<p>Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> is the latest to jump into St Leonards booming Transport Oriented Development precinct.</p>

<p>The developer, which has previously delivered Sapphire by the Gardens apartment development in Melbourne, identified the Atchison Street site in 2023. It filed a Scoping Report around 12 months ago, and now has revealed the designs for the new&nbsp;40-storey mixed-use tower.</p>

<p>The State Significant Development Application covers <a href="https://next-portal.urban.com.au/projects/14650/summary">20-22 Atchison Street</a>, a 1,374 sqm site positioned between St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.</p>

<p>Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the project would deliver 181 apartments, above a four-storey commercial podium, five basement levels, and new public domain works along Mitchell Street. The apartment mix comprises 35 one-bedroom apartments, 39 one-bedroom-plus-study apartments, 85 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom residences.</p>

<p>The proposal has been lodged as a shop-top housing development under the NSW Government’s TOD planning pathway, which allows increased density around key transport infrastructure. The site sits within the recently rezoned Crows Nest Accelerated TOD Precinct.</p>

<p><img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b799673d-48e2-46b0-801a-0e33a9330100" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20site.png?VersionId=dPh0UfwfaHpbFL1R7H1cbZNbIW0CHbCC" /></p>

<p>SP Setia acquired the Atchison Street site as part of its continued expansion into the Australian apartment market. In comments made to City &amp; Country (The Edge Malaysia) in 2023, SP Setia President and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai described the acquisition as “a strategic move” aligned with the group’s post-pandemic market recovery strategy.</p>

<p>“Our target for this exceptional development is local and overseas buyers, including first-home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Choong said.</p>

<p>The tower has been designed as a slender vertical form rising from a mixed-use podium, with COX Architecture positioning the development as a response to the evolving St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline.</p>

<p>“The purpose of the project is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality housing at a strategically located site and deliver a built tower outcome that is consistent with the desired future character of St Leonards and aligns with the TOD controls,” the design report stated.</p>

<p><img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1a85eee-76f7-436c-a6da-73ba827b9b13" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20entry.png?VersionId=dA9jHGPMcm.dDbwk4QfxqWiY5bfh3UVt" /></p>

<p>The podium would incorporate retail uses fronting Atchison Street, commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas, and pedestrian improvements along Mitchell Street. Vehicle access and loading would be consolidated via Atchison Lane.</p>

<p>Residents would have access to more than 665 sqm of communal indoor and outdoor spaces, while the development proposes 96 parking spaces across five basement levels.</p>

<p>The proposal also includes a commitment for 10 per cent of residential floor space to be allocated toward affordable housing through a monetary contribution.</p>

<p>COX said the tower form responds directly to the emerging high-density character of the precinct while seeking to maximise solar access, cross ventilation, and outlook from apartments.</p>

<p><img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2163f85c-f63b-4be3-aafa-f8763976cec5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_5.png?VersionId=WiAmtIKJ6.ZQ41EtYEQ1fol7AeorKBlL" /></p>

<p>“The building is orientated towards north,” the Apartment Design Guide compliance report noted, adding that the tower’s slim form was driven by the constrained inner-urban site dimensions.</p>

<p>The design also incorporates landscaped setbacks and communal open space at podium level, intended to soften the interface with surrounding streets and improve pedestrian amenity.</p>

<p>The project adds to a growing wave of redevelopment proposals reshaping St Leonards and Crows Nest following the opening of the Sydney Metro City line and the NSW Government’s push for higher-density housing around major transport nodes.</p>

<p>Last week Stockland filed plans just down the road. They want to build a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">52-storey tower on Pacific Highway</a>.</p>

<p><em>Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower&nbsp;</a></em></p>


Joel Robinson

First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower

<p><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> has revealed plans for a new mixed-use tower at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham, advancing a proposal that would reshape the southern gateway to Newcastle’s city centre with one of the city’s tallest residential buildings.</p>

<p>The State Significant Development proposal, now on exhibition, seeks approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bowline-10-dangar-street-wickham-nsw-2293">43-storey tower</a> immediately adjacent to the Newcastle Interchange. The project would deliver around 200 apartments, including 42 affordable housing dwellings, alongside 99 co-living units, a 171-room hotel, retail space, and new public domain integrated through the site.</p>

<p>The scheme marks a significant escalation of plans previously approved for the site. Urban Property Group took over the prominent 2,904 sqm parcel, where excavation and demolition had already commenced under an earlier consent for a 14-storey mixed-use development.</p>

<p><img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58a96dd9-407f-4d20-86b4-94e4bfeef74b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20podium.png?VersionId=LGlf08pdFGAZDzvx_CXC4XakHNZRuEE0" /></p>

<p>Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, the tower has been conceived as a landmark transit-oriented development anchored to the Newcastle Interchange precinct. The proposal includes 245 build-to-sell apartments across a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom residences, as well as two penthouses. Fifteen apartments and one operational unit are earmarked for NDIS housing. The co-living component would add a further 99 units, while the podium would accommodate retail uses and hotel facilities.</p>

<p>SJB said the site presents “a valuable opportunity to anchor the precinct by setting the standard for design, active ground planes and character at the key southern gateway.”</p>

<p>The architecture responds directly to the site’s position beside major transport infrastructure and within one of Newcastle’s fastest-evolving urban renewal precincts. The tower form sits above a sculpted podium designed to frame new public spaces, including a through-site pedestrian link connecting Station Street to Hannell Street, landscaped plazas, and activated retail edges.</p>

<p><img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7bd6ff0-f7db-4ce8-a6dc-ea56e72c6149" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20lanne.png?VersionId=xzf39VADyhj7zBQY2I9fx9vI62u2tuSb" /></p>

<p>The design report describes the project as part of the broader transition of Wickham into “a vibrant, high-quality mixed-use urban precinct” that leverages proximity to the station, open space, and regional connectivity.</p>

<p>A detailed public art strategy has also been prepared for the development. The strategy positions the project as “a transit-oriented development of state significance at the gateway to Newcastle’s city centre” and outlines a series of integrated artworks responding to Newcastle’s industrial and transport heritage.</p>

<p>Creative Road’s curatorial framework for the project, titled Unveil, draws on “stratified surfaces, carved volumes, and light-filled apertures” while referencing Newcastle’s transformation from an industrial city into a contemporary education and technology hub.</p>

<p><img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="77a882bb-14b1-4d28-99ff-9438e39508c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20site.png?VersionId=cevgo_vN0eKPK78P8YcEu3mKPLkpFqE7" /></p>

<p>The proposal is being advanced through the NSW Housing Delivery Authority pathway after being declared State Significant Development in June 2025. The accompanying scoping report states the development aims to “maximise the site’s proximity to the Newcastle Interchange by delivering transit-oriented development” while increasing housing supply and affordable housing provision within the Newcastle LGA.</p>

