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New data gathered by tradie jobs website ServiceSeeking.com.au reveals prices can vary significantly depending on your postcode.
Living in some suburbs can drive up the cost of hiring a tradie.
It suggests the diagonal divide between the north-east and south-west of Sydney is clearer than ever.
An excel file of the average hourly rates can be found <a id="LPlnk728416" href="https://serviceseeking2.apms5.com/anywhere/m?s=serviceseeking2&amp;m=s_4607f61d-4040-49b5-a3c8-d97d5c13f33c&amp;u=e1jq4wvfdtfk2hj260rk8d245mukcd1r5mu46da65mw44da65n2kgea38t23eh236n148&amp;r2=d1u78w3k78qjyxvqewq76tbjetmp6tbkcnjppubecwq66vvd5tgqabv2dhqpebv3entq8vvdcnt2yw3jd5hpjvk75nkqaub4cntjyv31ehu6abbcd5q6abbqd1jq4t9df5qqabbcd5v6abb4e9mqctbk5nuq0bb3dxtq8bbfcrppgubjd5q6ebbme9gp8tbkdnjpwbr&amp;n=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable">here</a>. 
The website study noted towards the end of last year as tradie prices started to decline, residents of the inner city, eastern suburbs and the north shore were paying up to 140 per cent more for tradies than those living in the south and west.
ServiceSeeking.com.au mapped the average hourly charge-out rates of tradies across seven industries by analyising over 12,000 hourly rate quotes submitted on the site in 2018.
The map displays areas with prices above the average in red and areas below the average in green.
"The closer you get to the inner city and eastern suburbs, the higher the charge out rate," it concluded.
The most expensive suburbs are clustered around the inner city, east and north; most of the south and west (and outer north-west) of the city is the land of "milk and honey" (ie cheap tradie prices).
The geographical divide of the mapped tradie quotes bears a striking resemblance to the so-called "latte line" - north of the line is where the jobs are, while south of the line is where there's greater housing availability.
Jeremy Levitt, CEO of ServiceSeeking.com.au says tradies continue to lift their rates for customers they perceive as being better able to pay higher prices.  Property prices align with this trend too.
"While we've seen a cooling in the levels of demand for tradies, there are some pockets in Sydney where customers will pay significantly more for an hour of a tradies' time," Levitt said. 
"Tradies working in suburbs considered to be more affluent often increase their charge-out rates because they perceive their customers to be more capable of paying higher prices. In addition to this, these suburbs generally have a higher demand for renovation services."
A low supply of tradespeople above the "latte line" is also a factor, he noted.
"A lot of tradies are commuting from the south and west to the north and east for jobs," Levitt said.
Their hourly charge-out rates will incorporate overheads, including the cost of commuting along with insurance, vehicles, staff and tools.
The data also revealed some interesting pockets of low and high prices.
The cheapest prices for tradies are around the Blue Mountains, Milperra and Horsley Park where the average cost of a tradie is below $60 per hour.
There are also pockets of low charge-out rates in the north and east, which Levitt puts down to either "a low demand for renovation services or a perception that residents in these suburbs can't afford higher prices".
The data serves as a reminder to homeowners to shop around, Levitt said. 
"Renovators need to be sure to compare quotes and prices from numerous tradies to make sure they don't end up overpaying."
Click here <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/2/25/Service-seeker.jpg" target="_blank">to enlarge</a>.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/2/25/Service-seeker.jpg" alt="">
Source: ServiceSeeking.com.au
The industries included in this analysis were: Source: ServiceSeeking.com.au
<ol>
<li>Handymen</li>
<li>Electrical Services</li>
<li>Plumbing</li>
<li>Carpenters</li>
<li>Painters</li>
<li>Concreters; and</li>
<li>Builders</li>
</ol>
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Same service, different price: how postcodes affect the cost of hiring tradies 

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Governments change priorities all the time. Some argue governments will focus on developing regional areas at one point in time and then refocus on major cities at another.
Our research shows that there are cycles in how much priority governments attach to regional issues. But these fluctuations are overshadowed by a larger, long-term trend towards greater involvement with regional communities.
Our findings show that regional Australia matters more today than it has at any other time since the 1940s.
Cycles of regional commitment
Inattention to particular constituencies can be costly. Victoria’s Kennett government lost office in 1999, when regional communities such as Ballarat and Bendigo became disillusioned with what they saw as a Melbourne-centric government.
This was a time when governments in other states, and nationally, were paying more attention to regional voters, with the Howard Coalition government nervously watching One Nation as a growing political force. In Queensland, the pressure was more acute, with a few regionally focused conservative politicians claiming seats in parliament.
Appointing a minister with regional responsibilities is one clear marker of intent in the government of the day. John Sharp, the Howard government’s first minister for transport and regional development, released a budget statement with 19 major investments in regional areas. These included money for drought assistance, rural roads, and counselling and support services for young people and families.
There are now six ministers and one parliamentary secretary for regional development in Australian parliaments. Bridget McKenzie (federal), Michael McCormack (federal), Tim Whetstone (South Australia), Jaclyn Symes (Victoria), John Barilaro (New South Wales), Alannah MacTiernan (Western Australia) and Mark Shelton (Tasmania) are the most recent expression of a trend that started almost 30 years ago.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/2/21/regional%201%20.jpg" alt="">
Our research
We examined all state and Australian government gazettes from 1939 to 2015 to find out how many “regional” ministers were in place over time. Our criteria were for the term “regional” to be in the title and for the representative to have responsibilities associated with improving the well-being of rural and remote communities.
We then used our data to develop an index, in which we gave a score of 1 for each month in the year where an identifiable regional minister held office.
For each jurisdiction the maximum possible score in any year was 12. For Australia, with six states and one federal government, the maximum possible score was 84.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/2/21/regional%202.jpg" alt="">
Our results, in the table above, came as a surprise. It is clear that political engagement with the regions has grown rapidly since the late 1980s.
Previous research has suggested the 1940-1960s period was one of strong governmental commitment to the regions. This was reflected in announcements on the need to “decentralise” the population.
But our data suggest the notion of a “golden era” of regional policy and government support prior to the 1970s is misplaced.
Nation-wide policies in support of agriculture, mining or infrastructure development supported regional communities. But the well-being of these places was not the primary goal.
From 1972 to 1975, the Whitlam government was committed to addressing inequalities associated with where people live. This brought fresh enthusiasm for regional portfolios in state governments, but that tide quickly waned as the political climate changed.
Australian governments did not begin to appoint regional ministers as a matter of course until the late 1980s. This was a period linked to the end of old-fashioned, class-based politics and the rise of our more complex political landscape.
The trend has continued since and the presence of the six regional ministers and one parliamentary secretary in the halls of political power means there has never been a better time for regions to lobby governments.
There are now more ministers than ever before ready, able and willing to receive delegations and advocate for country towns, rural industries and remote Australia.
This means regional leaders have an opportunity to be heard in the run-up to the NSW and federal elections. The challenge is to determine the key messages and how they should be delivered.
Andrew Beer, Dean, Research and Innovation, University of South Australia, University of South Australia.
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Regional Australia is calling the shots now more than ever: Andrew Beer

