<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/sunland-group">Sunland Group</a> has officially lodged plans for its first Gold Coast apartment project since the departure of the Abedian family from the company three years ago, unveiling a new high-rise proposal for a prominent Broadbeach corner site on Old Burleigh Road.

The application was submitted by an entity directed by Tom Jamieson, stepson of longtime Sunland leader Soheil Abedian, and Riaz Rezvanipour, brother-in-law of Sahba Abedian, Soheil’s son.

Sunland acquired the 1,283 sqm site on the corner of Old Burleigh Road and Armrick Avenue for $9.5 million late last year and is now seeking approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/99-101-old-burleigh-road-broadbeach-qld-4218">42-storey tower with 81 apartments</a>.

<img alt="First look: Sunland Group returns to Broadbeach with new Old Burleigh Road tower plans" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fea2946d-90ee-4cfc-babe-2a8ad5db2cb6" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers.png?VersionId=BV0fihJw31nDIQ8ozY_h3GbS8mxDyhnm" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/contreras-earl-architecture">Contreras Earl Architecture</a>, the proposed tower at 99-101 Old Burleigh Road would deliver a predominantly larger-format apartment mix aimed at the owner-occupier market. Plans include 17 two-bedroom apartments, 55 three-bedroom apartments, and nine four-bedroom residences across 35 residential levels.

The development also incorporates three basement levels, four podium parking levels, two levels of communal recreation facilities, and rooftop plant and equipment. A total of 189 car spaces are proposed, significantly exceeding the 90 spaces required under the planning scheme.

The architecture adopts a sculpted, curvilinear form, with deep wraparound balconies and integrated landscaping intended to soften the tower’s vertical expression. The planning report states the building’s “slender footprint/form provides a complimentary yet varied built form within the local streetscape” and contributes to “a varied, yet ordered skyline.”

Contreras Earl noted in its Architectural Statement that from the early stages, the project addressed a fundamental challenge: how to accommodate the required residential yield while avoiding the conventional model of a tower sitting on a rigid, fully resolved parking podium.

“The most direct response would have been to consolidate parking into a singular, flat podium and extrude a repetitive tower above,” the statement said. “While efficient, this approach would result in a consolidated built form with limited engagement with the surrounding landscape and public realm.”

Instead, the conventional podium model was “deliberately rejected”. The architects described the base of the building as “a landscaped architectural condition where structure, planting and circulation are integrated”.

“Rather than presenting a continuous built mass, the base of the building is articulated through a series of concrete planter elements that organise the podium into a fragmented system,” the statement said. “This approach reduces the perceived bulk of the lower levels while establishing a more permeable interface with the streetscape and adjacent open space.”

<img alt="Sunland" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="923fad8d-c960-4527-8fbe-975cf1ddf88d" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-25%20at%2010.32.03%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=pngwb0hYOIUpq9vDw6F2EsOiVuHF3DiX" />

&nbsp;

The site sits within the High Density Residential Zone and inside the City of Gold Coast’s unrestricted “HX” building height area, where the planning framework anticipates intensified residential development tied to the expanding light rail corridor. The planning report notes the area is undergoing “transition toward more intense development forms” given its proximity to Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise, and high-frequency public transport infrastructure.

Positioned directly opposite Broadbeach Park and within walking distance of Florida Gardens light rail station, the development would sit among a rapidly evolving stretch of Old Burleigh Road that has become one of the Gold Coast’s most active apartment development corridors.

The application joins a growing pipeline of luxury residential projects reshaping Broadbeach, including nearby developments by 5Point Projects, Polycell, and Graya.

The planning report argues the project contributes toward the Gold Coast’s long-term housing targets under the South East Queensland Regional Plan, which forecasts the need for more than 100,000 additional high-rise dwellings across the city by 2046.

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The Abedian family departed Sunland Group in late 2023, ending a four-decade association with the company, and subsequently established the private development firm Abedian &amp; Co. The group is currently delivering <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/greenmount-residences-cnr-hill-street-and-marine-parade-coolangatta-qld-4225">Greenmount Residences</a> at Rainbow Bay and recently launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/18-mary-avenue-14-18-mary-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4218">18 Mary Avenue</a> in Broadbeach.
</section>

Joel Robinson

First look: Sunland Group returns to Broadbeach new apartment market with new Old Burleigh Road tower plans

The Minns Labor Government has established the new Bays West Delivery Authority to lead the development&nbsp;of the Bays West Precinct and Blackwattle Bay Precinct.&nbsp;

The Authority is charged with creating Sydney’s newest precinct, a thriving, connected, sustainable hub with White Bay Power Station as its cultural heart. Its vision is to build on the area’s natural, cultural and industrial history to shape a vibrant new neighbourhood.

The precinct will deliver up to 8,500 well-located homes, including a minimum of 10 per cent affordable and essential worker homes. Combine new housing with public open space, opening public access to the waterfront for the first time in more than 100 years, while retaining important deep-water facilities to support Sydney’s working harbour.

Located just minutes from the Sydney CBD and connected to a world-class metro, ferry, walking and cycling links, the Bays West precinct will rebalance housing growth towards well-serviced inner-city locations and help tackle the state’s housing crisis.

The Bays West Delivery Authority,&nbsp;an agency of the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, will report to the NSW Minister for Lands and Property who already has oversight of major precinct renewal projects including at Blackwattle Bay and Barangaroo.

