.farmonline.com.au/news/nationalrural/agribusiness-and-general/general/land-the-perfect-investment-for-foreigners/2431007.aspx?storypage=0">been bought</a> by Hassad Foods of Qatar;</li>
<li>some 250,000 hectares of Victoria’s western district farmland was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.abc.net.au/rural/regions/content/201102/3127526.htm?site=westernvic">purchased</a> by the Alberta Pension Fund;</li>
<li>CSR Sugar <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/csr-sugar-takeover-bid-by-wilmar-a-well-kept-secret/story-e6frg8zx-1225889995293">was sold</a> to Wilmar International of Singapore;</li>
<li>Tully Sugar <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/great-tully-sugar-sell-off-proves-bittersweet/story-fn59niix-1226088463624">was sold</a> to China Oil and Fuel;</li>
<li>Australia’s major grain-trading company, AWB, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201011/s3067639.htm">was acquired</a> by Canada’s Agrium company.</li>
</ul>
Today, foreign companies control more than half of the Australian wheat export industry, some 60% of raw sugar production, and 40% of lamb and beef processing.
Assets in agriculture
Why would the finance industry be interested in farming?
After all, it is a risky business that has often provided small, if not negative, returns to investment. The answer lies in a combination of factors. When the dot-com bubble burst at the turn of the century, followed by collapse of real estate prices after the GFC, the financial sector was looking for a safe haven for investors’ money.
Farmland prices had been rising for a decade on the back of strong demand for food from a growing world population, including millions of new middle-class consumers in places such as China, India and Indonesia.
Legislation requiring an ethanol mix for vehicles provided a clear signal to the finance firms that their investments in biofuel production would be secure. Oil-rich but water-poor countries such as Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and Qatar are seeking to guarantee food for the future and have no hesitation in using billions of dollars in sovereign wealth funds to secure lands and water in food-producing regions around the world.
Deregulation of financial markets has also helped facilitate the quick movement of funds from less profitable markets to agriculture. And, of course, there have been opportunities for speculation. Facilitated, in part, by global financial deregulation, traders have been able to manipulate markets for commodities such as corn, wheat and rice, making considerable profits for their investors along the way.
Farmlands are, in this sense, just another “bundle of assets” that can be bought and sold to maximise shareholder profits.
Critics point out that farmland must be viewed as more than a tradeable commodity and should be harnessed to provide global food security – not profits for speculators from wealthy nations. But the reality is that it is providing an opportunity for capital accumulation in an era of considerable financial turmoil.
Selling the farm
So, where does this leave Barnaby Joyce and others who have expressed disquiet over the purchase of Cubbie and other Australian properties?
Their protests are unlikely to halt the movement of funds from overseas financial institutions into Australian agri-food industries – especially since Joyce’s own Coalition comrades believe strongly in the virtues of free trade and the desirability (read: necessity) of increased foreign investment.
Will Barnaby resist the pleas by Abbott and Hockey to fall into line with his neoliberal-oriented colleagues and thus continue to rail against the “sale of the farm”?
Whether Joyce falls in step with his Coalition colleagues or not, one thing is for sure: “the farm” is out for tender.
This article originally appeared on <a target="_blank" href="https://theconversation.edu.au/">The Conversation.</a>
Geoffrey Lawrence is a professor of sociology at the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/" target="_blank">University of Queensland.</a>
</body></html>

Why the foreign finance industry is interested in buying Australia's farms

<html><body>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/16point46percent.gif">
The increase in house rents in Perth in the past year, according to Residex. The average weekly house rent is $460, providing landlords with a yield of 4.95%.
 
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/14point47percent.gif">
The increase in house rents in Brisbane in the past year, according to Residex. The average weekly house rent is $435, providing landlords with a yield of 5.31%.
 
<hr>
  
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/14point15percent.gif">
The increase in house rents in Darwin in the past year, according to Residex. The average weekly house rent is $605, providing landlords with a yield of 6.14%.
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/11point7percent.gif">
The increase in house rents in ACT in the past year, according to Residex. The average weekly house rent is $525, providing landlords with a yield of 5.16%.
 
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/10point96percent.gif">
The increase in house rents in regional Queensland in the past year, according to Residex. The average weekly house rent is $405, providing landlords with a yield of 5.78%.
 
<hr>
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/10point61percent.gif">
The increase in house rents in regional WA in the past year, according to Residex. The average weekly house rent is $365, providing landlords with a yield of 5.43%.
 
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/10point58percent.gif">
The increase in house rents in regional Queensland in the past year, according to Residex. The average weekly house rent is $405, providing landlords with a yield of 5.78%
 
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/10point53percent.gif">
The increase in house rents in Melbourne in the past year, according to Residex. The average weekly house rent is $420, providing landlords with a yield of 3.97%.
 