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GUEST OBSERVATION
A “granny flat agreement” is an informal arrangement between a parent and their adult child or children. The parent (often elderly) contributes funds to create granny flat accommodation either by modifying a home or by buying a suitable property in the name of the children. In return they agree to provide the parent with a lifetime right to live in the granny flat, or at least until the parent needs residential care.
Many of these arrangements work out well. The older person then enjoys the love and support of having their family close by as they age.
When an arrangement of this kind goes wrong, however, it can seriously threaten the wealth, autonomy and dignity of the elderly parent. If the relationship between the parent and child, or child’s spouse, breaks down and the parent is asked to leave the property, he or she may be left with nothing.
How does the law treat granny flats?
The parent’s only chance of recovering her contribution is to go to court. These court cases depend on applying a complex set of rules.
The parent must prove the contribution was not a gift but that they supplied funds as part of an arrangement that the parties would live together. Agreements creating interests in land need to be <a href="https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/#/view/act/1919/6/part4/div1/sec54a" target="_blank">in writing</a>, and usually there is no written agreement.
The court can apply <a href="https://www.translegal.com/legal-english-dictionary/equitable-principle" target="_blank">equitable principles</a>. A parent who contributed to improving the property ought to have the contributions back, or a proportionate share of the property returned if the arrangement ends prematurely, because it is unjust for children to retain the benefit of the contribution without providing the granny flat.
Where the court finds that the parent relied on a promise by the child that the parent would have an interest in the house, or at least a right to live with the child for life, the child can be required to repay the contribution.
This often means the child must sell their house if they cannot refinance to obtain the money to pay the parent. If the parent is entitled to a share of the property, the house has to be sold to realise the parent’s share.
The problem for parents is that court cases cost money, unless Legal Aid is available, but only parents who are truly destitute qualify for assistance. The parent has to produce evidence of the arrangement or the promise. They often have to recount conversations from many years ago to prove there was an arrangement. The children have to spend money on their own lawyers.
Parents and children very rarely put these agreements in writing and almost never consult a lawyer. Sometimes, to help the child get finance, a parent may have told the lender the contribution was a gift.
All this makes court cases complex, difficult and expensive.
In New South Wales, the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/%7E/view/act/1984/147" target="_blank">Property (Relationships) Act 1984</a> may apply to granny flat disputes, but the parent still has to show how they contributed to the child’s property. Other states and territories – including <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/ra2008173/" target="_blank">Victoria</a>, <a href="https://www.legislation.sa.gov.au/LZ/C/A/DOMESTIC%20PARTNERS%20PROPERTY%20ACT%201996/CURRENT/1996.51.AUTH.PDF" target="_blank">South Australia</a>, <a href="http://www7.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/tas/consol_act/ra2003173/" target="_blank">Tasmania</a> and <a href="http://www7.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/act/consol_act/dra1994253/" target="_blank">ACT</a> – have similar laws for couples, which might apply to family arrangements. However, the NSW legislation is broader, which makes things worse for parents outside NSW.
When a dispute arises, the parties usually want to resolve the matter as quickly and as cheaply as possible. But court cases can take a year or more to get to hearing. Affidavits must be prepared and financial documents reviewed. During this time the parent may be living in emergency housing, often at public expense.
The picture gets worse if the child’s marriage breaks down. The parent’s claim then gets taken into family property proceedings between the child and their spouse in the Family Court or Federal Circuit Court. This can take even longer than going to the Supreme Court.
A better way to resolve disputes
Parties to these disputes need fast access to a system of practical rules for separating the parties’ property interests, and one that offers early mediation. These rules would cover factors such as increases in the value of the property, how long the parties lived together, what benefits they received, and other discretionary considerations. Such rules might provide the basis for a set of statutory guidelines for a tribunal to apply.
Civil and administrative tribunals <a href="http://www.ncat.nsw.gov.au/Pages/going_to_the_tribunal/going_to_the_tribunal.aspx" target="_blank">emphasise informality and conciliation</a>, so giving these tribunals jurisdiction to resolve granny flat disputes according to statutory guidelines would arguably be more efficient than going to the Supreme Court or Family Court.
Parties really should seek legal advice on granny flat arrangements before they commit to the deal. But parents often trust their children and are optimistic that they can live together as a family. If a lawyer provides advice to an elderly parent individually and with an awareness of their client’s possible incapacity or vulnerability to undue influence, that gives all parties a chance to decide what they want to happen if the relationship breaks down.
Centrelink <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/money/how-to-give-property-to-your-kids-and-keep-the-age-pension-20151118-gl1ypg" target="_blank">recognises granny flat arrangements</a>, so parents’ contributions are not automatically <a href="https://www.humanservices.gov.au/individuals/enablers/gifting" target="_blank">treated as a gift</a>. Gifting attracts an asset test under which the parent might be deemed still to have the funds contributed, which could reduce their pension.
The children can also be worse off if the Tax Office considers that the child accepting the contribution made a capital gain because the parents’ contribution increased the value of the home.
Although the Australian Law Reform Commission has <a href="https://www.alrc.gov.au/publications/elder-abuse-report" target="_blank">looked at some aspects of this issue</a>, action is need to reduce the complexity of existing equitable and statutory rules. Elderly parents should not have to take their children to court in expensive legal proceedings to retrieve the contribution that was meant to ensure they had a secure home in their later years.
Patricia Lane, Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-granny-flats-go-wrong-perils-for-parents-highlight-need-for-law-reform-103335" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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When granny flats go wrong – perils for parents highlight need for law reform