As part of the broader Bays West transformation, the Minns Government recently announced that a proposal from Lendlease to redevelop part of the Bays West Precinct has progressed to Stage 2 of the NSW Government’s unsolicited proposals process.

<img alt="Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2ed71eb9-d8e8-4fa7-b9d1-de4531dcf2f3" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-25%20at%209.42.31%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=IDryFIbped9SNDg72LEN_EecvhUsOPvp" />

The Minns Labor Government has also confirmed the Bays West precinct will have a new suburb name. This will be the first major suburb built in close proximity to Sydney’s CBD in decades and will encompass the area currently being referred to as Bays West, including Glebe Island and the White Bay Power Station. Served by a new Metro station just five minutes from the CBD, it will become one of the most populous suburbs in the Inner West and one of Sydney’s premier cultural destinations.

An early works program is taking shape, which&nbsp;includes the first stages of an international design competition.&nbsp;

The aim of the Bays West&nbsp;International&nbsp;Design Competition is to&nbsp;ensure design excellence is embedded in the project from the start. The competition will deliver an&nbsp;urban framework that defines the character, ambition and long-term identity of&nbsp;this&nbsp;former industrial precinct as it transitions to a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable residential&nbsp;neighbourhood.

The competition will be led by the Bays West Delivery Authority in partnership with Government Architect NSW.&nbsp;

It will launch with an invitation for a global Expressions of Interest, before moving to an invitation-only stage that will be assessed by a panel that&nbsp;will provide advice to Cabinet who will select a winner.

Premier of NSW, Chris Minns said the establishment of the new Authority is the first step in transforming the Bays West precinct into a vibrant, livable suburb minutes from the Sydney CBD and two stops from Hunter St Station on the Metro West line.

“The Authority will deliver well-located homes close to the heart of the city and integrate the new precinct with Blackwattle Bay and the new Sydney Fish Market.

“This is a generational opportunity to build a new suburb on the city’s edge and open the harbour foreshore to the public for the first time in a century.”&nbsp;

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said the new Bays West Delivery Authority established by the Minns Government will turbocharge the development of Sydney’s newest suburb.

“The Authority is working at a record pace to deliver an international design competition, planning pathways and a financial model so that this development benefits Sydney with well-designed homes in a central location, close to public transport, jobs, entertainment and essential services.

“If we want Sydney to stay liveable and affordable, we need to be bold about using underutilised government-owned land to deliver homes for the future while making sure essential working harbour functions can be accommodated.”

Bays West Delivery Authority established to "turbocharge" Sydney’s newest suburb

Around 400 additional homes could be built at Southwark Grounds on Port Road, lifting total site capacity from 1300 to around 1700 dwellings.

A recently approved code amendment would allow apartment towers of up to 14 storeys in some areas of Renewal SA’s redevelopment of the former West End Brewery.

Renewal SA Acting Chief Executive Shane Wingard said he welcomed the code amendment, with the increase in heights and homes making a positive impact on the supply of high-quality, well-connected housing close to the city.

“By going higher across some parts of Southwark Grounds, we are adding a substantial number of very well-located homes with little impact on project delivery time or planned open space,” Mr Wingard said.

Since the project officially launched in 2025, Mr Wingard said more than 12,000 enquiries had been received about living at Southwark Grounds.

“The very strong early interest we’ve seen since homes were first released in the precinct reinforces our plans to create more housing opportunities,” he said.

The Southwark Grounds code amendment was launched in December last year, with community engagement undertaken over five weeks from January.

It proposed increasing maximum building heights from eight to 14 storeys on the eastern section of Southwark Grounds, and to 12 storeys across the remainder of the site, with minimum building heights ranging from two to four storeys.

The code amendment was implemented through an Early Commencement policy in late January, allowing developers to quickly explore the viability of increased height and housing yield while other planning processes continue.

One of the first developers delivering apartment sites have already finalised redesigns to increase the number of apartments following the code amendment.

Samaras’ development adjacent to the future Colonel Light Park is now planning to deliver 125 apartments across 11 storeys, significantly greater than original plans of around 50 apartments across four storeys.

The developer is also exploring the potential for additional affordable housing outcomes.

Most of the apartments at Southwark Grounds will be delivered within a master-planned precinct on a large parcel of land on the eastern portion of the site, covering around two-thirds of its 8.4 hectares.

Wingard said detailed precinct planning over the coming months may identify further opportunities to increase yield further that could see total apartment numbers at Southwark Grounds, exceed this number.

Affordable homes at Southwark Grounds will also see a net increase, with Renewal SA maintaining its commitment to a minimum of 20 per cent affordable housing across the development.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Civil works have begun across the site, with construction under way on the first new roads surrounding a townhouse precinct in the south‑west corner of Southwark Grounds. This includes Renewal SA’s 17 Founder’s Row homes, which are on track for completion by Christmas.

“We expect to have people living at Southwark Grounds by the end of the year, so delivering roads and public spaces for those residents is among our highest priorities.”

Construction of 40 townhouses off Anderson Street, known as West Village and being delivered by Contour, is forecast to begin in mid‑2026. Kolabb’s Anderson Lane development will follow shortly after, delivering a further 26 townhouses.

Southwark Grounds is a state government‑led urban renewal project now set to deliver around 1,700 homes over the next decade.

Homes will be supported by a supermarket, a range of retail and hospitality offerings anchored by a revitalised Walkerville Brew Tower, a childcare centre, car parking and well‑connected public spaces.