<hr>
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/5point88percent.gif">
The increase in house rents in regional NSW in the past year, according to Residex. The average weekly house rent is $360, providing landlords with a yield of 5.5%.
 
<hr>
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/5point88percent.gif">
The increase in house rents in regional Tasmania in the past year, according to Residex. The average weekly house rent is $270, providing landlords with a yield of 5.34%.
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/5point66percent.gif">
The increase in house rents in Sydney in the past year, according to Residex. The average weekly house rent is $560, providing landlords with a yield of 4.38%.
 
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/4point84percent.gif">
The increase in house rents in regional Victoria in the past year, according to Residex. The average weekly house rent is $325, providing landlords with a yield of 5.24%.
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/4point48percent.gif">
The increase in house rents in Adelaide in the past year, according to Residex. The average weekly house rent is $350, providing landlords with a yield of 4.7%.
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/0percent.gif">
The increase in house rents in regional South Australia in the past year, according to Residex. The average weekly house rent is $250, providing landlords with a yield of 5.18%.
 
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/0percent.gif"> 
The increase in house rents in Hobart in the past year, according to Residex. The average weekly house rent is $345, providing landlords with a yield of 5.11%.
</body></html>

Perth house rents up 16.46% in a year but Hobart rents flat: Residex

<html><body>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/666000.gif">
The median house price in Sydney in August, according to Residex. This is up 0.29% from the previous month.
 
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/553500.gif">
The median house price in Melbourne in August, according to Residex. This is exactly the same as the previous month.
 
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/530000.gif">
The median house price in ACT in August, according to Residex. This is down 0.1% from the previous month.
 
<hr>
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/513000.gif">
The median house price in Darwin in August, according to Residex. This is down 1.17% from the previous month.
 
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/486500.gif">
The median house price in Perth in August, according to Residex. This is up 2.19% from the previous month.
 
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/430000.gif">
The median house price in Brisbane in August, according to Residex. This is up 1.1% from the previous month.
 
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/388000.gif">
The median house price in Adelaide in August, according to Residex. This is up 1.1% from the previous month.
 
<hr>
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/351500.gif">
The median house price in Hobart in August, according to Residex. This is up 0.29% from the previous month.
 
<hr>
 
<img src="/images/stories/2012/09/426500.gif">
The median house price across Australia in August, according to Residex. This is down 0.8% from the previous month.
</body></html>

Perth house prices rise 2.19% in August while Melbourne prices flat: Residex

<html><body>
Perth rents are continuing to rise and there is no respite in sight, says the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia.
<a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/REIWA"><img src="/images/stories/2012/09/reiwatweet.jpg"></a>
"I can't see any signs on the horizon that will reduce the demand for rentals," says REIWA's David Airey. "It appears Perth is a popular place to live, we've got an ongoing shortage of rental supply, so it's likely that rents at the very least will remain stable but are likely to have increases."
</body></html>

No end in sight to Perth rent rises, says REIWA: Tweet of the day

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/broadbeach-qld-4218">Broadbeach</a> offers plenty of reasons to live vertically, but moving from a substantial family home into an apartment can expose the compromises of high-density living. Privacy, room for guests and usable living space tend to matter more when an apartment is intended as a permanent home rather than an occasional coastal base.

A typical residential floor at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a>, on Surf Parade,&nbsp;contains just four apartments. The 94-residence development by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> is predominantly made up of expansive three-bedroom homes, with a limited collection of half-floor penthouses above.

Across the apartment floors, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has used the relatively limited number of residences to give each home greater access to natural light and outlook. Living spaces extend towards full-height glazing, while a series of bay windows frame selected views across the Pacific Ocean, city and hinterland rather than treating the building edge as a continuous wall of glass.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360965]

“The apartment floors deliver a collection of homes that embrace controlled outlook via a series of bay windows deliberately framing moments of view,” Rothelowman Director Kim Lowman said.

From outside, those projecting forms contribute to the tower’s faceted profile. Strong horizontal and vertical elements establish its proportions, while the changing position of the sun alters the light, shadow and reflection across the façade throughout the day.

The same attention moves inside the apartments, where the material palette combines warm timber, natural stone, metallic detailing and softer curved forms. Kitchens sit within the main living zone, with stone island benches, integrated joinery and European appliances, before the living areas extend towards the glazing and the outlook.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360981]

Three genuine bedrooms provide room to accommodate family and guests, while two secure car spaces and storage address some of the practical considerations that can become more noticeable when moving from a larger home. Feedback from the display suite has centred on the warmth and restraint of the interiors, with buyers commenting that the residences feel like homes rather than conventional coastal apartments.

A limited collection of half-floor penthouses occupies the upper levels, increasing the scale of the living spaces and adding private balconies and elevated finishes. From this position, the outlook extends between the ocean and hinterland.