<p>Urban Property Group’s plans align with the long-term strategic vision established under the Wickham Master Plan, which identified the interchange precinct as suitable for substantial uplift in height and density. The current proposal would significantly intensify that vision, positioning the tower among the tallest developments proposed for Newcastle.</p>

<p>The site sits immediately north of the Newcastle Interchange, bounded by Dangar Street, Hannell Street, and Charles Street. It is surrounded by a rapidly growing cluster of residential towers and mixed-use projects that have emerged following the completion of the light rail and transport interchange.</p>


First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s latest tower at Wickham interchange

<p>Bottega House has completed settlement of a landmark riverfront site in Macquarie Street, St Lucia, representing its first major Brisbane development.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Positioned on the banks of the Brisbane River, the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/180-macquarie-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">premium site at 180 Macquarie Street</a> features uninterrupted river frontage in one of Brisbane’s most tightly held residential precincts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The proposed development, currently under assessment with Brisbane City Council, has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/mim-design">Mim Design</a> and will deliver a boutique collection of premium residences positioned specifically for owner occupiers and downsizers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The residences are set to redefine luxury apartment living in the area, with a focus on architectural quality, refined finishes, landscape integration and elevated amenities including curated wellness facilities, resort-style pools and recreation spaces rarely seen in the local market.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Exclusive sales for the project will be led by Keenan &amp; Byrne, ahead of an anticipated launch later this year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Bottega House Managing Director Nick Malloch said the project reflects the group’s ambition to deliver a highly curated residential offering within one of Brisbane’s most tightly held precincts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“This is an incredibly rare riverfront opportunity and one we have approached with a long-term perspective,” Malloch said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“Our vision from the outset was to create a boutique collection of residences that feel more like private homes than traditional apartments, with generous proportions, refined finishes and exceptional amenity throughout."</p>

<p>Malloch says there is a&nbsp;lack of premium owner-occupier stock of this quality in the market, particularly for downsizers wanting space, privacy and a true lifestyle offering without compromise.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Demand is expected to be strong given the scarcity of premium riverfront opportunities of this nature within Brisbane’s inner-west."&nbsp;</p>


Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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<p data-end="157" data-start="0">The arrival of the first piling rig officially marks the commencement of construction at SIERA’s new beachside apartment development, Exhale, in Northcliffe.</p>

<p data-end="459" data-start="159"><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise-8-enderley-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Exhale</a>, a glass-encased tower featuring 54 large-scale apartments at 8 Enderley Avenue, is SIERA’s third Gold Coast development. It follows the recently completed PIPIS Bilinga beachfront project, which achieved suburb-record prices, and the soon-to-be-completed Chevron Island development, Tapestry.</p>

<p data-end="459" data-start="159">[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359603]</p>

<p data-end="651" data-start="461"><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/siera">SIERA</a> Founder and Managing Director Brent Thompson said the arrival of the piling rig represented a significant milestone for the development, which is scheduled for completion in late 2028.</p>

<p data-end="950" data-start="653">Over the next month, around 260 piles are expected to be installed as work progresses on the basement structure. The building is anticipated to rise above ground level early next year, before unveiling its sculptural glass curtain wall, developed in collaboration with specialist façade engineers.</p>

<p data-end="1081" data-start="952">“The façade was designed to maximise panoramic coastal views while creating a distinctive architectural identity,” Thompson said.</p>

<p data-end="1081" data-start="952">[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=355935]</p>

<p data-end="1307" data-start="1083">Designed by BDA Architecture, Exhale will comprise just 54 two- and three-bedroom residences across 26 levels, a level of low-density living rarely delivered in this beachside pocket between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.</p>

<p data-end="1522" data-start="1309">The project has been conceived as a resident-only building, with no short-stay accommodation permitted. SIERA says the model is intended to appeal to long-term owner-occupiers rather than transient holiday demand.</p>

<p data-end="1522" data-start="1309">[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=361052]</p>

<p data-end="1714" data-start="1524">Residences have been designed with large-format layouts and expansive glazing, with most apartments featuring more than 30 metres of glass frontage to maximise natural light and ocean views.</p>

<p data-end="1945" data-start="1716">The amenity offering spans two levels and centres on wellness and lifestyle, including a heated magnesium pool, sauna, yoga and Pilates studio, gymnasium, private dining facilities, cinema lounge, and dedicated surfcraft storage.</p>

<p data-end="1945" data-start="1716">[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359607]</p>

<p data-end="2220" data-is-last-node="" data-is-only-node="" data-start="1947">More than half of the apartments have already sold. SIERA has also opened a sales gallery for Exhale at its Chevron Island commercial premises, near its Tapestry tower and the site of its second Chevron Island apartment development, which is slated to launch in early 2027.</p>
</section>
</section>

<p>[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112661]</p>


SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

<p data-end="320" data-start="79">Local Little Bay residents, along with buyers from premium postcodes across Sydney’s affluent Eastern Suburbs, have dominated purchases in developer-builder Urban Property Group’s first Eastern Suburbs apartment development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/este-little-bay-jennifer-street-little-bay-nsw-2036">ESTE Little Bay</a>.</p>

<p data-end="638" data-start="322">The $250 million coastal project, one of the first new developments in the area in several years, has proven particularly popular with downsizers, especially those from Coogee and Bondi. One Double Bay downsizer paid $4.7 million for a four-bedroom penthouse, setting a new local apartment price record in the process.</p>

<p data-end="864" data-start="640">Buyers have been attracted to the combination of coastal tranquillity, premium design and amenity-rich neighbourhood living. The walkable village setting, along with proximity to three of Sydney’s leading golf courses, New South Wales Golf Club, St Michael’s Golf Club and The Coast Golf Club, has also been a key drawcard.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352689]</p>

<p>Built across two low-rise buildings designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/hill-thalis-architecture-urban-projects-pty-ltd">Hill Thalis</a> and set along a lush, landscaped green spine, designed by leading landscape architect <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/arcadia-landscape-architecture">Arcadia</a>, ESTE Little Bay offers a collection of one, two, three and four-bedroom residences with interiors by Richards Stanisich.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> Sales Director, Tom McIvor said the response to ESTE has been "nothing short of extraordinary."</p>

<p>“Buyers have been quick to recognise ESTE as a rare opportunity to invest in a coastal sanctuary that offers both seclusion and connectivity to the heart of Sydney,” McIvor said.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352687]</p>

<p><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/srm-residential">SRM Residential</a> Senior Director, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/project-marketer/srm-residential">Clayton Ross</a> said the local market has responded incredibly well, driven by ESTE’s exceptional location and the rarity it offers.</p>

<p>“We’ve seen strong interest from a variety of buyer groups, all of whom are drawn to the exclusivity and quality of the build and construction by the 4.5-star iCIRT-rated builder / developer, Urban Property Group. There’s truly nothing else like it along Sydney’s coastline.”</p>

<p>[smartcode_project:default project_id=112343 project_image_fid=352690]</p>

<p>The project also includes robust buyer protections, including Resilience Insurance’s Latent Defects Insurance, providing 10 years of structural cover, and an independent iCIRT-rating of the developer.</p>