400 new homes planned for Adelaide's former West End Brewery site

Brisbane developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/cavcorp">Cavcorp</a> has lodged plans for a new mixed-use residential development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/55-wyandra-street-teneriffe-qld-4005">55 Wyandra Street</a>, Teneriffe, anchored by an 85-metre public laneway designed to reconnect the suburb’s riverfront with the Gasworks precinct.

The buildings, known as Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane, would replace the existing Queensland Cotton head office site with a 15-storey residential tower transitioning to eight storeys toward Helen Street. The project has been designed by Plazibat Architects and lodged as a code assessable development application for 93 apartments across a 3,401 sqm mixed-use site within the Newstead and Teneriffe Waterfront neighbourhood plan.

Central to the scheme is the transformation of an existing service easement into a publicly accessible cross-block connection linking Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the new laneway will act as both a pedestrian shortcut and a landscaped civic space between the Teneriffe Riverwalk, ferry terminal, and Gasworks precinct.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="26e7f058-b065-4de8-b13d-a2b8cb64dfcc" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/bldg.png?VersionId=sELS0ZKYi361oYipUa1BIKfe_.DLZoFV" />

“The revised proposal delivers a legacy public-realm cross-block link, permanently secured for community use, transforming an existing private easement into a safe, high-quality pedestrian connection between the Teneriffe heritage riverwalk and the Gasworks–Long Island precinct,” the planning report states.

The laneway will sit beneath a large subtropical loggia integrated into the podium levels of the development. The design incorporates deep landscaping, water gardens, lobby spaces, business lounges, and ground-floor apartments to create what Cavcorp describes as a climate-responsive “urban verandah.”

The tower itself has been designed as a slender form with recessed floorplates and curved translucent corners inspired by contemporary Japanese architecture. The building height aligns with the Commercial Road precinct controls, which permit towers up to 15 storeys within proximity to Longland Street.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a8a17d40-43b6-4718-b3fd-67676fcbb485" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/pers%202_1.png?VersionId=i3VwDtp5AmL_8InW7w4qRbDFEpb744Jt" />

The project will comprise a mix of larger-format apartments aimed at owner-occupiers, downsizers, and families. The proposed apartment mix includes 11 loggia apartments across the lower levels, 50 four-bedroom Sky-Terrace apartments from levels three to seven, and 32 Sky-Pool Homes occupying the upper tower levels. The Sky-Pool Homes will feature private thermal plunge pools integrated into oversized balconies.

According to the application, the apartments are intended to reinterpret the scale and character of Teneriffe’s woolstore conversions and Queensland homes within a vertical residential format.

“The sky-pool homes build on Cavcorp’s previous projects and introduce a distinct apartment typology to Teneriffe, informed by both local and international precedent and responding to an identified market demand for enhanced safety, space and amenity,” the planning submission notes.

A major focus of the proposal is its five-level wellness and lifestyle offering, extending from the basement through to the rooftop.

Amenities proposed include a rooftop Swim &amp; Racquet Club with a 25-metre Olympic lap pool and tennis court, coworking spaces and libraries, golf simulators, wine storage, concierge facilities, business lounges, pet wash areas, and rooftop longevity-focused wellness spaces with spas, outdoor fitness zones, and landscaped terraces.

<img alt="First Look: Cavcorp unveils Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane plans for landmark wellness tower in Teneriffe" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="944b352c-49b9-4247-a4c6-5967b4b69fda" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/amenity.png?VersionId=Ed_qKjAtMwFT.5gfl3jiA9QwdWxSMsaX" />

All parking will be concealed within basement levels accessed from Wyandra and Helen Streets. Cavcorp says the deep-basement engineering approach allows the entire ground plane to prioritise landscaping, pedestrian movement, and active frontage rather than vehicle infrastructure.

The development continues Cavcorp’s concentration in Newstead and Teneriffe, where the Brisbane developer has delivered a number of apartment projects including Lucent, Le Bain, and Luminare, as well as the Long Island Wellness Precinct nearby. Several of those projects have received national design and architecture awards, including recognition under Brisbane’s “Buildings that Breathe” program.

Cavcorp unveils wellness-focused Teneriffe House and Teneriffe Lane apartment buildings

Focus Group Investments has lodged plans for a new apartment development at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/64-70-hanover-street-fitzroy-vic-3065">64–70 Hanover Street</a> in Fitzroy, seeking to utilise the Victorian Government’s recently introduced Great Design Fast Track pathway to accelerate approvals for the project.

The proposal is among the latest developments to emerge through the state-led initiative, which was established to fast-track well-designed residential projects in activity centres and transport-connected inner-city locations. The pathway allows qualifying developments that meet elevated design and housing benchmarks to bypass traditional council planning timeframes and instead be assessed directly by the Department of Transport and Planning.

Designed by SJB, the development will comprise a mix of apartments above activated lower levels, with a strong focus on architectural articulation, landscaping, and communal amenity. The design response seeks to balance the industrial character of Richmond’s former warehouse precincts with a more contemporary residential form.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="abea51cc-d85b-479e-9aef-a589f3b37ca7" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/ground.png?VersionId=e1Kf8EyPWwyiVumtqQ4rM5S4GpOR3CCz" />

Proposed are 63 new dwellings, a wide ranging mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, and townhouses and duplexes. They will be spread across a part-three, part-eight storey building.

The Planning and Urban Context Report by Tract says the development is of an "exemplary architectural standard" and has been carefully crafted by SJB Architects.

"Dwellings&nbsp;will benefit from excellent access to natural light, cross-ventilation opportunities and extensive communal space," the report noted.