Outside the private residences, The Eveleigh separates its shared spaces between the podium and rooftop. The podium is centred on wellness, with subtropical landscaping surrounding a swimming pool and pool terrace, yoga garden, private gymnasium, sauna and hot and cold plunge facilities. Landscaped retreats and pavilions provide additional places to sit away from the main recreation areas.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360966]

Higher in the building, a rooftop pavilion and private dining suite sit alongside resident lounge, barbecue and outdoor dining areas, opening towards panoramic views across the ocean, city and hinterland.

“Buyers are no longer just looking for an apartment, but a lifestyle where they can relax, reset, and enjoy a balanced way of living,” Hirsch &amp; Faigen Director of Sales Matt George said.

Interest to date has come from established owner-occupiers and interstate lifestyle purchasers, including buyers planning a future move to the Gold Coast. Many are coming from larger homes and want to reduce ongoing maintenance without giving up space for family and guests, privacy, two car spaces or the ability to entertain at home.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360969]

Much of that daily life can also take place beyond the building without requiring a drive. Kurrawa Beach and Pratten Park are an easy walk from Surf Parade, while Pacific Fair, Oracle Boulevard, The Oasis, restaurants, cafés, entertainment and public transport are also within walking distance.

The Eveleigh is Hirsch &amp; Faigen's fourth Gold Coast development since entering the market in 2021, following The Hemingway at Palm Beach, The Emerson at Kirra and Yves at Mermaid Beach. Each of the preceding projects sold out before completion.

“Broadbeach had been on our radar throughout our time operating on the Gold Coast,” the developer said. “Following our projects in Palm Beach, Kirra and Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach represented the natural next step for the business.”

The Surf Parade site brought together proximity to the beach, protected coastal outlooks and walkability to dining, shopping and recreation. Hirsch &amp; Faigen also identified the street as an emerging premium residential address, with enough separation from Broadbeach's busier destinations to retain a quieter environment at home.

The Eveleigh is now under construction by Maxcon, with completion forecast for mid-2028. Three-bedroom residences are currently available from $2.87 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149670]

Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

A long-stalled Campbelltown development site is back in play, with new plans for 139 apartments set to supersede a mixed-use scheme approved almost a decade ago but never built.

The new proposal for 28 Cordeaux Street would deliver 116 market and 23 affordable apartments in a part 14-storey building, bringing a substantial new project into a Campbelltown market where new apartment supply remains limited.

Plans have been filed over the 3,092 sqm corner site at Moore-Oxley Street, around 600 metres from Campbelltown Railway Station and the city-centre retail core.

The site already carries a mixed-use residential approval dating to 2016. Doroch Architects has now been engaged on a larger replacement scheme, which is progressing as a State Significant Development Application following a Housing Delivery Authority determination in August 2025.

The apartment mix comprises 39 one-bedroom, 72 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom residences. Two-bedroom apartments make up just over half of the project, while three-bedroom homes account for 20 per cent.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="136dd5b9-3791-4da6-9e31-76f533f5b4de" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da2.png?VersionId=LgOSy9nwf5u.MGswBBwaGGxuX8QpHSl_" />

Of the 139 apartments, 23 will be delivered as affordable housing under the in-fill affordable housing provisions of the Housing SEPP. The affordable component represents 15 per cent of the residential gross floor area and will be managed by a registered Community Housing Provider.

Doroch has sought to break the scale of the building into two distinct elements, with a masonry podium of around four storeys establishing the street edge before the residential tower steps back above.

The corner position has shaped that approach. Cordeaux Street faces toward the commercial and civic centre, while Moore-Oxley Street leads into the lower-scale residential neighbourhood to the south, and the design verification report describes the site as "bridging the commercial core to the north and established residential areas to the south."

The podium will be expressed predominantly in face brick, while the upper levels shift to brushed and grooved concrete cladding with darker metal detailing. Recessed sections, deep balcony edges and landscaping break down the upper form, with an approximately 11.8-metre setback to the northern boundary addressing the adjoining St Peters Anglican School.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c8b3d2d3-c561-4bfc-a5d9-a68c0c10dac1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da1.png?VersionId=AeAEyJU02Gk2k5noUj2StziCvdQ7fW4B" />

Campbelltown has been starved of new residential developments in the last decade.

The only other notable development set to come to market this year is ALAND's Queen Square, a mixed-use precinct on over two hectares that will comprise apartments above a vibrant ground-level retail and hospitality dining precinct.

First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site

First Look: Sherlock Construction pitches apartments for low-rise Deception Bay

Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.

The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.

Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.

The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.

<img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" />

MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

<main data-perf-region="main">
Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

<h3 data-end="3697" data-section-id="q3n5ak" data-start="3672">&nbsp;</h3>
</main>

Cassidy Knowlton

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News