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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.
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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>.
 
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How Australian retailers can capitalise on the rise of online shopping

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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>
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Investor form guide wrap: Yields of 5.2% in Merrylands

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

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

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

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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">
 
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Westfield won't be following David Jones residential redevelopment lead

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

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

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

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

Camberwell Junction has long been the epicentre of amenity in Melbourne’s Boroondara region.

For nearly a century, it has drawn both locals and visitors, anchored by the Camberwell Sunday Market, which first operated in 1929 and quickly became a fixture of the suburb’s identity. Over time, the Junction evolved into one of Melbourne’s most established retail and lifestyle precincts, now comprising more than 400 stores and over 300 commercial businesses.

Despite that depth of amenity, one thing has remained notably limited: the supply of new apartments.

In a suburb defined by its heritage streetscapes and tightly held residential stock, new development opportunities have been scarce, particularly within the core of the Junction itself. That lack of supply has left a gap in the market for larger, design-led apartments suited to downsizers and owner-occupiers wanting to remain in the area.

Boutique developer Above Zero identified that gap when it secured a prime site on Burke Road, in the heart of Camberwell Junction.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4896 project_image_fid=368543]

The site has a long planning history. Various proposals have been put forward over more than a decade, many of which were knocked back by the City of Boroondara, with initial applications dating back to 2015. Above Zero acquired the site in 2022 and returned with a revised scheme, refining both the building’s height and its ground-level interface to better align with Council expectations.

That process has culminated in approval for Camberwell House.

The Cera Stribley-designed development will deliver 57 residences on a 1,950 sqm site within the Camberwell Activity Centre, placing it directly within one of Melbourne’s most established retail and transport hubs.

It is expected to be one of the only new apartment developments to launch in the Junction in recent years, reinforcing the rarity of new supply in the precinct. Currently, there are just a handful of projects on the market in Camberwell, underscoring the significance of a development of this scale and positioning.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4896 project_image_fid=368544]

Camberwell House has been conceived with a clear focus on larger-format apartments. The project will offer a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom residences, alongside a limited number of penthouses, targeting owner-occupiers seeking scale rather than volume-driven product.

The building’s vertical presence will also set it apart.

Positioned on Burke Road, the development is set to become one of the taller buildings in its immediate context, allowing for elevated outlooks across Melbourne’s CBD skyline and toward the Dandenong Ranges. In a precinct characterised by lower-scale built form, that height provides a point of differentiation, particularly for buyers seeking outlook and natural light.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4896 project_image_fid=368568]

Architecture has been led by Cera Stribley, with interiors by GOLDEN and landscape design by Florian Wild. The design approach centres on material consistency and restraint, with residences oriented to maximise light, ventilation and connection to outdoor spaces.

Full-height glazing and generous terraces form a key part of that strategy, allowing apartments to extend beyond their internal footprint and engage with the surrounding environment.

Beyond the private residences, a significant component of the project is its amenity offering.

Above Zero has positioned Camberwell House as a “complete living environment”, incorporating a full floor dedicated to resident facilities. At the centre of that is a wellness zone, including a 12.5-metre lap pool, spa, sauna and treatment spaces, alongside a gym and recovery-focused amenities.

This level of amenity is more commonly associated with inner-city developments, rather than established middle-ring suburbs like Camberwell.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=4896 project_image_fid=368588]

Additional shared spaces include a private library lounge, dining and entertaining areas, and an indoor golf simulator. A self-contained guest suite has also been incorporated, allowing residents to accommodate visiting family or friends without impacting their primary living space.

The inclusion of these facilities reflects a broader shift in buyer expectations.

As more downsizers look to transition from larger family homes into apartments, there is increasing demand for developments that offer not just a residence, but a lifestyle. That includes access to wellness, social and entertaining spaces within the building itself, reducing the reliance on external amenity while still maintaining proximity to established precincts.

Camberwell House is positioned to benefit from both.

Its location places it within immediate walking distance of Camberwell Junction’s retail and dining offering, as well as public transport connections, including tram and train services. That combination of internal amenity and external convenience is central to its appeal.

<section data-scroll-anchor="false" data-testid="conversation-turn-150" data-turn="assistant" data-turn-id="request-WEB:55d7c6ac-8e6d-4881-ad49-0ed9bf66d1cc-74" dir="auto">
Jellis Craig Projects Director Stephen Bowtell is handling sales for the project and says Camberwell House offers a rare entry point into one of Melbourne’s most tightly held markets.