The architectural material highlights the project’s integration of landscaped elements and communal spaces throughout the building. The proposal also incorporates sustainability initiatives aligned with the Victorian Government’s push for higher-performing apartment developments under the fast-track program.

The Great Design Fast Track was unveiled by the Victorian Government in 2024 as part of a broader housing supply strategy aimed at accelerating the delivery of new homes. Projects assessed through the pathway must demonstrate high-quality architecture, sustainability outcomes, and housing diversity while being located close to public transport and existing infrastructure.

<img alt="First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Richmond apartments" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="afdbe834-8dc4-4a77-a943-ba07bc927348" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/site_11.png?VersionId=0J657j.TaChAZfp93wqJYBTqSsnREJx2" />

Focus Group, founder and led by Paul De Lutiis, is increasingly active across Melbourne’s inner suburbs, targeting well-connected urban renewal locations suited to medium and higher-density residential development. The Fitzroy proposal continues that strategy, leveraging the area’s strong transport links, established retail amenity, and proximity to the CBD.

Fitzroy has been one of the most popular spots for developers and buyers in recent years. The likes of PACE Development Group, SMA Projects, Crema Group and Chapter Group, currently selling projects in the suburb.

First look: Focus Group Investments taps Victoria’s Great Design Fast Track for Fitzroy apartments

COVID-19

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Young first home buyers are looking far and wide for COVID-19 bargains and are eager to take advantage of new HomeBuilder grants, ME’s latest Quarterly Property Sentiment Report suggests.
A whopping 82% of first-time buyers agreed they hoped to see bargain properties for sale if the economy worsens – compared to 66% of investors and 57% of owner occupiers. Just over half (51%) of first home buyers, the most of any group, planned to get onto the property ladder in the next 12 months, up 9 points on the previous quarter. Millennials were also the most positive about the current property market by age group (40%).
These are key findings from the sixth edition of ME’s Quarterly Property Sentiment Report, which surveys investors, owner occupiers and first home buyers ahead of each upcoming quarter. This survey was conducted for Q3 2020 in June when COVID-19 restrictions initially eased across most states and territories.
ME General Manager Home Loans, Andrew Bartolo said: “First home buyers may be looking to find a silver lining in the current economic climate, thanks to greater potential for property price falls, record low interest rates and government support. Of course, this will be more realistic for those whose employment and income haven’t been affected as a result of the pandemic.”
First-time buyers considering the regions
First home buyers may be eyeing off bargains in regional areas because of the pandemic. Two-thirds (60%) said they were more likely to consider buying in a regional area during COVID-19, to save money and improve their lifestyle, compared to 45% of total respondents overall.
Mr Bartolo said: “New remote and flexible working arrangements brought in to accommodate for COVID-19 have clearly influenced Australians’ sentiment towards buying in regional areas. It’s now a more feasible option for many and if prices are lower in those areas and you think it will improve your lifestyle – of course it’s an attractive possibility.
“I think many Australians dream about moving to a regional area at some stage during their life, so it will be interesting to see how many do actually decide to pursue a sea or tree change, perhaps earlier than expected.”
First-time buyers keen on HomeBuilder
The Federal Government’s HomeBuilder appears to be spurring first home buyer interest. Over half (52%) of first home buyers said they were interested in applying for the grants, compared to just 33% of existing home buyers.
Overall, 58% of respondents said they thought HomeBuilder would significantly increase activity in the property market.
“With strong interest from first home buyers as seen in the report, hopefully the HomeBuilder grant will help more younger Australians get their foot in the door and increase buying activity in the wider market as a result,” Mr Bartolo said.
Uptick in general optimism
Overall, Australians recovered some optimism about the property market following the initial wave of COVID-19. Positive sentiment rose to 35% for Q3 2020, up six points from 29% in the previous quarter, but still well below the recent high of 39% in Q1 2020. Worries around how COVID-19 would affect the value of property also slightly eased, down 9 percentage points since last quarter to 55%.
However, when asked about their actual property plans over the next 12 months, the majority of Australians (61%) overall are still planning to hold steady and neither buy nor sell, with only 10% in the market indicating they have plans to sell, which was also reflected in the previous quarter.
“The global pandemic continues to shift consumer sentiment and create volatility in the Australian property market, a situation no one would have expected at the beginning of the year. The impact of COVID-19 negatively shifted consumer sentiment towards the property market in the second quarter of the year, but we started to see signs of optimism in June,” Mr Bartolo said.
“Hopefully this renewed positivity and growing confidence is able to weather possible second waves of COVID-19 cases as we’ve seen in Victoria, which is no doubt increasing worry across the nation.”
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