<p>“The iCIRT-rating adds another layer of confidence,” Ross added. “Buyers see it as a safeguard for their investment and their lifestyle.” A highlight of ESTE’s offering is its exclusive wellness amenities, including a heated rooftop infinity pool and outdoor heated spa, a state-of-the-art Technogym fitness centre, and a sauna.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/este-little-bay-jennifer-street-little-bay-nsw-2036">ESTE Little Bay</a> is topped out and is on track to complete towards the end of 2026, with residents moving in before Christmas.</p>

<p>[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112343]</p>


Eastern Suburbs buyers snap up ESTE Little Bay apartments

Coronavirus

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<p>The Prime Minister has announced a six month moratorium on evicting residential tenants during the coronavirus shutdown.</p>
<p>There were no specifics in the announcement.</p>
<p>"Evictions will be put on hold for six months by the states and territories," the PM announced.</p>
<p>"Landlords and renters are encouraged to talk about short term agreements.</p>
<p>"More information was to come this week," the official update advised.</p>
<p>“States and Territories will be moving to put a moratorium on evictions of persons as a result of financial distress if they are unable to meet their commitments and so there would be a moratorium on evictions for the next six months under those rental arrangements,” Scott Morrison said.</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">The president of the REIA, Adrian Kelly said while he is very supportive of the Government's efforts, the REIA was disappointed</span> with the simplistic approach of the Prime Minister’s message.</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">He suggested the PM's message "ignores the tenancy arrangement and thus raises more questions than it answers."</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal">“Real estate agents are the middle persons who facilitate the agreement between landlords and tenants and manage it as well as the property.</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">“There are some 70,000 property managers, principals, real estate agents and representatives across Australia.</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">"</span>Tenants don’t negotiate with landlords.</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">“Banks have already indicated that they are </span>offering customers the option to defer home loan repayments for up to six months<span lang="EN-AU">.</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">“We need to address the support of agents so that what the Prime Minister wants, in terms of landlords and tenants - finding a solution to get through the crisis, can be achieved.</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormalCxSpMiddle">“Estate agents will work very hard to facilitate the role between landlord and tenant, and to do this they need income.”</p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">“I note that National Cabinet is still to consider details,” concluded Mr Kelly.</span></p>
<p class="x_MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-AU">Commercial landlords have been directed by the PM Scott Morrison to "sit down" with their commercial office, retail and industrial tenants to work out how to get through the coronavirus crisis.</span></p>
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Six month moratorium on evicting residential tenants during the coronavirus shutdown