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GUEST OBSERVATION
<a href="http://cur.org.au/project/national-liveability-report/" target="_blank">Recent studies</a> show <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/hindi/en/article/2018/04/26/revealed-australias-fastest-growing-suburbs" target="_blank">Melbourne’s and Sydney’s fast-growing outer suburbs</a> <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/why-5-million-australians-can-t-get-to-work-home-or-school-on-time-20190215-p50y1x" target="_blank">lag behind other parts of the city</a> in <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/homes-in-new-suburbs-four-years-away-but-services-to-take-much-longer-20190215-p50y46" target="_blank">access to urban design, employment and amenities and services</a> that foster liveability. The National Growth Areas Alliance of local councils launched a national campaign, “<a href="https://ngaa.org.au/catch-up-with-the-outer-suburbs-campaign-launch" target="_blank">Catch up with the outer suburbs</a>”, on Monday. But what is it really like to live in these areas?
<a href="http://cur.org.au/project/living-liveable-the-lived-experiences-of-life-on-the-urban-fringe/" target="_blank">Living Liveable</a> is a short documentary film produced by RMIT University researchers showcasing the lived experiences of residents in Melbourne’s outer suburbs. The film includes interviews with 11 residents that highlight their perceptions and experiences of liveability in their suburbs. This article explores their reasons for living where they do and recounts their experiences of life in the outer suburbs.
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/315541276" frameborder="0" width="500" height="281"></iframe>
Living Liveable, a documentary produced by RMIT researchers.
Why all the fuss about liveability?
Liveability and its underlying indicators have been the subject of substantial research. Most well-known liveability indices produced by the private sector — such as the <a href="https://mobilityexchange.mercer.com/Insights/quality-of-living-rankings" target="_blank">Mercer Quality of Living Ranking</a> and the <a href="http://www.eiu.com/topic/liveability" target="_blank">Economist Intelligent Unit’s Liveability Index</a> — rank cities against each other. And most Australian capital cities are ranked relatively high in such global liveability indices.
These measures overlook inequities within cities between established inner areas and newer outer suburban areas. Many of these urban fringe suburbs are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17549175.2017.1363077" target="_blank">experiencing rapid population growth</a>. <a href="http://cur.org.au/project/national-liveability-report/" target="_blank">RMIT researchers</a> have developed spatial liveability indicators, showing that residents in outer suburbs <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/why-5-million-australians-can-t-get-to-work-home-or-school-on-time-20190215-p50y1x">lack access to basic amenities</a> that inner-city residents take for granted.
Yet residents’ perceptions of their neighbourhoods and their lived experiences are often unheard in such measures. The interviews show that a combination of factors shapes decisions to live in an outer suburb. These include perceived affordability, people’s aspirations for a good life, and access to public transport. As one resident said:
"I was looking for an affordable area where I can, you know, buy a decent-size house within a decent budget and all those things. So, this area probably suits me, which is nearest for public transport, but yeah, it’s a bit far from the CBD area, which is alright." – male resident of Wyndham
Access to green spaces and a sense of community were among the things residents loved most about living in their suburb:
"We live opposite a beautiful park … it’s right at our doorstep. We feel very, very lucky to live opposite this beautiful park, it’s very well maintained by the local council and it’s highly utilised. So even just out there walking, I’ve got to know people in my neighbourhood." – female resident of Wyndham
Traffic makes life worse
However, traffic volumes and poor access to daily living destinations and public transport had negative impacts on residents’ lived experiences. While current liveability indices usually consider access to daily living destinations – such as food outlets, schools, hospitals, and public transport – traffic is often overlooked. Yet, 10 out of 11 people mentioned traffic, in 30 separate instances, as something that makes their neighbourhoods less liveable.
A painter living in the City of Casey described how increasing traffic in recent years was forcing him to wake up half an hour earlier and get back home half an hour later in the afternoon:
"I’m a painter, so I work anywhere from here to the city. The Monash [freeway] … I call it my driveway. So I’m on that every day, and it just depends which exit I’m taking for the day.
"So, I get up at the moment at 4.50am. I get up to beat the traffic, which starts at about 5.20, and then I get to the job, and then I might have a bit of a snooze in my car or eat breakfast. And that’s just all just to beat traffic. And I can stay there for an hour before I have to, you know, knock on the client’s door, and say, “Oh I’m here to start.”
"And, yeah, then at the end of the working day, which is 4pm, after I’ve done my eight hours, I just have to grind with the traffic on the way home… I might get home at about 6.10pm." - resident of the City of Casey
For some, the traffic has affected their mental health and increased stress levels.
"We’ve lived in this house for 16 years and just the buildup of traffic … I was used to getting from A to B very quickly. I now have to plan, embed in my day, more time to get from A to B. I think that’s the biggest negative.
"And it’s certainly one that impacts my husband. He doesn’t work locally. He works in the eastern suburbs and he also has to travel around a lot for his work. And that’s becoming a bit of a nightmare for him and actually creating a bit of stress." – female resident of Wyndham
Lack of access to daily living destinations, including employment and supermarkets, means residents depend on their cars. This adds to their cost of living and reduces neighbourhood liveability.
Lack of public transport or infrequent services also has negative impacts on residents’ quality of life and well-being.
"I take my hubby to work in Derrimut and so that normally takes me … about two hours easy; just over two hours. … he doesn’t drive. He can’t use the train simply because the train doesn’t go anywhere near where he works. There’s nothing. No public transport to take my husband to work.
"S0 … we’ve got no choice. So, if something happens to me, uh, we’re in a load of trouble. That’s where it’s difficult. We need more public transport. We really do." – female resident of Wyndham
Planners need to hear what residents say
The film highlights the gaps in current measures of liveability. For example, future liveability indices should consider including traffic and car-dependency indicators. Increasing traffic, the time spent travelling, and the financial burden of car dependency can detract from some of the key reasons residents choose to live in Melbourne’s outer suburbs – namely, affordability and sense of community.
We need to engage with communities and hear from them about their lived experience to better understand and measure their quality of life, their health and their neighbourhoods’ liveability. Objective measures of the quality of access should be accompanied by insights from residents about their lives in the suburbs. The voice of residents needs to be included in the planning of our cities as they grow, as well as the metrics of how successful we are in delivering equitable cities that foster healthy, affordable and prosperous lives for all.
Leila Mahmoudi Farahani, Research Fellow in Urban Studies, RMIT University
Billie Giles-Corti, Director, Urban Futures Enabling Capability Platform and Director, Healthy Liveable Cities Group, RMIT University
Cecily Maller, Vice Chancellor's Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Urban Research, RMIT University
Melanie Lowe, Lecturer in Public Health, Australian Catholic University
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/living-liveable-this-is-what-residents-have-to-say-about-life-on-the-urban-fringe-111339" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Living ‘liveable’: this is what residents have to say about life on the urban fringe