FHB's look for COVID-19 bargains even in country towns: ME Bank

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EXPERT OBSERVER
An emerging narrative around regional dwelling markets is that they may see increased demand as a result of COVID-19.
This is thought to be driven by the way the pandemic has forcibly introduced remote work for knowledge-based or clerical workers. As employers and employees adapt to remote working conditions, physical proximity to a workplace may become a less important factor in home purchases.
In the June 2020 quarter, about 3 months into the engineered economic slowdown, CoreLogic data showed regional centres have seen higher capital growth than the capital city regions.
The charts below show the rolling quarterly growth of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, alongside quarterly growth of nearby major regional centres.
<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/images/2020/7/16/Owen%201.JPG" target="_blank">Click to enlarge:</a>
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/7/16/Owen%201.JPG" alt="">
This more positive outcome is short term, and is more likely tied to cyclical patterns than changes in demographic trends, which are typically a gradual phenomenon. The charts demonstrate that even though regional centres have not seen price falls in the June quarter, growth rates have seen a slowdown in momentum.
Regional growth rates peaked around late 2019, and could nudge into negative territory later this year without significant improvement to economic conditions or a demonstrated shift in demand side factors like population growth.
Illawarra and Newcastle, and Geelong and Ballarat, also saw a relatively weak upswing compared with the Sydney and Melbourne markets over the second half of 2019.
The relative stability of growth rates mean that these regional centres may not see as deep a downswing in the coming months.
COVID-19 and long term demographic trends
Regional Australia is considered appealing for relatively low levels of density, less congestion, and typically lower price points for property. The median dwelling value for combined regional areas of Australia was $394,570 at June 2020, 38.5% lower than the combined capital city median of $641,671.
One way to assess whether COVID-19 could exacerbate a tree-change or sea-change trend, is to examine population movements before the onset of the pandemic.
ABS internal migration data at the SA4 level sheds some light on this. Areas with the highest levels of net internal migration over 2018-19 (where more people moved to an area from another part of Australia than departed it) are shown below. These include the Capital Region of regional NSW, the Sunshine Coast, Melbourne – West, the Gold Coast and Ipswich.
<img src="https://www.urban.com.au/images/2020/7/16/Owen%202.JPG" alt="">
From these examples, there was already a trend of movement from more suburban or metropolitan areas to regional areas. But two of the highest levels of net internal migration are actually still within capital city bounds. Melbourne – West and Ipswich are technically in greater capital city regions, but see a large number of migrants from the inner city.
This may reflect both availability of developable land transitioning to large greenfield housing estates as well as cohorts such as inner-city renters and first home buyers making the transition to buy in more affordable areas that are still commutable to the CBD.
That is an important trend to consider, because it is a scenario where past migration may have been driven by affordability instead of preference for a regional lifestyle.
If that is the case, a mitigating factor to the draw of regional areas during COVID-19, is that dwellings closer to the city are also becoming cheaper, which may slow migration to the city fringe. But affordability is not the only drawcard of regional Australia. Parts of regional Australia may offer lower levels of population density, which is arguably desirable in the wake of a pandemic.
There have also been recent examples of people departing from higher socio-economic areas to parts of regional Australia.
Over 2018-19, an estimated 1,453 residents form the Sydney - Eastern Suburbs region departed for areas such as the Central Coast, Richmond-Tweed and the Gold Coast.
The normalisation of remote work amid COVID-19 is more likely to bolster regional migration than slow it. But in the wake of the pandemic, the return to an office environment may still be desirable for some employees and employers.
Furthermore, it is important to note that the broad-based impact to housing demand from the pandemic could see prices fall in regional centres over the second half of 2020.
Price falls are unlikely to be as sharp as what will be observed in capital city markets, where more expensive, capital city markets have historically shown more volatility than regional Australia.
ELIZA OWEN is the Head of Research Australia at CoreLogic 
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Can regional housing markets benefit from COVID-19? CoreLogic's Eliza Owen