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<p>With 2700 scheduled auctions nationally, before the coronavirus onsite auction ban, most of Saturday's property vendors have gone private treaty or withdrawn altogether from the market to await better times.</p>
<p><span>Just over half the scheduled auctions were changed to private treaty, Domain figures showed.</span></p>
<p><span>And<span> 10 per cent became online auctions.</span></span></p>
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<p><span>The week saw a surge in the proportion of properties sold prior to auction, lifting from 22 per cent of the preliminary collection last week to 36 per cent this week, CoreLogic advised.</span></p>
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<p>The auctioneers did a great job when going ahead online on Saturday. CoreLogic advised 59 of 100 online Sydney auctions found buyers. Melbourne had 140 live auctions with 97 finding buyers yesterday.</p>
<p>But technically using the traditional auction measuring rules, the national clearance rate fell into the 30s.</p>
<p><span>The last time clearance rates were so low as was in 1989 when the Reserve Bank of Australia took the cash rate to 17 percent, today they are 0.25 percent.</span></p>
<p>Sydney at a 37 percent clearance rate was slightly stronger than Melbourne's 35 percent, according to Domain's preliminary data, which included onsite and inroom auctions held prior to the ban.</p>
<p>The REIV reported just 99 properties sold under the auction hammer, but advised this represented a 90 percent success rate as they don't include the 998 withdrawn properties.</p>
<p>The REINSW doesn't publish data.</p>
<p><span>The realestate.com.au tally, that didn't include withdrawn, rather just the limited number of online auctions with the most motivated vendors and best prospects, advised the weekend clearance rate in Melbourne was 84 percent and 57 percent in Sydney.</span></p>
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<p><span>In Melbourne, CoreLogic's preliminary auction clearance rate sat at 58 per cent across 1,517 auctions this week. The preliminary numbers show 32 per cent of Melbourne auctions were withdrawn from the market.</span></p>
<p><span>There were 1,263 auctions scheduled in Sydney this week, of which 385 (45%) have been confirmed as withdrawn so far, returning a preliminary clearance rate of 47 per cent, CoreLogic said.</span></p>
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<p>Ray White advised its withdrawn rates increased from 15 per cent to 25 per cent this week. </p>
<p>Domain reported the online platform, Gavl, had 57 auctions scheduled of which only 15 went live. </p>
<p>Of the live auctions, three sold and 12 passed in.</p>
<p>AuctionNow had around 170 listings.</p>
<p>Across Australia the online auctions were typically running late and long, as the new process took shape.</p>
<p><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/2020/3/27/online%20auctioneer.jpg" alt=""><br>A live auctioneer at the weekend.</p>
<p>One auction took 45 minutes from its advertised start time without a sale in Sydney's south.</p>
<p>Ray White New Farm agent Haesley Cush sold 4 Owen St Wooloowin for $950,000 with two active bidders competing during his first virtual auction which ran for a marathon one hour and 40 minutes.</p>
<p>Ray White was mainly using Real Time Agent with Bid Tracker plus Google Hangouts for its auctions.</p>
<p>At the AuctionNow portal, auctioneer Damien Cooley said the day had been a "resounding success for the industry."</p>
<p>"To adapt to these conditions in such a short time has been an incredible effort.</p>
<p>"Our technology has given agents and auctioneers around the country the ability to help buyers and sellers transact. </p>
<div>"We have seen several properties with multiple online bidders, many of them competing in what can only be described as fast paced and very exciting auctions." </div>
<div> </div>
<div>"We will continue to improve our technology, live stream picture quality and continue to ensure consumers can watch, register, bid, buy and exchange on live auctions on any device anywhere in the world," he said.</div>
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<table style="width: 605px;" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr>
<td>
<table style="width: 601px; height: 315px;" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5">
<thead><tr>
<th> </th>
<th>%</th>
<th> listed</th>
<th>advised</th>
<th>sld</th>
<th>wdn</th>
<th> </th>
<th> </th>
<th> </th>
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<tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="5">
<p>This week</p>
</td>
<td colspan="4">
<p> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_trThisWeekRow_0">
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekCity_0">Syd</td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekClearance_0">37</td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekListed_0">1058</td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekReported_0">394</td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekSold_0">351</td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekWithdrawn_0">547</td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekTotalSold_0"> </td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekHouseMedian_0"> </td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekUnitMedian_0"> </td>
</tr>
<tr id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_trThisWeekRow_1">
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekCity_1">Mel</td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekClearance_1">35</td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekListed_1">1400</td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekReported_1">470</td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekSold_1">451</td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekWithdrawn_1">807</td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekTotalSold_1"> </td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekHouseMedian_1"> </td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekUnitMedian_1"> </td>
</tr>
<tr id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_trThisWeekRow_2">
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekCity_2">Nat</td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekClearance_2">35</td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekListed_2">2723</td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekReported_2">933</td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekSold_2">857</td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekWithdrawn_2">1492</td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekTotalSold_2"> </td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekHouseMedian_2"> </td>
<td id="x_rpAuctionResultsThisWeek_tdThisWeekUnitMedian_2"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="5">
<p>Last week</p>
</td>
<td colspan="4">
<p> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="x_rpLastWeek_trLastWeekRow_0">
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekCity_0">Syd</td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekClearance_0">58</td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekListed_0">780</td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekReported_0">601</td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekSold_0">420</td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekWithdrawn_0">113</td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekTotalSold_0"> </td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekHouseMedian_0"> </td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekUnitMedian_0"> </td>
</tr>
<tr id="x_rpLastWeek_trLastWeekRow_1">
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekCity_1">Mel</td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekClearance_1">57</td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekListed_1">1187</td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekReported_1">1023</td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekSold_1">637</td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekWithdrawn_1">80</td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekTotalSold_1"> </td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekHouseMedian_1"> </td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekUnitMedian_1"> </td>
</tr>
<tr id="x_rpLastWeek_trLastWeekRow_2">
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekCity_2">Nat</td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekClearance_2">57</td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekListed_2">2162</td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekReported_2">1775</td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekSold_2">1132</td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekWithdrawn_2">207</td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekTotalSold_2"> </td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekHouseMedian_2"> </td>
<td id="x_rpLastWeek_tdLastWeekUnitMedian_2"> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="5">
<p>Same week last year</p>
</td>
<td colspan="4">
<p> </p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_trThisWeekLastYearRow_0">
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearCity_0">Syd</td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearClearance_0">55</td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearListed_0">626</td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearReported_0">466</td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearSold_0">320</td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearWithdrawn_0">114</td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearTotalSold_0"> </td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearHouseMedian_0"> </td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearUnitMedian_0"> </td>
</tr>
<tr id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_trThisWeekLastYearRow_1">
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearCity_1">Mel</td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearClearance_1">49</td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearListed_1">792</td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearReported_1">710</td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearSold_1">368</td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearWithdrawn_1">34</td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearTotalSold_1"> </td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearHouseMedian_1"> </td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearUnitMedian_1"> </td>
</tr>
<tr id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_trThisWeekLastYearRow_2">
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearCity_2">Nat</td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearClearance_2">50</td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearListed_2">1649</td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearReported_2">1375</td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearSold_2">774</td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearWithdrawn_2">162</td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearTotalSold_2"> </td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearHouseMedian_2"> </td>
<td id="x_rpThisWeekLastYear_tdThisWeekLastYearUnitMedian_2"> </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr></tbody></table>
<p>Source: Domain </p>
<div>There was drama at a Ray White auction when a bidder accidentally lodged a virtual bid some $200,000 higher than intended into the online bidding system.</div>
<p>The bid was quickly undone by auctioneer James Keenan and that bidder went on to be the $1.41 million Newtown underbidder.</p>
<p><span>There were 50 bids for the two bedroom Darley Street home which sold for $1,415,000 with four bidders battling it out over the 40 minute auction, sold at </span>$85,000 over reserve with four of the eight registered bidders active.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Notwithstanding the drama, agent Shaun Stoker said "the system faultlessly took more than 90 bids during a highly competitive auction."</p>
<p><span>Elsewhere in Newtown an</span> online bidder battled a phone bidder for 156 Denison Street at its LJ Hooker auction.</p>
<div>After 22 bids its sold for $1,753,000 to the phone bidder having opened with the online bidder's $1.55 million offer. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>The auction of a four-bedroom house at 57 Brown St, St Peters commenced 20 minutes after its scheduled time. </div>
<p><span>It passed in at $1,520,000.</span></p>
<p>Hunters Hill saw a $3.375 million sale, the highest reported Sydney success.</p>
<p>Just two bidders competed but over 130 tuned in to the auction, which had three interruptions with technical glitches.</p>
<p>But McGrath CEO Geoff Lucas said he was delighted the agency could "keep the wheels of commerce moving for our country."</p>
<div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<p><span>“Today </span><span>is a great litmus test of how the business of real estate can continue, where the live streaming of auctions have seen multiple bidders participate from the safety of their own home, as the auctioneer conducts the auction from either the property or from another location."</span></p>
<p>There were seven registered to bid for the McGrath listing at 14 Hampton Road, Sylvania Waters that sold for $1,596,000.</p>
<p><span>Some 38 viewers watched the auction that had three participating bidders.</span></p>
<p>There were 99 tuned into the auction of 19 Archibald Street, Padstow that McGrath sold for $1,007,500.</p>
<p>Three of the nine registered bidders participated after the $800,000 opening bid.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="page" title="Page 2">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<p><span>McGrath also secured the $1.02 million sale of </span>3 Limburgers Road, East Geelong that had four buyers online, and one on the phone. </p>
<p>The national McGrath network had 191 weekend listings, with a 55 percent success rate from the online offerings, but a 37 percent clearance rate when taking withdrawn property into account.</p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p>There was an auction at Dundas with two bidders, one of whom posted a $1.37 million bid after the $1.35 million vendor bid lodged by its Stone Real Estate agent, available to be seen on the running bid list.</p>
<p>However interested parties were advised following t<span>he live auction for 5 Ronald Avenue that the property "passed in for an undisclosed price."</span></p>
<p>There were more than 100 bids for a one-bedroom unit in Potts Point that had an $800,000 guide but fetched $1.208 million. </p>
<p>There were 67 bids in Queens Park for 23 Cuthbert Street that sold for $1,905,000.</p>
<p>The inner west Sydney agency Cobden Hayson advised 50 percent of the buyers had stepped back in their intent on March 19, which had dipped to 60 to 70 percent, by March 26.</p>
<p>There were some opportunistic buyers, Matthew Hayson advised, along with recent buyers committed to sell. </p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span><span> </span></span></p>
</body></html>

jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Live online auctions sees real estate industry overcome onsite auction ban 