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GUEST OBSERVATION
The supermarket giant Woolworths this week broke ranks and announced it was going to stop selling A$1 per litre milk. It will now charge A$1.10, or <a href="https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/page/media/Press_Releases/woolworths-to-transition-out-of-1-per-litre-fresh-milk-in-support-of-a-more-sustainable-australian-dairy-industry/" target="_blank">A$2.20 for two litres</a>.
Chief executive Brad Banducci made it clear that there was <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-02-18/woolworths-will-stop-selling-%241-per-litre-milk/10820954" target="_blank">more to the decision</a> than straightforward economics:
"We’ve heard the outlook will continue to be extremely tough for dairy farmers… This is affecting milk production and farm viability, which is devastating for farmers and the regional communities in which they live."
The Labor Party has been threatening to impose <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-02-20/labor-to-set-milk-floor-price-if-elected-in-2019/10827322" target="_blank">a minimum farm-gate price</a>.
Will what Woolworths is doing help farmers? Only a bit.
Milk prices are internationally set
The so-called “milk wars” began on Australia Day 2011 when Coles announced it was <a href="https://theconversation.com/milk-wars-pointing-the-finger-at-coles-and-woolworths-529" target="_blank">cutting milk prices to A$1 a litre</a>.
Woolworths and Aldi followed suit.
The milk market does not just consist of dairy farmers, supermarkets and customers. There are also the processors – companies such as the ASX-listed Murray Goulburn, Parmalat, Lion and Fonterra – that stand between farmers and supermarkets. Then there is the international market for dairy products like butter, cheese and milk powder.
The biggest determinant of farm gate prices in Australia is not what the major supermarkets do, but world dairy prices.
The <a href="http://www.agriculture.gov.au/ag-farm-food/meat-wool-dairy/dairy#the-dairy-levy" target="_blank">Department of Agriculture</a> says 37% of Australian milk production is exported.
Add to that the roughly 35% that goes into locally consumed butter, cheese and milk powder that is subject to competition from imports. You can quickly see the prices of nearly three-quarters of the milk produced in Australia are set globally.
<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/milk-price-debate-australia-2016-5" target="_blank">Dairy Australia</a> has a higher estimate. Because even fresh milk is subject to foreign competition, it believes 90% of the annual movement in farm-gate prices comes from changes in international prices.
Those changes are beyond the effective control of Australian farmers and regulators.
Many of them are the result of changes in the exchange rate.
International prices are generally set in US dollars. That means a rising Australian dollar can cut the return to Australian farmers, while a falling Australian dollar can enhance it.
Processors get the cream
It is tempting to think an increase in retail prices, like the Woolworths 10 cents, would help farmers. But it normally wouldn’t, much.
Someone between the cow and the customer would get the 10 cents, but not necessarily the farmer.
When the <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/1395_Dairy%20inquiry%20final%20report.pdf" target="_blank">Australian Competition and Consumer Commission</a> examined the dairy industry last year it:
<ul>
<li>did not obtain any evidence that supermarket pricing, including $1 per litre milk, has a direct impact on farm-gate prices</li>
<li>Further, farmers’ lack of bargaining power means they are unlikely to benefit from an increase in the retail (or wholesale) prices of private label milk or other dairy products</li>
<li>Even if processors were to receive higher wholesale prices from sales to supermarkets, this does not mean the processors will pay farmers any more than they have to.</li>
</ul>
This time it will be different. Woolworths says “every cent of the increase will end up with Australian dairy farmers”. The processors <a href="https://www.woolworthsgroup.com.au/page/media/Press_Releases/woolworths-to-transition-out-of-1-per-litre-fresh-milk-in-support-of-a-more-sustainable-australian-dairy-industry/" target="_blank">have guaranteed it</a>.
Normally there would be no guarantee that an increase in the wholesale price would flow through to farmers. The processors could pocket it, and the inefficient ones could use it to stay in business, to the long-term detriment of customers.
Consumers are at one end of the line…
Banducci said Woolworths was “acutely aware of the budgetary pressures facing many of our customers and have not taken this decision lightly”.
He is right to recognise it will hurt customers.
It won’t, mind you, hurt customers who buy branded milk like a2 – <a href="https://a2milk.com.au/our-farms/?gclid=CjwKCAiAkrTjBRAoEiwAXpf9CcIT_IidGCd1H_yQd3TGWwoUIFISo770LtzmvP_EZ7Nw_NN0APGSMRoCzbsQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">whose marketing success under chief executive Jayne Hrdlicka</a> has pushed the value of the company to <a href="https://www.afr.com/business/retail/fmcg/a2-milk-posts-record-firsthalf-results-upgrades-guidance-20190219-h1bh1g" target="_blank">A$10 billion</a>, making it bigger than Lendlease, Medibank Private, the AMP and Coca-Cola Amatil. Not bad for a company that didn’t exist at the turn of the century.
Instead it will hurt customers who can afford it the least. For a typical family of four with <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4364.0.55.012%7E2011-12%7EMain%20Features%7EMilk,%20yoghurt,%20cheese%20and%20alternatives%7E17" target="_blank">average milk consumption</a>, the extra 10 cents a litre works out at about A$40 a year.
…and farmers at the other
Dairy farming is difficult, and much of Australia is less than ideally suited to it. Farmers have to contend with volatile prices, drought and isolation.
They are the least powerful players in the “value chain” that runs from cows to customers via importers, processors and supermarkets.
Neither government intervention nor higher retail prices can do much to help them.
Richard Holden, Professor of Economics, UNSW
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/vital-signs-why-more-expensive-milk-wont-help-farmers-much-112145" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Why more expensive milk won’t help farmers much: Richard Holden