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EXPERT OBSERVATION
The thought of various government support measures expiring in the months ahead, causing some sort of fiscal cliff over which economies and share markets will plunge, has caused much consternation. But as with the original fiscal cliff of December 31, 2012 in the US, it’s likely to be tapered into a fiscal slope. Particularly with so called “second waves” of coronavirus reaping havoc with the economic outlook. Of course, this will add to the public sector’s debt burden associated with the coronavirus shock, in turn adding to concern about some sort of fiscal day of reckoning down the track.
This note looks at the key issues around fiscal support and the budget in Australia ahead of the Treasurer’s Economic Statement (due 23rd July) which is expected to provide new economic forecasts, an estimate of the budget cost of support measures so far and outline plans for future support measures.
Fiscal stimulus to be extended
It made sense for many of the coronavirus government support measures to expire at the end of September as it avoided a permanent/hard to reverse lift in public spending, and to borrow from the analogy likening the support measures to a bridge across a chasm, once the coronavirus chasm has been crossed there is no longer the need for the bridge. However, its increasingly clear that support will be needed for longer:
First, the second wave of coronavirus cases in Australia has seen the Victorian Government return Melbourne to a “stay at home” six-week lockdown which will slow the recovery. While we estimate the direct impact on the Australian economy to be around $5bn which will knock around 1% off GDP this quarter, there is a high risk that it impacts confidence in other states (as people “self-isolate”) and that other states may also return to a lockdown if cases spread, with NSW most at risk. This already appears to be impacting economic activity, with our Australian Economic Activity Tracker which combines timely weekly data faltering over the last two weeks, after ten consecutive weeks of recovery.
Second, the easy gains from the initial reopening including the unleashing of pent up demand may have mostly been seen but distancing requirements and travel restrictions mean that it will take much longer for some industries - travel, events, culture, accommodation, restaurants and housing construction - to get back to normal.
Third, the coronavirus shock has accelerated the shift to a digital world, such that job losses associated with automation are now likely occurring faster than new jobs are being created. Three examples of this are a faster take up of online retailing meaning less jobs in retailing, more working from home meaning less office demand and less jobs in public transport and less business travel in favour of virtual meetings meaning less use of airlines and hotels.
The last two mean that “spare capacity” will linger well into the future and this is likely to show up in a long tail of high unemployment. Without the JobKeeper wage subsidy and changes to JobSeeker, “effective unemployment” would have risen to 14.8% in April and would still be around 13.6% now.
The initial spike in “effective unemployment” may be reversed quickly taking it down to say 9% by year end, but getting it back to 5% as seen early this year could take years as some sectors take a long time to recover and accelerated structural change impacts. This suggests both a short-term and a long-term challenge for government which will likely be met at least in the short term by more fiscal stimulus.
Will it be enough?
By extending programs like JobKeeper beyond September and announcing additional stimulus including the likely bring forward of tax cuts, the Government will effectively taper the fiscal cliff and turn it into more of a slope. This helps solve the short-term reality that a lot of jobs won’t have come back by October. However, it remains to be seen whether this will be enough given the long tail of unemployment flowing from the coronavirus shock discussed earlier. The Government’s focus looks likely to shift to economic reforms in the October budget and this makes sense, but more fiscal support may ultimately be needed to soak up the likely long tail of unemployment.
Can we afford the surge in the deficit and debt?
Our assessment remains that it is affordable. First, were it not for the support measures the economic hit would be far greater, ultimately resulting in an even bigger public debt blowout.
Second, as Keynes showed, it makes sense for the public sector to borrow from households and businesses at a time when they have cut their spending, and to give the borrowed funds to help those businesses and individuals that need help.
Third, the support programs won’t cause a permanent step jump higher in public spending.
Fourth, Australia’s starting point for net public debt was low at 23% of GDP compared with other advanced countries averaging 83%. See the next chart. And even with projected budget deficits it will remain relatively s
mall.
The hit to the economy will mean a hit to government revenue and this is shown in the line called “parameter changes”. Budget data released for the period to May suggests that this has been running at just over $10bn a month since March.
The Government has already announced significant policy support and this is shown in the line “stimulus so far”. We have allowed for the three policy support packages in March, the health package and industry support packages. These are dominated by JobKeeper now estimated to cost $70bn.
However, the need for additional support for the economy has also been recognised by the Government. As a result, in its 23 July economic statement we are likely to see:
An extension of JobKeeper – although it’s likely to be revamped with a monthly eligibility test and different pay rates and companies are likely to be discouraged from accessing it for jobs that won’t be revived;
The doubled JobSeeker payment is likely to be pared back;
Income tax cuts due from 2022 may be brought forward;
Additional investment incentives; and More industry support packages.
The Government will partly fund extra support by taking JobKeeper from those who no longer need it, but the bulk will likely come from the $60bn saving already seen on JobKeeper, which we expect to be fully spent and then some (see “new stimulus”) although it may not all be announce next week.
As a result of the Government’s fiscal response and the hit to public revenue from the economic downturn, the budget deficit is expected to blow out from around $95bn for the past financial year to around $223bn this financial year before improving from 2021-22, as support programs phase down and the economy recovers. This would see the budget deficit as a share of GDP peak at around 11% of GDP in 2020-21, which would be its highest since World War 2. Spread over several years, this will add nearly 20% of GDP to Australia’s public debt. This raises two questions though: will it be enough? And can we afford it?
budget deficits it will remain relatively small.
Australian Federal budget deficit
Fifth, borrowing to finance the budget deficit is in Australian dollars and, with a current account balance, we are not dependent on foreign creditors risking a foreign currency crisis.
Sixth, the cost of Government borrowing is very low at less than 1% for ten years. This is partly being facilitated by the RBA buying bonds, but bond rates would be low anyway.
Finally, consider what would happen if “shock horror” the Government and the RBA agreed to cancel the bonds that the RBA owns? Apart from a lot of grinding teeth from some commentators the answer would be very little – the Government’s loss on its “investment” in the RBA would be offset by a reduction in liabilities. In other words, it’s not necessarily the case that all public debt has to be paid back if it’s owned by the central bank. For the technically minded, the limit to this would be if all the extra money that the central bank printed to buy the bonds causes inflation – but as Japan has seen, if there is lots of spare capacity, inflation is not an issue.
Concluding comment
With the private sector spending hit by coronavirus it makes sense for the Government to continue to help fill the breach and support the economy. The best approach to getting debt back down is to grow the economy aided by a reinvigorated economic reform agenda, but for a while government fiscal support will continue to be needed.
Dr Shane Oliver is head of investment strategy and chief economist at AMP Capital
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The fiscal cliff is more likely to be a fiscal slope: Shane Oliver