<html><body>
<p class="post-title entry-title">EXPERT OBSERVER</p>
<p class="post-body entry-content">3.283 million was the print for US initial jobless claims.</p>
<div class="separator"><img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RBecYw6kZlY/XnyisN9hhXI/AAAAAAAA05k/GrFvyXTDTR0Mei8pw3Wzzy0tLMiCnHdwwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/US2.jpg" width="640" height="486" data-original-height="772" data-original-width="1015"></div>
<div class="separator"> </div>
<div>Terrible stuff.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>All previous crises are a tiny blip on the radar by comparison.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>It’s hard to compare with previous recessions...as there is simply no modern comparison.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The US unemployment rate could exceed 30 per cent by the end of next quarter, and Canada faces a similar mess.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Consumer-driven economies without consumers will lie in ruins for as long as the shutdowns continue.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Australia’s Coronavirus figures look somewhat promising, but in America they’re spreading widely.</div>
<div>
<br>There are now more cases in the US than in China, or indeed any other country.<br><br>
</div>
<div><strong>Co-ordinated stimulus</strong></div>
<div> </div>
<div>More so than in any previous crises this will result in co-ordinated stimulus packages on an Olympic and unprecedented scale.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>So far rates have been cut to zero, and we’re looking at an initial $2.2 trillion US government stimulus package, and more is likely to follow.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The Federal Reserve also dropped an initial salvo of US$700 billion in quantitative easing, and since it’s promising ‘QE infinity’ for as long as it takes, it’s impossible to know how much printing will follow (answer: a lot).</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Small businesses and households, as in Australia, will need access to loans or other funds to tide them through to the other side.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>It won't just be America going down this route.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>All around the world government debt is set to soar and central banks are pushing interest rates down to zero. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>A number of markets have been crushed, but US stocks are still expensive, with only really the energy sector looking interesting.<br><br>Overall the expected returns on US and Aussie stocks are not yet of much interest at these levels and the bargains lie elsewhere. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>One step at a time, Australia needs to bring down cases of the Coronavirus first and foremost.</div>
<p class="post-body entry-content">---</p>
<div>Some more old data.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Australian household wealth increased by +3.3 per cent in the December 2019 quarter, to hit a record high of $11.31 trillion.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The main driver in Q4 was a +3.9 per cent increase in residential property prices.<br><br>Aussie total household wealth increased by +10 per cent in 2019.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Australia's average net worth per capita hit a record high of A$443,000 by the end of calendar year 2019.</div>
<div> </div>
<div class="separator"><img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K60ksQnjY9s/Xn0t8289OhI/AAAAAAAA050/Dl8Ui-sG1uUpBT7CdZJoYuNXUbA7p4x6wCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/A1.jpg" width="640" height="384" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="1373"></div>
<p class="post-body entry-content">And the average or mean wealth per household had soared to well over A$1 million.</p>
<p class="post-body entry-content"><img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wohuFMx9yng/Xn0uHYFhUUI/AAAAAAAA054/ibAp_V88F1MquVR-wNs0Oj8HBhNvr4fuwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/A2.jpg" width="640" height="368" data-original-height="826" data-original-width="1435"></p>
<div class="separator"> </div>
<div>CoreLogic will report next week that housing prices increased in Q1 2020, including in the month of March 2020 itself.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>However, property  activity will now stall, and equities crashed in the first quarter of 2020 which will bring down superannuation balances.<br><br>Meanwhile, unemployment looks set to double...at least.</div>
<p><strong>PETE WARGENT</strong><em> is the co-founder of AllenWargent property buyers (London, Sydney) and a best-selling author and <a href="https://petewargent.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blogger</a>.</em></p>
</body></html>