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GUEST OBSERVATION
Total employment lifted a very solid 39.1k in January well clear of the market median of 15k and a market forecast high of 27k. The year has started with a solid trend pace of employment growth with a three month average gain of 31.9k. In the year to December total employment grew 268.5k, or 2.2%yr, with a solid momentum into year end with a six month annualised pace of 2.2%yr. While it is just one month into the year, employment grew 271k in the year to January (2.2%yr) with a very solid 2.9%yr six month annualised pace.
There is, however, an important caveat for the January Labour Force Survey – January is the peak holiday month in Australia as Christmas, New Year and school summer vacation all come together. As such it is the month where little happens in Australia and economic activity stalls. In original terms total employment fell –234.5k in January (an average of –263.9k in the previous three years) so we are always cautious about reading too much into a January print.
The mix of employment gains also painted a very solid picture with a +65.4k gain in full-time employment only partially offset by a –26.3k loss in part-time employment. In the month total hours worked rose 0.4% (total employment rose 0.3%) as hours worked per person gained 0.1%. In the year to January total hours worked has lifted 3.2%yr which is a robust pace compared to the 2.2%yr pace for employment.
Despite the strong gain in employment, the unemployment rate was flat at 5.0% (market median was for 5.0%) as a 0.1ppt lift in the participation rate to 65.7% (65.72% at two decimal places) boosted the gain in the labour force to 45.7k.
 <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/2/21/unemployment%201%20.jpg" alt="">
Source: Westpac
As 2019 starts, NSW picks up the mantle as the state with the strongest labour market. In the month, employment lifted 47.2k (161.6k in the year), unemployment fell to 3.9% (a new record low) and confirming this is a strong print (rather than a soft unemployment rate due to declining participation) NSW employment to population ratio has also hit a new record high of 62.6%.
 <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/2/21/state%20employment%20.jpg" alt="">
Source: Westpac
In January Victoria continued to make gains (2.2k/114.2k in the year) but it was a different story in the other states. Queensland employment pulled back (–19.9k/5.6k in the year) while employment was flat in WA (0.8k/0.9k in the year) and fell in SA (–4.5k/1.6k in the year).
Victorian unemployment did lift in the month (4.5% from 4.2%) allowing NSW to clearly reclaim the mantle of having the lowest unemployment rate.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/2/21/unemployment%202.jpg" alt="">
Source: Westpac 
Victoria was the state showing the greatest improvement through 2018 with the unemployment rate down almost 2ppts to 4.2% in December while in NSW unemployment fell just –0.5ppts to 4.3%. The Qld labour market appears to have stalled with the unemployment rate lifting 0.1ppt to 6.1% while it has been flat in SA at 5.9% and lifted in WA from 5.8% to 6.4%.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/2/21/unemployment%203.jpg" alt="">
Source: Westpac 
We are closely watching how these trends continue through 2019 – NSW has surprised us by dipping below 4% while Victoria’s improvement looks to have stalled. Will this shift through the first half of 2019? How will these labour markets respond to falling house prices, a contraction in construction activity and weak retail sales. Our expectation is for the unemployment rate to rise in NSW and Victoria. 
It is also worth noting that 2018 produced a –0.2ppt decline in the underemployment rate from Q1 to Q4. In January there was a further improvement in underemployment to 8.2% (from 8.3%) the lowest print in underemployment since March 2015. Again we would caution that this is a January print so would not project that this improvement can be sustained but nevertheless, it is another indicator of just how robust the labour market was at the end of 2018.
For 2019 we are looking for a pause in the pace in employment growth due to the economic uncertainties surrounding the Federal Election at the same time as we expect to see a moderation in momentum in NSW and Victoria on the back of a moderation in housing activity. With reasonable estimates for the participation rate, our weaker jobs growth profile has the unemployment rate lifting to 5.5% in the second half of 2019 and further by end 2020.
Justin Smirk is ‎senior economist, Westpac Group and can be contacted <a href="https://www.westpac.com.au/about-westpac/westpac-group/" target="_blank">here</a>.
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Solid momentum behind Australian employment: Westpac's Justin Smirk

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Land Services SA has unveiled its upgraded digital land titles platform, designed to deliver better knowledge of the South Australian property market.
The revamp includes a new web portal, www.landservices.com.au, through which South Australians can research and access land transaction services.
There's been a rebranding including a new logo, and a refresh of the South Australian Integrated Land Information System (SAILIS). 
Land Services SA CEO Brenton Pike said the revamp illustrated the company investing and innovating since its commercialisation in October 2017. 
Land Services SA has also launched its SA Property Landscape Report in partnership with professional services firm BDO, revealing a snapshot of the wealth of historic property data.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/2/21/SA%20data%201.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge:
 <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/2/21/SA%20data%201.jpg" alt="">
Source: Land Services
“While our roots are in processing and recording property transactions and the provision of valuation services, we can add significant value by improving the accessibility and availability of property data to South Australia’s thriving start up and entrepreneurial ecosystem,” Pike said.
“Our investment in system upgrades, innovative solutions for the land services industry, and support for the innovation hub in Adelaide to foster local digital start-up ventures together with the South Australian Government, is creating value for our communities.” 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/2/21/SA%20data%202.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge:
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/2/21/SA%20data%202.jpg" alt="">
Source: Land Services 
Land Services SA has also partnered with South Australian AI start-up Daitum, which is part of the Lot Fourteen innovation hub located at the old Royal Adelaide Hospital site, to unlock the potential value in its property data, and understand how it can be more effectively utilised.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/2/21/SA%20data%203.jpg" target="_blank">Click here</a> to enlarge:
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/2/21/SA%20data%203.jpg" alt="">
Source: Land Services 
The findings of the Land Services SA and Daitum initiative will be presented at the Lot Fourteen innovation hub to further promote collaborative innovation and testing. 
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2019/2/21/SA%20data.jpg" target="_blank">Click here </a>to enlarge:
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/2/21/SA%20data.jpg" alt="">
Source: Land Services
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Land Services SA reveals historic data on state's property market

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The NSW Government has acquired the heritage listed Hadley Park Estate to ensure an important part of Western Sydney history will be protected, preserved and eventually opened up to the public.  