“Buyers are recognising that Camberwell House offers something they simply haven’t seen before in Boroondara,”&nbsp;Bowtell&nbsp;says.

“It combines a level of resident amenity and service typically associated with Melbourne’s premium inner-city developments, while being positioned right in the heart of Camberwell Junction.

“The response to the concierge offering has been particularly strong. Buyers appreciate not only the convenience, but also the sense of security and peace of mind that comes from having a dedicated presence in the building every day.

“When you combine that with the wellness facilities, the exceptional arrival experience, and panoramic views across both the CBD skyline and the Dandenong Ranges, it creates a lifestyle proposition that is genuinely unique within the local market.”
</section>

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=4896]

Joel Robinson

Above Zero launches Camberwell House in undersupplied Camberwell Junction precinct

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/consolidated-properties">Consolidated Properties Group</a> (CPG) is approaching the launch of its latest Brisbane riverfront development, Castile, on the dress circle Skyring Terrace in Newstead.

VIP buyers are now being engaged, with a full public sales launch coming later this year.

Positioned as the final opportunity to secure a new absolute riverfront residence on the East bank of Newstead, Teneriffe or New Farm, Castile at 47 Skyring Terrace has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a> as a timeless addition to the Brisbane skyline.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150489 project_image_fid=371113]

The name Castile draws on themes of permanence, sophistication and legacy, reflecting a broader vision centred on enduring architecture and timelessness in the rarest of riverfront positions.&nbsp;

CPG Chairman and CEO Don O’Rorke said the project had been envisioned as a future Brisbane icon.&nbsp;

“With 47 metres of direct river frontage and never to be built out views, 47 Skyring Terrace is the definitive address on the Brisbane River,” O’Rorke said.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150489 project_image_fid=371114]

“Rather than following trend-based apartment design, Castile draws inspiration from Brisbane’s great heritage buildings, reinterpreting classical architecture into a contemporary riverfront landmark designed to stand proudly for the next 100 years,” he said.&nbsp;

The approved development will comprise 227 apartments across a 25-storey tower alongside a boutique six-storey riverfront building of just 12 residences.&nbsp;

Construction is scheduled to commence in September 2026.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150489]

CPG unveils Castile Newstead ahead of upcoming sales launch

Australia’s online shopping habits have shifted dramatically over the last decade. As eCommerce volumes surged, so too did the frustrations that came with traditional parcel delivery: missed deliveries, long Post Office queues, parcel theft and the challenge of being home during business hours.

Australia Post’s Parcel Lockers emerged as one of the more practical responses to that changing consumer behaviour.

What started as a relatively niche delivery option has evolved into a nationwide network of more than 1,400 self-service Parcel Lockers positioned at train stations, shopping centres, supermarkets and Post Offices across the country. The system allows Australians to send, collect and return parcels 24 hours a day, fundamentally changing how many people interact with deliveries.

The appeal is relatively straightforward: flexibility.

Instead of waiting at home for a delivery driver or rushing to a Post Office before closing time, users can direct eligible parcels to a Parcel Locker location of their choice. Once the parcel arrives, Australia Post sends a notification with a collection code or QR access through the AusPost app, allowing customers to retrieve their package at any time within the collection window.

For apartment residents in particular, the system has become increasingly valuable.

Higher-density living has created logistical challenges around deliveries, especially in buildings without concierge services or secure parcel rooms. Missed deliveries are common, while parcel theft has become an increasing concern as online shopping volumes continue to rise.

Australia Post itself has repeatedly highlighted the growing issue of “porch pirates” during peak shopping periods, encouraging customers to use Parcel Lockers as a safer alternative to unattended home deliveries.

That security aspect is one of the key reasons the Australia Post Parcel Locker network has grown so rapidly.

Parcel Lockers are positioned as secure, monitored collection points that reduce the risk of theft while also improving delivery efficiency for Australia Post. Instead of multiple redelivery attempts, parcels can be consolidated into a single secure destination.

The Parcel Lockers themselves are free to use through a MyPost account and support a range of parcel sizes up to 16 kilograms and dimensions of approximately 35 x 44 x 61 centimetres.

Beyond receiving parcels, the system has increasingly become integrated into the broader eCommerce ecosystem.

Customers can now use Parcel Lockers to return online purchases, while retailers have embraced the model as a way to improve delivery success rates and reduce friction in the shopping process. Australia Post has actively expanded partnerships with major retailers and promoted Parcel Lockers as part of a broader out-of-home strategy.

The timing of that expansion aligns with broader changes in Australian shopping behaviour.