pwargent-M4siyDbqQY

Unemployment looks set to double... at least: Pete Wargent

<html><body>
<p class="legacy">GUEST OBSERVATION</p>
<p>As the COVID-19 outbreak intensifies, we’re seeing mass isolation in virus epicentres, with about 500 million people in China <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/italy-hardens-nationwide-quarantine-11583962093">“under varying degrees of quarantine”</a>, and all of <a href="https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2020-03-11/coronavirus-italy-quarantine-infection">Italy in lockdown</a>.</p>
<p>In Australia, <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-isolation-guidance">self-isolation</a> is being advised for those who have been in close contact with a confirmed coronavirus case, or have travelled from a country with a large number of cases.</p>
<p>People under isolation, which is different from <a href="https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/alerts/Pages/coronavirus-faqs.aspx#sec5">social distancing</a>, must avoid public places, gatherings and visitors, and wear a surgical mask if leaving their home. For many, this means being confined at home except for essential trips for supplies and appointments.</p>
<p>But what are the psychological impacts, and consequent social impacts, of this? Reports from China suggest isolation has led to <a href="https://news.sina.cn/sh/2020-02-01/detail-iimxxste7998752.d">neglect of vulnerable people</a>, <a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/wwC2q2zfeI6SMj5YDHDxqA">babies being abandoned</a>, and increased <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/03/11/china-new-normal-coronavirus-pandemic-quarantine-ai-fen-propaganda/">domestic violence</a>, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/fear-anxiety-and-guilt-the-psychological-toll-of-chinas-coronavirus-war-11583150406">fear and anxiety</a>.</p>
<h2>‘Cabin fever’ creeps in</h2>
<p>In a recent review of literature, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673620304608">published in the Lancet in light of the COVID-19 outbreak</a>, authors reported that being required to isolate often resulted in symptoms of traumatic stress, confusion and anger. These effects are worse among people who are isolated for a long time, fearful of infection, have limited supplies, receive inadequate information, or are experiencing financial loss or stigma.</p>
<p>Many in isolation experience a sense of “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224545.1984.9924512">cabin fever</a>”. This often involves feeling dissatisfied, restless, irritable and bored when confined.</p>
<p>For people who are feeling well, being isolated may initially provide a <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/01/polar-vortex-stuck-indoors-let-me-out-please/581749/">novel respite</a> from daily responsibilities. However, this can quickly become stressful and anxiety-provoking.</p>
<p>As COVID-19 <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-11/coranavirus-queensland-uq-student-went-to-brisbane-nightspot/12047000">spreads in Australia</a>, we can expect to see more people requiring isolation.</p>
<h2>Abuse of alcohol, and others</h2>
<p>Images from Wuhan, China, are providing a snapshot of the social disharmony that can emerge from forced isolation.</p>
<p>One retired police officer, Wan Fei, allegedly <a href="https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1005253/domestic-violence-cases-surge-during-covid-19-epidemic">told Sixth Tone</a> domestic violence reports had nearly doubled since China’s cities went into lockdown. He claimed as of late February, the police station in Jingzhou’s Jianli County had received 162 reports of domestic violence for that month, more than triple the number reported in February last year.</p>
<p>One of this article’s authors (Patrick), has had correspondence with colleagues in Hubei, who have also reported increased household tension among isolated families. Anecdotally, idle time has led to more alcohol consumption, and domestic and family violence has become more prevalent.</p>
<p>Simultaneously, many Chinese social services, including community centres and social work agencies, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/09/business/china-coronavirus-disabilities-wealth-gap">closed when quarantine restrictions were imposed</a>. Many social workers and helping professions have since started offering <a href="https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1005250/life-on-wuhans-virtual-front-lines">services online</a>.</p>
<p>Past research suggests stress during times of disaster leads to increased rates of domestic violence. <a href="https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/ajem-apr-2013-the-hidden-disaster-domestic-violence-in-the-aftermath-of-natural-disaster/">In interviews with 30 women</a> following the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires, more than half reported experiencing violence after the disaster. Of these women, most had not experienced any form of violence prior to the disaster.</p>
<p>Stress can also place people, particularly those who are disadvantaged, at risk of <a href="https://www.academia.edu/19688932/Mental_illness_crime_and_violence_Risk_context_and_social_control">mental illness</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2732004/">addictions</a>.</p>
<h2>What can Australia expect?</h2>
<p>As the crisis deepens in Australia, we may have to face similar challenges. One viral video of aggressive shoppers, seemingly fighting over toilet paper, has already highlighted the psychosocial impacts of the coronavirus.</p>
<p>Attention to personal and community hygiene may exacerbate people’s existing anxieties, <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/coronavirus-covid-19-mental-health-crisis-961247/">potentially heightening phobias and clinical conditions</a> such as <a href="https://www.ocduk.org/ocd-and-coronavirus/">obsessive compulsive disorder</a>, <a href="https://time.com/5800917/trump-china-virus-tweet/">and fuelling racist behaviour</a>.</p>
<p>People approaching retirement may become unsure of their prospects for safety and prosperity. And casual employees <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/10/australian-government-warned-not-to-drag-its-feet-on-help-for-casual-workers-in-coronavirus-crisis">may face sudden income insecurity</a>. Workplace closures, like those seen in <a href="https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2334-12-311">Australia during the 2009 H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak</a>, could also adversely affect household functioning and finances.</p>
<p>Emotionally, people may experience stress due to the uncertainty of where the virus may spread, and the welfare of family members.</p>
<h2>What we can do</h2>
<p>Individually, we can all take action to avoid or reduce the potential emotional, psychological and social impacts of COVID-19. Workplace contingency management plans should factor in psychological support for staff, allowing employees to work from home if possible.</p>
<p>Access to accurate and realistic information about the pandemic could help avoid fearmongering and hysteria. Our fears, doubts, frustrations and disappointments will likely be shared by others, so we should relay reputable information to family, friends and colleagues.</p>
<p>Online sites such as Skype and Facebook can help us stay connected. Many are using these tools to make light of an otherwise difficult situation, including people in China tuning into <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/coronavirus-quarantine-cloud-raves-china-photos-2020-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">online dance raves via TikTok</a>.</p>
<h2>What our leaders can do</h2>
<p>Politically, we need to invest in social support services such as online counselling and telephone support lines. These could assist isolated people and help build community cohesion and resilience. Recently in <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/02/13/china-launches-hundreds-of-mental-health-hotlines-amid-coronavirus-outbreak/">China</a>, and during the 2014-2016 spread of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953617300898">Ebola in Senegal</a>, psychological support hotlines were established for such purposes.</p>
<p>Australia’s federal government has begun to evaluate and respond to <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-12/federal-government-coronavirus-economic-stimulus/12042972">financial costs borne by households</a>. As the crisis unfolds, there will a need to compensate people for income losses associated with isolation.</p>
<p>When quarantine is necessary, it should be for the minimal amount of time and no longer than 14 days, given the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32150748">likelihood that symptoms will show in this time</a>. People quarantined should be <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/09/nyregion/coronavirus-ny-quarantines">provided with clear information about why they are being isolated</a> and what they should do moving forward.</p>
<p>All of us, regardless of national borders or political worldviews, are facing the incursion of COVID-19. Instead of allowing the virus to bring out the worst in us, let’s try to build a sense of solidarity across our communities.</p>
<p>Learning from experiences in other countries, and similar past events, could help alleviate potential negative psychological and social impacts.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/133353/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;"></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jennifer-boddy-101576">Jennifer Boddy</a>, Associate Professor and Deputy Head of School (Learning and Teaching), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amy-young-990667">Amy Young</a>, Associate Lecturer, School of Human Services and Social Work, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/patrick-oleary-650519">Patrick O'Leary</a>, Professor of Social Work, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a></em></p>
<p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/cabin-fever-australia-must-prepare-for-the-social-and-psychological-impacts-of-a-coronavirus-lockdown-133353">original article</a>.</em></p>
</body></html>

Australia must deal with the social and psychological impacts of coronavirus

<html><body>
<p>Small business across Victoria are doing it tough as a result of coronavirus.</p>
<p>If a landlord and tenant are dealing with a situation where the tenant is having difficulty paying rent at this time, the<span> Victorian Small Business Commission (VSBC) </span>encourage both the landlord or their agent and tenant to communicate as early as possible.</p>
<p>"This is really important, as it helps to make sure both parties are aware of and understand each other’s position," the VSBC suggest.</p>
<p>They advise if tenants intend to request rent relief, they might need to provide business records to the landlord or agent.</p>
<p>Tenants in this situation need to keep accurate business records to help show how trade has been affected.</p>
<p>If a landlord, agent or tenant is unable to obtain a response from the other party, we might be able to help through the <a href="http://www.vsbc.vic.gov.au/dispute-resolution/how-mediation-works/" target="_blank">VSBC’s mediation service</a>.</p>
<p>VSBC mediations are currently running, with changes implemented in response to COVID-19.</p>
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Victorian small business struggles to deal with the coronavirus

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<p><span>The economic hit during the coronavirus pandemic will cause more severe stress in Australia's mortgage market than that experienced in the GFC, says S&amp;P.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Mortgage holders are likely to struggle to keep up with their repayments the ratings agency has warned.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Given the sudden and wide-ranging halt to economic activity, the number of borrowers who fall behind on their mortgages is set to rise.</span></p>
<p class="p1">The move by the big banks to expand hardship provisions for borrowers will mean some relief, the agency said.</p>
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<span class="s1">“We currently expect increases in arrears to be higher than during the 2008 global financial crisis, </span><span class="s1"><span class="s1">given the wide-ranging effects on the economy stemming from the sudden disruption to economic activity,”</span></span> S&amp;P Global Ratings analyst Erin Kitson wrote in a note to clients.
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">She highlighted self-employed borrowers and those directly exposed to the disruption in economic activity.</span></p>
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Coronavirus to cause more mortgage stress than the GFC: S&P