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EXPERT OBSERVER
In brighter news, there's been no COVID-19 community transmission to speak of in Australia this week...ex-Victoria. 
Unfortunately the Victorian government's shocking mismanagement of hotel quarantine means that there's now a potentially nasty second wave of the virus spreading exclusively in that state. 
<img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xOh3b4Tga-M/Xwn9wtOrb4I/AAAAAAAA25w/iEmfMiNIxQgg1LywLx57S7j_pky0hB5IQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/CV2.jpg" width="640" height="362" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1424">
With another couple of hundred cases over the past 24 hours Victoria now has 1,124 active cases.  
Elsewhere local cases have essentially been running at zero all week, which is a great result. 
<img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eynQCsE-Zi4/Xwn9-8_aB4I/AAAAAAAA254/rYXy5NxU5lc1mZ-OaFR1YfceGXg9UYhsgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/CV1.jpg" width="640" height="362" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="1409">
Victoria will now go into another lockdown, this time for at least six weeks, which is a disastrous hammer blow for the local economy. 
Auctions slump
Sydney recorded rock solid auction results on Saturday, with the median price of property sold under the hammer rising to $1,260,000. 
In Melbourne. however, auction success volumes and results have unsurprisingly begun to plummet as consumer confidence has been demolished by the lockdown announcement. Alas it's now only a matter of time before someone rolls out another 'tale of two cities headline'...sigh.
<img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bS9hrg3w0aM/Xwn-fG6nTCI/AAAAAAAA26I/K1-zMVsC9cE0307sg6isljwJ2gh9q--YACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/AUc.jpg" width="640" height="132" data-original-height="142" data-original-width="681">
To date Melbourne's housing prices have fallen by about 3 per cent since April.
<img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kOYG-7W4zJU/Xwn_kvtbqkI/AAAAAAAA26U/sEObUN7SdaYsMamI1aEtXuej2Lsf2vfMgCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/CV3.jpg" width="640" height="354" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1447">
Look out below
I'm not usually in the business of making serious predictions, which are usually broad brush and often prove to be pointless.
But these sorts of auction results in Melbourne have normally been commensurate with something close to double digit pace declines in housing prices, and in all likelihood may point to a 10 to 20 per cent decline in Melbourne's market. Given that Greater Melbourne is Australia's second largest economic hub - and that it's long been accounting for such a significant share of growth - the decision to lock down for six weeks has all but cruelled the chance of a meaningful recovery any time soon. 
Research across half a century of historical data from the Bank of England has shown that falling house prices lead to fear of negative equity, falling confidence, and consumers declining to spend, borrow, or invest.
 If the Federal government wants to stand any chance of getting the Australian economy back on its feet this year the Treasurer should announce on July 23 a temporary stamp duty holiday for the remainder of 2020 (and fund the difference for the states by making use of bond yields at record lows).
Alternatively, and more sustainably, broaden the GST and raise the rate to 12.5 per cent. 
PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of AllenWargent property buyers and a best-selling author and blogger 
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Melbourne lockdown kills chance for a meaningful property recovery: Pete Wargent

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EXPERT OBSERVER
<div>Yet another inflation target miss was recorded for the June quarter.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Nothing too earth-shattering there - the target has consistently been missed for years - but this one was a real corker, with headline inflation down by -1.9 per cent in the June 2020 quarter.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>And now the annual inflation rate has also turned negative, which a true rarity.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Stated the ABS:</div>
<div> </div>
<div>'Since 1949, this was only the third time annual inflation has been negative. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>The previous times were in 1962 and 1997-98.'</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Underlying inflation was pretty flat for the quarter.</div>
<div> </div>
<div class="separator"><img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zkgBciXdxgs/XyE29Bo1OQI/AAAAAAAA3VE/jP62pSmF3WkjpTlN7WZf3iGlg6YJuvchQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/PW.jpg" width="640" height="126" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="683"></div>
<div> </div>
<div>Grattan recently produced a fairly damning indexed chart showing how inflation would've tracked higher had the target been hit over the past five years versus the actuals, a period through which there's been a persistent output gap, weak wages growth, and oodles of spare labour force capacity. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>We're still getting no closer to the inflation target then. </div>
<img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GuyrxR0LcdU/XyE197Iof6I/AAAAAAAA3Us/7ilsxHD355ESAA7OgfmRuvoGqYN1PbStwCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/A1.jpg" width="640" height="374" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1361">
The main contributors to the weakness over the quarter included declining childcare and fuel prices.
<img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jv2DrjN1hpA/XyE19w7O2II/AAAAAAAA3Uw/6gSiXaKog4syvMHwDoL7a3v4uZor3qU0wCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/A3.jpg" width="640" height="376" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="1348">
The CBD rental markets were hit with a swathe of Airbnb and student rentals in the June quarter, and the rental price index also turned negative year-on-year...for the first time ever. 
<img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xopSOfZK4aM/XyE2GoQgGHI/AAAAAAAA3U0/on8rPBYcHIwdFBDw-AA6TgZAGutBgM-8wCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/A2.jpg" width="640" height="360" data-original-height="804" data-original-width="1427">
There will be something of a bounce in Q3 in some categories, and truthfully there weren't too many surprises here, but overall there's a long way to go before things recover.
<div>Detailed report as always from from James Foster here.</div>
PETE WARGENT is the co-founder of AllenWargent property buyers and a best-selling author and blogger 
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Annual inflation negative for the third time ever: Pete Wargent