The acceleration of online retail during and after the pandemic placed enormous pressure on delivery infrastructure. Parcel volumes reached record highs, particularly during Black Friday and Christmas periods, with Australia Post delivering more than 100 million parcels during peak festive seasons.

That growth forced logistics providers to rethink the “last mile” of delivery, widely regarded as the most expensive and operationally difficult stage of the process.

Parcel Locker systems have increasingly been viewed as part of the long-term solution.

The concept itself is not unique to Australia. Parcel Locker networks have become common globally, particularly across Europe and Asia, where dense urban environments and apartment living create similar logistical challenges. But Australia’s geography and suburban sprawl made adoption slower initially.

Now, however, the convenience factor is driving mainstream usage.

For commuters, Parcel Lockers near train stations allow parcels to be collected on the way home from work. For apartment dwellers, they remove the uncertainty around access and missed deliveries.

The rise of the AusPost app has also streamlined the experience, centralising notifications, tracking and Parcel Locker access into a single platform. Australia Post has increasingly pushed customers toward app-based delivery management, partly as a way to combat phishing scams and fake delivery notifications, which have become more sophisticated in recent years.

The Parcel Locker model is also beginning to influence property development itself.

Parcel management has become a growing consideration in apartment building design, particularly as online shopping becomes embedded in everyday life. Many new residential developments are now incorporating dedicated parcel rooms or Parcel Locker systems into foyers and communal spaces.

For developers, parcel management is increasingly viewed as part of the broader resident amenity offering, alongside gyms, wellness spaces and communal work areas.

That reflects a wider evolution in how residential buildings are designed.

Apartment buyers are placing greater emphasis on convenience, security and operational functionality, particularly in higher-density urban environments. Parcel delivery, once considered a minor operational detail, has become an increasingly important part of that equation.

Australia Post’s Parcel Locker network sits at the centre of that behavioural shift.

What began as a simple alternative delivery option has evolved into a key piece of infrastructure supporting Australia’s growing eCommerce economy and changing urban lifestyles.

And as online shopping continues to expand, the role of Parcel Lockers is likely to become even more embedded in how Australians live, shop and receive goods.

How Australia Post Parcel Lockers changed parcel delivery convenience in Australia

Perth’s new apartment market recorded its strongest quarter of sales since Q4 2021, with 412 apartments sold in Q1 2026 and a record quarterly sold value of $537 million, according to Urbis’ latest Apartment Essentials results.

Urbis said the March quarter result reflects strong, highly product‑specific demand across both ends of the market, from more attainable projects delivering at scale, through to premium stock being absorbed by equity‑rich downsizers.&nbsp;

David Cresp, Partner at Urbis, said the key story in Perth is not demand, it is the market’s ability to convert demand into delivered housing.&nbsp;

“This is the strongest sales quarter since Q4 2021, and it reinforces that demand in Perth is real and it’s local,” David Cresp said. “But the task now is delivery, turning that demand into projects that can actually be built and completed.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110291 project_image_fid=302785]

<h2>Affordable product leads, premium demand remains resilient</h2>

Sales in Q1 were led by more affordable projects, with The Boulevard (SKS Group) recording 115 sales in the quarter, the presentation noting this is only the second time a single project has surpassed 100 quarterly sales. The project was able to offer more affordable housing product right next to a train station.&nbsp;

Palmyra West (Finbar) also delivered strong results with 28 sales in Q1, following 84 sales in Q4, with an average price of under $800,000, underscoring depth of demand for well‑located, attainable new stock.&nbsp;

At the premium end, Urbis said downsizer demand is continuing, with the results highlighting Romeo (Applecross, Finbar) recording 75 sales and reaching almost 50% sold in one quarter.

Jual (Shenton Park, Celsius Property) also posted a strong quarter with 28 sales, reaching 39% sold in one quarter.

Urbis noted that Perth apartment demand is not speculative, not investor‑led, and not uniform, describing it as localised, often equity‑driven and highly product‑specific, a pattern reflected in the polarisation between strong “attainable” performers and premium downsizer product.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=148957 project_image_fid=364102]

<h2>Prices underpinned by costs, and the delivery risk is growing</h2>

Urbis said pricing pressure is cost not demand‑driven: construction costs and delivery risk are now a central constraint, with the results noting build costs remain elevated and volatile, and that energy, fuel and labour uncertainty weigh on feasibility.

David Cresp said a growing challenge for private Build‑to‑Sell developers is simply securing a builder in the current environment.