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<p>EXPERT OBSERVER</p>
<p>Working from home is already so common it has its own acronym, and it’s about to get even more common still. Companies <a href="https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/amazon-microsoft-apple-google-twitter-work-from-home-stanford-study" target="_blank">like Apple, Amazon and Microsoft</a> are now advising employees to “WFH” to avoid exposure to the novel coronavirus.</p>
<p>But working from home can be a real challenge for employees who find themselves doing it for the first time. To address this concern, many employees are turning to digital solutions to help them interact with colleagues and stay productive away from the office.</p>
<p>Here are some tech options for three styles of work: formal meetings, informal discussions, and team projects. But none of them, as we shall see, is without drawbacks.</p>
<h2>Formal meetings</h2>
<p>The first question on most people’s minds is how to conduct meetings with colleagues or clients. One of the most common answers is <a href="https://zoom.us">Zoom</a>, a video communication platform that combines conferencing, online meetings, chat and mobile collaboration.</p>
<p>Zoom is widely used as an online substitute for formal meetings, and last week its <a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/stock-alert%3A-zoom-video-communications-rises-12-2020-03-05" target="_blank">share price surged by 12%</a> in anticipation that cornavirus quarantines will see it adopted even more widely. Among the platform’s selling-points are its ease of use, and ability to stream presentations as well as host meetings.</p>
<p>But while digital solutions like Zoom offer useful way for colleagues to meet, they are arguably less satisfactory for interacting with customers. Research <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/brand-connect/hilton/the-science-of-being-there/" target="_blank">suggests</a> that online meetings fail to deliver the same feelings of connection and empathy, compared with a face-to-face meeting.</p>
<h2>Informal discussions</h2>
<p>While video conferencing is useful for formal meetings, it is less appropriate for informal chats, brief queries or rapid status updates, such as “have you sent that invoice yet?”. This task is more suited to instant messaging platforms or group chat apps.</p>
<p>A common tactic is to use Facebook messenger, WhatsApp or gchat. But these can be distracting and intrusive, particularly at high volumes, causing workers to lose focus and concentration.</p>
<p>Many companies have instead adopted <a href="https://slack.com/intl/en-au/" target="_blank">Slack</a> and <a href="https://products.office.com/en-au/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software" target="_blank">Microsoft Teams</a>, which offer instant communication without the distraction of social media. IBM has reportedly adopted Slack for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ibm-slack-partnership-customer-digital-transformation-2020-2?r=AU&amp;IR=T" target="_blank">all of its 350,000 employees</a>. And Slack has reportedly <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/coronavirus-outbreak-03-06-20-intl-hnk/h_c28cf284cc1589e8947c08c270570731" target="_blank">asked its own employees</a> to work from home in response to the coronavirus outbreak, prompting wisecracks on social media about how they will stay in touch with one another.</p>
<p>But while these channels are great for zapping quick messages between team members, it can be hard to build real rapport. Research shows that being <a href="https://hbr.org/2015/09/how-to-build-the-social-ties-you-need-at-work" target="_blank">authentic, realistic and making time</a> with colleagues is a more natural way to build effective work relationships, and this is hard to do purely online.</p>
<h2>Team projects</h2>
<p>So much for meetings and chats – what about actual project management? Two options already in widespread use are <a href="https://www.google.com/drive/" target="_blank">Google Drive</a> and <a href="https://onedrive.live.com/about/en-au/" target="_blank">Microsoft One Drive</a>, which allow people to upload documents to the cloud and collaborate on them in real time.</p>
<p>These two platforms have already become the industry standard for sharing documents. But (and you may be sensing a theme here), sometimes team discussions require face-to-face conversations or brainstorms, which can <a href="https://hbr.org/2015/04/collaborating-online-is-sometimes-better-than-face-to-face" target="_blank">challenging to replicate in a purely online environment</a>.</p>
<p>There’s no doubt that the coronavirus has struck at a time when we have more digital options than ever before, giving a wider range of employees the opportunity to work from home with minimal disruption.</p>
<p>But it’s also undeniable that people still need face-to-face interactions for companies to function at their best. The likes of Zoom, Slack and Google Drive will likely see an uptick in use during the epidemic, but once it’s over they should be considered complementary solutions rather than substitutions.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/133350/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;"></p>
<p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/geoffrey-mann-713012" target="_blank">Geoffrey Mann</a>, Sessional Lecturer, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063" target="_blank">RMIT University</a></em></span></p>
<p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/working-at-home-to-avoid-coronavirus-this-tech-lets-you-almost-replicate-the-office-133350" target="_blank">original article</a>.</p>
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Working at home to avoid coronavirus? This tech lets you (almost) replicate the office

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<p><span>The last week of unimpeded onsite auctions saw the final clearance rate fall to the lowest level since June last year.</span></p>
<p><span>Vendors secured a</span><span> 56.9 percent success rate across the capital cities, according to CoreLogic.</span></p>
<p><span>The week’s </span><span>final clearance rate was lower than the week prior when 65.3 percent of the 2,274 auctions held returned a successful result.</span></p>
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<p><span>Last week saw auction volumes across the combined capital cities reached their second highest level this year with 2,599 homes taken to market. </span></p>
<p>Melbourne was the busiest city in terms of auction activity with 1,343 homes taken to auction last week, returning a final clearance rate of 58.4 percent.</p>
<p>Over the previous week, 1,201 auctions were held and the clearance rate was recorded at 65.6 percent.</p>
<p>This time last year, 814 homes were taken to auction across the city when 55.1 percent were successful.</p>
<p><span>There were 946 homes taken to auction in Sydney last week returning a clearance rate of 58.8 percent, while over the previous week, 767 homes were taken to auction and a higher clearance rate of 68.1 percent was recorded. This time last year 506 auctions were held returning a 52.1 percent success rate.</span></p>
<p><span>Across the smaller auction markets, Canberra was the best performing auction market last week in terms of the clearance rate with 63.2 percent of homes auctioned reporting a sold result.</span></p>
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<p><span>There were 3,065 capital city properties scheduled to go under the hammer this week, however the release of new policy on Tuesday has quickly changed how the real estate industry will operate, with on-site auctions and open homes now being added to the list of social restrictions.</span></p>
<p>This week was expected to be the busiest week for auctions for 2020.</p>
<p>However, given usual auction methods are temporarily banned, agents may be looking to move to online solutions, CoreLogic noted, or accept bids over the phone, with the aim to carry on with a‘business as usual’ approach.</p>
<p>There is also likely to be a number of vendors who withdraw their property from the market completely or postpone until circumstances improve. </p>
<p><span>Across each of the individual auction markets, scheduled volumes are higher week-on-week in Melbourne (9%), Sydney (28.2%), Brisbane (52.2%), Adelaide (44.3%) and Canberra (2.5%), while Perth and Tasmania have fewer scheduled auctions over the week.</span></p>
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Auction success rate slips into the 50s ahead of onsite auction shutdown