Minister for Planning and Housing, Anthony Roberts, said the Government had acquired the property from the Penrith Lakes Development Corporation. 

“Getting this property into public ownership has taken considerable effort, and it’s important we make sure the restoration work is done, and the needs of the community accounted for, before it is opened up to the general public. 

“Department of Planning and Environment will consult with the community to develop a management plan for the long-term future management of the estate."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5910]

Roberts told the 2Gb broadcaster Ray Hadley, whose family once owned the colonial estate, that the department was investigating options with the NSW Department of Industry on a training program for young apprentices and students to participate in the restoration work. 

Hadley Park was one of the oldest farming estates in Australia (above photo credit department of environment and planning).

<img alt="" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/2/22/Hadley2.jpg"> 
Source: Penrith City Library.

The land comprises a farm house, a collection of farm buildings, a garden and a part man-made lake on the Nepean River floodplain.

Local member and the Minister for Western Sydney and Member for Penrith, Stuart Ayres,noted the property was once home to Charles Hadley, a pardoned convict who settled in the Castlereagh area and began building his estate within 20 years of the first fleet arriving.  

The New South Wales Government heritage listed Hadley House at Castlereagh last June.

The homestead’s significance is one of Australia’s oldest farming estates.

But keeping it on the map for future generations has been a struggle.

The Castlereagh property has a special meaning for <a href="https://www.2gb.com/government-officially-signs-off-on-hadley-house-heritage-listing/" target="_blank">2GB broadcaster Ray Hadley</a>, belonging to his fourth great-grandfather Charles Hadley in the 18th century.

In February last year, the Penrith Lakes Development Corporation assured Ray that Hadley Park would be protected only to go back on its word.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=8590]

Ray has previously thanked the Minister and the government for preserving the historic location.

“I think it’s very important, from my point of view, that we leave some sort of legacy into the future, where our children… can go and look at places and have a look and feel what it was like back then.”

NSW Heritage says it is difficult to overestimate the significance of this complex, "still extant in its original 1803 grant, and still in a remarkably unaltered condition".

Ray Hadley suggest the two storey building might be Australia's oldest two storey building, from 1806, and <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.flickr.com/photos/nikabuz/37058129814" target="_blank">maybe the oldest timber cottage known to survive in Australia</a>.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=5897]

The area is now owned by the Penrith Lakes Development Corporation (PLDC) and is off-limits to the public.

The main farmhouse is an extremely rare surviving example of a jerkin head roof structure embodying a most unique and unusual timber structure and clad externally with brickwork.

The technical excellence of the timber roof structure is paralleled by Elizabeth Farm, Parramatta, Old Government House, Parramatta and St. Mathgew's Anglican Church, Windsor and because of this technical excellence the building cannot be described as vernacular.
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NSW Government secures Hadley House at Castlereagh for public admiration

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McGrath Estate Agents has recruited the Brisbane agent Roxanne Liu as it continues to bolster its Brisbane inner city team.
Kon Stathopoulos, head of sales for McGrath’s company owned offices, said she will join the existing team of 20 agents in the Paddington office.
He suggested it was "one of the most exciting property markets in the country".
“This is in line with our plan to restock our agent pool.”
Liu embarked on her real estate career in 2006, and within the first year proved to be the rising star at LJ Hooker Sunnybank Hills.
From 2008 to 2015, Roxanne’s sales performance saw her join its Multi-Million Dollar Chapter.
In 2016, she achieved its highest accolade, Gold Medalist and 2nd Highest Achiever in Sales for LJ Hooker internationally.
Liu said that after 10 years working six days a week, she decided to take a gap year, reassess her career path and also focus on her teenage daughter.
She moved to Paddington to be closer to her daughter’s high school.
"For the past five years we have immersed ourselves in the lifestyle that Paddington offers and love its inner city sophistication," adding she was seeing an emerging trend of local Chinese families relocating to inner city areas of Brisbane.
"Inner city prestige property is very attractive to my Chinese clients and I see this as a great opportunity for vendors wishing to sell their home," she said.
"Naturally I will market to those on the south side of Brisbane who wish to relocate."
Liu will focus on servicing core suburbs of Paddington, Red Hill, and Kelvin Grove.
In the five years before her hiatus period, Roxanne Liu sold between $30 to $45 million in residential sales per year.
Charles Higgins, at McGrath Brisbane had worked previously with Roxanne Liu, at LJ Hooker Sunnybank Hills. 
The McGrath Report 2019 labelled Brisbane: "as one of the world’s great cities. Liveability, affordability, scale and future economic prospects all suggest that Brisbanke is a market in which you can confidentally invest. The value gap between the East Coast capitals is compelling..."
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McGrath adds Roxanne Liu to its Paddington, Brisbane sales team 