“Developers are really feeling the pressure from a building market that was operating at capacity and securing a builder is challenging,” David Cresp said, adding that even where a builder can be secured, “trying to get to the price that makes the development financially viable is incredibly challenging in the current market.”&nbsp;

Urbis’ broader WA commentary also notes that industry remains at or above capacity with lot and housing creation, and that many builders are limiting new sales to manage stretched workforces and fixed‑price contract pressures, conditions that flow directly into apartment feasibility and delivery timing.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=108869 project_image_fid=317905]

<h2>Supply: improving later, but still constrained, and Perth lags eastern benchmarks</h2>

While near‑term supply remains constrained, Urbis’ forecast shows completions lifting “Supply is forecast to be back above 1,500 apartments per annum for the first time since 2019”, with 1,775 completions forecast for 2026, and volumes remaining above that level over the following years.&nbsp;

Looking further ahead, completions are forecast to reach 2,500 in 2028, with the report noting 32% of that total is social/affordable, reflecting the role of government‑supported delivery in rebuilding the pipeline.&nbsp;

However, Urbis said Perth remains behind comparable markets on pipeline scale. In a national comparison of projects under construction, the report shows under construction Perth Build‑to‑Sell (BTS) at 3,446 apartments versus the Gold Coast at 7,922. Mr Cresp said “The challenge for Perth is how to we grow the delivery pipeline”.

Urbis’ conclusion is that Perth’s market is increasingly defined by product discipline and delivery certainty, with the research identifying “delivery certainty is key” and calling out builder risk and procurement models as core success factors, alongside “timing and staging”.&nbsp;

Perth apartment sales hit strongest pace since late 2021 as builder capacity tightens

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sammut-developments">Sammut Group</a> has secured development approval for its latest Brisbane apartment project, marking the Sydney developer’s next step in expanding its Queensland pipeline following the success of its debut Gold Coast development, Coast.

The approved project at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/44-glen-road-toowong-qld-4066">44 Glen Road, </a><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/toowong-qld-4066">Toowong</a> will deliver a 15-storey riverfront apartment building with 42 residences, significantly increasing the scale of the site’s previous approval for a smaller luxury scheme. Designed by Bureau^proberts, the development will comprise a mix of predominantly four-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments positioned to maximise Brisbane River and city views.

Sammut Director Julian Sammut said the group had been actively searching Brisbane for several years before identifying Toowong as the right fit.

“Brisbane was the right step for Sammut,” Sammut said.

“With the success of Coast we thought we should definitely look to do more in Queensland alone. We then pushed up to look at Brisbane. We've been looking for I'd say two to three years actually and it was hard to find the right location.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/f_auto,c_limit,w_1440,q_75/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/field/image/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.14%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=dYAVIL7qdcGA8ojvkslSrLjczXFejSSx" />

Sammut said suburbs including New Farm and Teneriffe were considered before the group ultimately focused on Toowong due to its strong downsizer demographic and limited supply of developable riverfront land.

The site was acquired off-market after what Sammut described as a lengthy negotiation and planning process, with the developer pursuing an uplift to the original approval.

“We are DA approved now which is very exciting,” Sammut said.

“We've had our change approval come through and we've obviously doubled the height, 15 storeys plus rooftop. We've got 42 amazing apartments that are going to be coming to market soon.”

<img alt="Sammut makes Brisbane apartment play" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,dpr_2.0,q_auto:good/https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202025-12-23%20at%203.27.26%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=ohkRkY0dIZlqdfME2EZePsCQavRiBadE" />

Bureau^proberts said the design responds to Toowong’s evolving urban character, balancing contemporary apartment living with the area’s established residential identity.

“A place where traditional Queensland living has taken place for centuries; Toowong is seeing a shift of contemporary influence, commercial and retail hubs mixed with well-considered residential offerings – all the while maintaining its character and charm,” the architect noted in planning documents submitted to Brisbane City Council.

The architecture practice said the project’s form was shaped by its riverfront setting, flood considerations, neighbouring building scales, and view corridors.

“They said the mix of four and two-bedroom apartments capture the ‘fundamental qualities of Queenslander living,’ translated into the context of a contemporary subtropical building.”

The development sits just off Coronation Drive within walking distance of Toowong’s retail precinct and the upgraded Regatta ferry terminal, while also benefiting from proximity to the incoming green bridge connection to West End. Sammut said the accessibility and amenity offering were central to the site’s appeal.

The approval adds to growing residential activity along the Toowong riverfront, joining nearby projects including Consolidated Properties’ Monarch Residences and Spyre Group’s ARC Residences.

Cassidy Knowlton

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