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<p>Realestate.com.au chief economist Nerida Conisbee says only about 10 per cent of residential sales in Queensland utilise the auction process. </p>
<p>“Brisbane’s not a big auction market anyway so it won’t have the same impact we’ll see in Melbourne and Sydney,” Ms Conisbee told realestate.com.au.</p>
<p>Realestate.com.au has launched <a href="https://help.realestate.com.au/hc/en-us/articles/360001177803-How-to-add-a-video-or-a-3D-tour-to-a-listing" target="_blank">virtual tours of properties</a> listed on its site to help home hunters.</p>
<p>"To continue to view properties online, it introduced digital inspections showing all the features.</p>
<p>“For people looking to buy, the bigger deal will be not being able to go into the home,” Ms Conisbee said.</p>
<p>There are two main ways of going about adding a video or a <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://help.realestate.com.au/hc/en-us/articles/360000354766">three-dimensional tour</a> to a listing.</p>
<p>The first being via an <a href="https://help.realestate.com.au/hc/en-us/articles/115004480103-Search-a-listing-in-Agent-Admin" target="_blank">Agent Admin</a> where you will need to find the listing. When you have found the listing, through the 'Images and Copy' tab, scroll down to 'Links'. This is where you can add video links to the Video URL field, or Online Tour 1 field for 3D tours. </p>
<p>A video or 3D tour can also be added via your third-party listing uploader where you would have to update the listing directly through its portal. </p>
<p>There are a range of 3D tour companies that can be embedded in the image carousel of Realestate.com.au listings. For instance, Scann3D, Ticketyview, DIAKRIT, Augment Space, Google Tour Creator, Virtual Tours Creator, CampaignTrack and BWRM. </p>
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Brisbane won't be as affected by onsite auction ban as Sydney and Melbourne

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<p>Everywhere you look, there's talk of Coronavirus. In the news, social media, work discussions, and even when you pick up groceries from your local shop. It's a topic that is so pertinent to discuss as it's rapid proliferation has impacted all our lives in such a short space of time. And, while it's vital to keep these discussions going, it can be easy to get caught up in a detrimental vortex of fear and anxiety.</p>

<p>As a journalist, it's my job to consume media all day, every day. Which is why I believe it's crucial to organise your media consumption into helpful, versus unhelpful categories. This exposure to Coronavirus-related content extends to real-life conversations too (albeit cyber). In an attempt to disrupt the apocalyptic mindset, I've penned some thoughts that you may find useful when consuming information about COVID-19.</p>

<h2><strong>Decipher reputable sources from "fake news"</strong></h2>

<p>There's a journalism code of ethics for a reason. Trained journalists are required to uphold high standards of reporting and ensure all information distributed to the public is accurate and factual. Unfortunately, some media outlets (naming no names) fail to meet these standards and consequently generate fear among their readers. On the contrary, light-hearted news stories are also spreading untruths. Photos of swans flocking to Venitian canals and animals "returning to their natural habits" showed up on the internet as a "good news story", with <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/03/coronavirus-pandemic-fake-animal-viral-social-media-posts/"><u><strong>critics soon debunking</strong></u></a> the sentiment of the posts, claiming that these animals always inhabited those areas, or the photographs were taken elsewhere. We know that posting on social media and receiving a multitude of likes and praise can lead to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563212001409"><u><strong>positive self-esteem</strong></u></a>, but the sharing of untrue information can lead to a blanket distrust in all news platforms. </p>

<p>For updates on COVID-19, visit websites such as The Australian Department of Health or The World Health Organisation (or media publications which cite data from these sources). Take all other information with a grain of salt. It's always wise to cross-reference the facts you learn about before sharing them online. </p>

<h2><strong>Talk to someone you trust and avoid internalising your concerns</strong></h2>

<p>COVID-19 has enforced a lot of lifestyle changes on us all – you're not alone in this. Being in self-isolation or practising social distancing can disrupt our interpersonal communication, and the ability to maintain routines. If you're feeling concerned, or need reassurance that you'll be okay, then keep the communication lines open. Call friends, family and colleagues to check if they're okay. Encourage working from home video chat conferences with your colleagues to strengthen team morale. And as always, the Australian Government's National Coronavirus Helpline is available 24/7.</p>

<h2><strong>Understand what you can and can't control </strong></h2>

<p>The next few months bring a lot of uncertainty for us all, but you can't prepare for the unknown, so there's no point worrying about what is outside your control. </p>

<p><em>Things you can't control could include:</em></p>

<ul>
<li>How long this pandemic will last</li>
	<li>What the Government will announce next</li>
	<li>Other people's panic-buying of grocery goods</li>
	<li>Whether other people follow the rules of social isolation</li>
	<li>Job security (keep in conversation with your employer to stay informed of their next moves if possible)</li>
</ul>
<p><em>While the things you can focus on could include:</em></p>

<ul>
<li>Checking on people in your social circle and community to see if they are okay (always maintain social distance and safety precaution)</li>
	<li>Keeping positive and well informed</li>
	<li>Refraining from sharing inaccurate information on social media platforms</li>
	<li>Your own social distancing</li>
	<li>Following advice from the WHO</li>
	<li>Finding innovative ways to boost working from home productivity and fun activities to do at home</li>
	<li>Follow best practice health and safety measures </li>
</ul>
<h2><strong>Find morale boosters to help with social isolation/working from home/loss of work to avoid feeling overwhelmed</strong></h2>

<p>As everyone navigates their own Coronavirus journey and its individual impacts on employment, socialising and the disruption of routine, its more important than ever to implement habits and routines which boost morale. </p>

<p><em>These could include:</em></p>

<ul>
<li>Set up video conferencing with colleagues, friend and family</li>
	<li>Dedicate a bit of time to fitness and/or meditation</li>
	<li>Start some of the hobbies you have always wanted to do but haven't had time (painting, cooking, woodworking, learn a language)</li>
	<li>Sign up for a free course online</li>
	<li>Support local businesses by purchasing from their online store</li>
	<li>Set yourself some goals</li>
	<li>Create a schedule to reintroduce a sense of routine</li>
	<li>Clean your home </li>
</ul>
<h2><strong>Businesses are adapting and yours could too</strong></h2>

<p>We've overcome global pandemics in the past, and we will again (especially if everyone plays their part in self-isolating). Some media commentary suggests that industries are crashing, while others shed a more positive light on how businesses are adapting to the situation. While not all companies have the ability to operate remotely, many are adopting creative techniques to change the way they undergo day-to-day operation. </p>

<p><em>Some of the few innovative techniques we've seen companies utilise:</em></p>

<ul>
<li>Moving to strictly online sales</li>
	<li>Video webinars and video conferencing</li>
	<li>Pivot the focus of your on-the-ground/face-to-face strategies to a digital process</li>
	<li>Blog and Linkedin posts providing transparency around the safety measures their company are taking, and their thoughts for the industry </li>
	<li>Streamed performances</li>
	<li>Offer free courses or tutorials online</li>
	<li>Work on your 'next steps' strategy for once the situation improves</li>
</ul>
<p>Professor of Corporate Communications, Paul A. Argenti established a list for effectively communicating with your employees during the COVID-19 outbreak.</p>

<p><em>Communicating through the Coronavirus crisis</em></p>

<ol>
<li>Providing resources such as cleaning supplies or food for those in quarantine</li>
	<li>Providing information to the local media to help to calm the communities down and while also enhancing your organisation’s credibility</li>
	<li>Providing transparency about what is happening within the company rather than going radio silent</li>
</ol>
<h2><strong>Final takeaway</strong></h2>

<p>As always, now is a great time to show kindness, strength and to do your part for the community by staying home. </p>
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