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GUEST OBSERVATION
The Hayne Royal Commission began and ended with strident criticism of the mortgage broking industry.
It recommended brokers be required to act in the “best interests” of intending borrowers, and that intending borrowers, rather than the successful lender, pay the broker’s fee.
So-called “trailing” annual payments from lenders would be outlawed as soon as possible and upfront commissions outlawed after two or three years.
It’s the only set of recommendations the government has been lukewarm about adopting, announcing instead that while brokers will be required to act in the best interests of borrowers and from July 1 2020 will no longer be able to accept new trailing commissions, decisions about upfront commissions will be delayed until a further review, to take place “in three years time”.
The government is right to be cautious.
What’s the problem with commissions?
Both the royal commission and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission are concerned commissions:
<ul>
<li>encourage brokers to recommend mortgages that borrowers cannot plausibly afford</li>
<li>cause the broker to recommend higher paying products over lower paying products, potentially to the detriment of borrowers.</li>
</ul>
So what’s the go with brokers?
Typically a borrower approaches a broker who works with banks to secure a loan.
According to ASIC, the method of payment is fairly standard:
<ul>
<li>the broker receives a commission from banks for each successful home loan. The commission is often divided into an upfront payment and a trailing commission, which is paid over time</li>
<li>the lender benefits because it can spread its commission expenses over time and can also terminate commissions if it believes a broker has behaved badly</li>
<li>the commission rates are relatively similar across lenders, with upfront commissions typically ranging from 0.46% to 0.65% of the loan amount, about $3,000 on a $500,000 loan. Trailing commissions typically range from 0.1% to 0.35% of the ongoing loan, about $1,000 per year on a $500,000 loan</li>
<li>lenders can also offer bonus payments, loyalty payments and “soft dollar commissions” which take many forms, including overseas conferences and holidays, shopping vouchers and tickets to sporting events</li>
<li>loan aggregators can also play a role. They provide back-office support and ancillary services to brokers. Some are partly owned by banks. These banks receive a slightly larger share of loans from brokers who deal with these aggregators than from brokers that don’t.</li>
</ul>
In practice brokers often provide good service
ASIC research finds that regardless of the conflicted remuneration structure the interest rates brokers obtain for clients are not significantly worse (or better) than those obtained by borrowers who deal with banks direct.
Their clients are slightly different, on average two years younger than bank clients and with incomes about A$6,000 lower. Brokers’ clients borrow slightly more than direct bank clients and their loans are more likely to be interest only.
Although until now legislation has not compelled brokers to act in clients’ best interests, other professional standards often do so.
And brokers are keen to get referrals and repeat business, which relies on brokers providing good service in the first place.
They’ve little incentive to push bad loans
Because banks compete for business, they tend to pay similar commissions, in much the same way as they tend to charge similar interest rates. It means that in practice there is isn’t much incentive for a broker to recommend one lender over another. This is especially so when you factor in the desire to get repeat business, and referrals, which they would lose if they pushed poor products.
And it is hard to recommend unnecessary loans. Borrowers usually come to brokers to arrange loans for homes they are already planning to buy. There aren’t that many extra dollars in recommending clients borrow more, and even if brokers did recommend higher loans they would still be subject to banks’ serviceability and equity checks.
At the moment banks are highly reluctant to lend large sums at high loan-to-valuation ratios.
All this means that commissions have a muted effect on brokers’ lending recommendations, with conflicts being ameliorated by the practical reality of commission homogenisation and the desire for repeat business and referrals.
And if commissions went…
If commissions went, brokers would have to be paid by borrowers.
Many borrowers would baulk at the fees, and would go to banks instead. This would increase banks’ costs, which could be passed on through additional borrowing fees. It would also increase the time borrowers must devote to sorting through potential lenders.
Some borrowers who lack financial expertise would then have to rely on banks’ advice, rather than brokers’; and, banks are hardly less independent about their products than are brokers.
It would be the smaller brokers that would suffer the most, some going out of business. Larger brokers would also be affected, but less so, due to economies of scale. The end result would be fewer brokers and less access to advice.
It’d be an unintended consequence of what Hayne recommended, and perhaps an unnecessary one.
While there are always bad apples in every industry, removing commissions would be a blunt – and potentially unnecessary – instrument with plenty of downsides. <img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/111631/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;">
Mark Humphery-Jenner, Associate Professor of Finance, UNSW
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/honest-brokers-why-mortgage-broker-commissions-arent-the-problem-111631" target="_blank">original article</a>.
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Why mortgage broker commissions aren’t the problem: Mark Humphery-Jenner

Sydney developer Hyecorp's roots on the Lower North Shore stretch back three generations, and that deep understanding of the market continues to shape where and how it develops today.

From high-rise towers to boutique apartment projects, the family-run developer has built its reputation by focusing on a part of Sydney it knows intimately. Founded by Michael Abolakian in the early 1990s, Hyecorp is now led by his sons Stephen, Troy and Patrick.

Stephen Abolakian, joint managing director alongside Troy, has spent more than two decades in the business, overseeing development, planning, finance, marketing and sales.

Abolakian says the developer's disciplined focus on where it chooses to operate has been, and continues to be, one of Hyecorp's greatest strengths.

“We know the buyer profile exceptionally well,” Abolakian says.

“The demographics between places like Willoughby, Chatswood, St Leonards and Roseville are very similar. There are nuances between suburbs and projects, but culturally and from a buyer perspective, there’s a strong overlap.”

That buyer has historically been overwhelmingly owner-occupier driven.

Unlike many Sydney apartment developers that have traditionally relied heavily on investor demand, Hyecorp’s projects have typically attracted downsizers, upsizers, rightsizers and family owner-occupiers seeking long-term homes rather than short-term investments.

“Historically, investors have been a much smaller portion of our demand profile,” Abolakian says.

“We design for owner-occupiers. We don’t design for yield, we design for comfort, amenity, family living and long-term usability.”

That philosophy extends well beyond apartment layouts.

From landscaping and communal gardens to shared amenities and circulation spaces, Hyecorp’s developments are designed around how people actually live, something Abolakian believes has become increasingly important in Sydney’s apartment market.

“There was probably a period where having an approved project in market was enough,” he says.

“There wasn’t as much competition and if you built it, buyers would come. That’s no longer the case.”

“There’s more supply in the pipeline now, particularly with TOD precincts and low and mid-rise reforms opening up opportunities across Sydney. Buyers have more choice, so if you get the product wrong, they’ll simply go elsewhere.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=110379 project_image_fid=311393]

The shift has forced developers to become more sophisticated in how they approach apartment design, particularly as owner-occupier expectations continue to rise.

For Hyecorp, that means thinking beyond who the buyer is today and designing for who they may become in five or 10 years' time.

“People buying now often aren’t moving in for several years,” Abolakian says.

“You might have a young couple buying today, but by the time they move in they may have children, older children, or changing lifestyle needs. You’ve got to think about how families evolve.”

That thinking also shapes Hyecorp’s approach to amenity, which positions wellness at the forefront.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149594 project_image_fid=362634]

While resort-style facilities have become increasingly common marketing tools across Sydney apartment developments, Abolakian says the challenge is ensuring amenities are genuinely usable and appropriate for the scale of the project.

“If amenities are done right, they can materially improve the living experience,” he says, adding however that if you&nbsp;overdo it or get it wrong, you can end up with facilities nobody uses that simply create ongoing strata costs.”

That balance is something Hyecorp is aiming to strike with projects like Roseville Avenue, one of the group's upcoming Lower North Shore developments, which Abolakian describes as bringing a resort-style living experience into a metropolitan setting.

“It’s about creating something that feels special without being excessive,” he says.

“Good gardens, quality apartments, thoughtful amenity. Creating that resort feeling in a metro location.”

<img alt="Hyecorp" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="13c4c0f3-b1b7-44cf-9344-0b3d1d07797a" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-06-02%20at%2012.14.57%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=9OLWjyj2bYkDV35F78WJnyMSPfc2bJ2z" />

The focus on owner-occupier product comes as Sydney’s apartment market continues to navigate a difficult development environment.&nbsp;For Hyecorp, maintaining an in-house operating model across construction, sales, marketing and development management has become increasingly important in navigating that environment.

“We’ve always believed in keeping a lot of the process in-house,” Abolakian says.

“It creates efficiencies, but it also creates quality control. You can make faster decisions and ensure the end product stays aligned with the original vision.”

Despite the challenges, Abolakian believes demand for quality owner-occupier apartments across Sydney remains strong beneath the surface, particularly across established Lower North Shore suburbs where downsizers continue to seek new housing options close to existing communities.

“There are definitely people waiting,” he says.

“Once some of the broader uncertainty settles, whether that’s the global environment or some of the local economic noise, I think the right projects will perform very strongly.”

Hyecorp currently has three residential developments on the market across Sydney’s Lower North Shore.&nbsp;Audrey, St Leonards, positioned opposite Newlands Park, is nearing completion and preparing to welcome its first residents, with the project now almost sold out.

Hyecorp has also recently launched&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/celine-chatswood-37-archer-street-chatswood-nsw-2067">Celine Chatswood</a>, an architectural tower, while continuing to deliver&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/juliet-roseville-64-pacific-highway-roseville-nsw-2069">Juliet Roseville</a>, a more boutique scale of development with just 34 apartments.

Joel Robinson

Why Hyecorp continues to back Sydney's Lower North Shore apartment market

South East Queensland’s apartment market is entering a new phase defined by rising prices, constrained affordability, and mounting pressure on the construction pipeline, according to RPM Group’s latest SEQ Apartments &amp; Townhomes Market Report.

The May 2026 report highlights a widening divide between what buyers can afford and what developers can viably deliver, with detached house prices continuing to push more buyers toward apartments across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and the Sunshine Coast.

RPM says Brisbane’s median house price has reached around $1.5 million, accelerating the shift toward higher-density housing as buyers are increasingly priced out of the detached market.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135094 project_image_fid=356540]

Median unit prices rose across all three major SEQ markets in the March quarter. Brisbane City recorded the strongest annual growth, with median unit prices climbing 21 per cent to $862,000, while the Gold Coast reached the highest overall median at $950,000, up 17 per cent year-on-year. The Sunshine Coast followed at $870,000, representing annual growth of nine per cent.

RPM noted the affordability gap between houses and units remains significant, with detached homes commanding premiums of 67 per cent in Brisbane and 68 per cent on the Gold Coast relative to apartments.

The report suggests this price disparity is increasingly consolidating buyer demand within the apartment market, particularly among downsizers and owner-occupiers.

“Demand is real. Supply is moving. But they’re operating on different timelines and the gap between what’s being built and what buyers can afford is the defining tension in this market right now,” RPM Queensland and NSW Managing Directors Peter Neale and Clinton Trezise said in the report.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150787 project_image_fid=366230]

While approvals and commencements are strengthening, RPM argues the delivery pipeline remains constrained by construction costs, labour shortages, and extended build timelines.

Apartment approvals across Queensland increased 86 per cent over the year to February 2026, reaching 12,682 approvals, the highest level recorded since 2016. Brisbane overtook the Gold Coast as the state’s most active apartment approval market, with nearly 5,000 apartments approved over the past 12 months.

Unit commencements also strengthened considerably, rising 48 per cent year-on-year to 5,453 commencements in the December 2025 quarter, the highest level since 2018.

However, RPM’s research found apartment delivery timeframes have expanded sharply compared to the previous cycle. Projects are now averaging around 30 months from approval to completion, compared to roughly 20 months a decade ago.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=143932 project_image_fid=367515]

The number of units under construction has climbed to approximately 31,530 dwellings, nearing the previous 2016 peak, though projects are remaining in the pipeline for considerably longer.

Construction costs continue to weigh heavily on feasibility. RPM found the average apartment construction cost in Greater Brisbane reached $630,000 per dwelling in 2025, exceeding both Sydney and Melbourne. Coastal Queensland markets, including the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, were even higher at an average of $817,418 per apartment due to the prevalence of larger premium product.

The report also points to increasing pressure from Olympic-related infrastructure spending ahead of Brisbane 2032, with labour competition expected to intensify over the next several years.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150017 project_image_fid=370960]

ANZ Associate Director of Property Daniel Gradwell said the underlying demand drivers across South East Queensland remain strong, supported by interstate migration, downsizers, and population growth.

“The challenge is bringing enough supply to market to meet that demand, and nothing on the horizon makes that straightforward,” Gradwell said.

RPM’s analysis found the affordability challenge is becoming more pronounced in the new apartment market itself, with only three per cent of surveyed new apartments priced below $1 million.

Instead, the market is increasingly concentrated in higher price brackets, with the most common new apartment price band across SEQ sitting between $1.5 million and $1.75 million. Around half of all new apartment stock surveyed is priced below $2 million.

The report suggests developers are not necessarily avoiding lower price points by choice, but because current construction economics make delivering affordable apartments increasingly difficult at scale.

Rental conditions also remain tight across the region. Median rents for one-bedroom apartments rose 12 per cent in Brisbane over the past year to $580 per week, while Gold Coast one-bedroom rents increased nine per cent to $630.

Despite rising rents, RPM noted bond lodgements have generally trended downward over the past five years, indicating more apartments are being absorbed by owner-occupiers rather than retained as investor-held rental stock.

Looking ahead, RPM expects projects targeting the mid-market owner-occupier segment between $1.25 million and $2 million to remain the most viable part of the market, while premium projects in highly constrained coastal or riverfront locations continue to attract demand.

“Construction costs are rewriting the feasibility rulebook across Greater Brisbane, and with little relief in sight, only projects in the right price band, right location, and with presales secured early will make it through,” the report concludes.

SEQ apartment demand outpacing affordable supply as construction timelines stretch: RPM

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.

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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.

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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.

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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>

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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, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/castile-47-skyring-terrace-newstead-qld-4006">Castile</a>, 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;

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“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.

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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.

Staff reporter

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