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GUEST OBSERVER
 
Over the past week, we’ve seen a spike in the number of COVID-19 infections among health-care workers in Victoria.
This includes a doctor at Melbourne’s <a href="https://amp.theage.com.au/national/victoria/deeply-concerned-doctor-at-melbourne-hospital-tests-positive-to-coronavirus-20200708-p55a2p">St Vincent’s Hospital</a>, one staff member at <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-08/melbourne-hospital-and-aged-care-facilities-coronavirus-cases/12435286">Brunswick Private Hospital</a>, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/more-covid-19-outbreaks-detected-in-hospitals-as-er-chief-isolates-20200709-p55akg">nine staff members</a> from the emergency department at Melbourne’s Northern Hospital, and two nurses at the <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/healthcare-workers-may-have-been-infected-in-staff-training-session-20200707-p559so">Royal Melbourne Hospital</a>.
Staff at several <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-victoria-covid19-clusters-melbourne-aged-care-facilities-altona-meadows/713ece5c-6e87-4eed-8cad-b5c6d4e410d0">aged care facilities</a> have also tested positive.
These cases have meant sending many health-care workers regarded as “close contacts” into home quarantine.
The Northern Hospital emergency department has reportedly had to <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-06/melbourne-northern-hospital-staff-contract-coronavirus/12428336">divert patients elsewhere</a>, while Brunswick Private Hospital (where four patients tested positive too) is <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/brunswick-private-hospital-shut-as-four-patients-and-staff-member-test-positive-to-coronavirus/news-story/1fcb6e6e0587fe47c496ab7af78b1945">closed to new admissions</a>.
Keeping health-care workers COVID-free is critical to delivering care to those who need it during a pandemic. So as Victoria’s second wave rolls on, we need to consider what more we can do to protect our health workers.
Why might this be happening?
In the absence of a vaccine, subsequent waves of COVID-19 have always been a possibility.
Health-care workers tend not to contract COVID-19 <a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2020/healthcare-workers-covid-19-most-contract-it-away-work">from patients</a>, as appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is used in high risk encounters.
But health-care workers are normal people commuting to work and living and interacting in communities. So it’s more likely <a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2020/healthcare-workers-covid-19-most-contract-it-away-work">they contract it outside work</a>.
Undetected, they can then bring it into the hospital or other health-care setting, putting fellow staff and vulnerable patients at risk.
What are the implications for health care?
At the most basic level, the specialised health-care workforce is core to health-care delivery; without nurses, doctors and allied health staff, there’s no health-care system.
Infections in this group — whether confirmed outbreaks or suspected contamination —will reduce health-care workforce capacity.
High rates of staff off work due to COVID-19 may also increase fatigue and burnout in the remaining workforce, adding to the burden.
The greater the scope of these outbreaks, the greater the strain on the affected hospitals and the health-care system. This will be compounded as they’re faced with increased demand due to COVID-19 cases in the community.
Australia has had time to prepare its workforce with additional skills and capabilities in critical care. But there are always concerns regarding potential <a href="https://www.pwc.com.au/important-problems/coronavirus-covid-19/australian-healthcare-workforce">workforce shortages in the height of a pandemic</a>, particularly in areas of specialised practice such as intensive care.
Especially in “hotspots”, as we weather this second wave, there remains a risk demand could outweigh supply.
What can the health system do to cope?
A number of possible interventions could increase system capacity and help manage demand.
This may include decreasing elective or non-urgent surgery, as we saw during the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-coronavirus-ban-on-elective-surgeries-might-show-us-many-people-can-avoid-going-under-the-knife-135325">first wave</a> of the virus.
Increasing the use of virtual models of care including <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007228.pub3/full">phone consultations and telehealth</a>, where appropriate, could also help ease the pressure. Quarantined frontline workers could provide virtual care through telephone support, such as helplines or other telehealth services.
Adapting care to minimise the movement and interaction of hospital staff across wards and sites is another important option. For example, some hospitals have shifted from a model where a team of doctors works across multiple wards to a small team of doctors providing care to only one ward.
Most hospitals have also set-up dedicated <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/rest/bitstreams/1272399/retrieve">COVID wards</a> to screen patients for COVID-19 at the first point of contact with the health system.
What about routine testing for health workers?
To sustain a prolonged response to this crisis we need a healthy, COVID-19 free workforce. Especially given we know many positive cases <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7078829/">don’t experience symptoms</a>, we should be <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30917-X/fulltext">mass testing health-care workers</a>.
To date, we’ve seen some testing of <a href="https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/major-coronavirus-testing-blitz-targets-100000/">asymptomatic health-care workers</a> in Victoria, but it has not been commonplace.
Increased routine screening of health-care workers, with or without suspected exposure, will increase the number of days away from work while staff wait for results, reducing service capacity. But the pay-off will be greater — it will limit COVID-19 spread.
Keeping our health-care heroes safe and well
From this week, staff at several major Melbourne hospitals have been required to wear masks <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/changing-circumstances-melbourne-hospital-workers-told-to-don-masks-20200707-p559qw">at all times</a> while at work. These precautions have previously been reserved for staff in areas of higher clinical risk such as emergency and intensive care.
This is in addition to a range of <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/news/health-alerts/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov-health-alert/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-the-health-and-aged-care-sector/providing-health-care-face-to-face-during-covid-19">guidelines</a> health professionals follow to minimise the spread of COVID-19, including around hand hygiene, cleaning, PPE, and keeping physical distance from patients where possible.
But the responsibility to take precautions and stop the spread falls to all of us.
Hospital patients and visitors are also being encouraged to wear face masks.
In fact, everyone in Melbourne is now advised to <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-10/coronavirus-wearing-mask-advice-to-change-on-vic-covid19-threat/12441828">wear a mask</a> in public when social distancing is not possible. Hopefully this will go some way to protecting our health-care workers and the entire community.

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rochelle-wynne-998483">Rochelle Wynne</a>, Director, Western Sydney Nursing &amp; Midwifery Research Centre, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/caleb-ferguson-72">Caleb Ferguson</a>, Senior Research Fellow, Western Sydney Nursing &amp; Midwifery Research Centre, Western Sydney Local Health District &amp;, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a>
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/rising-coronavirus-cases-among-victorian-health-workers-could-threaten-our-pandemic-response-142375">original article</a>.
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Rising coronavirus cases among Victorian health workers could threaten our pandemic response

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EXPERT OBSERVER
Regional Queensland has achieved something that few jurisdictions across Australia have managed: it has maintained its previous high levels of well-performing markets in defiance of Covid-19.
Hotspotting’s Winter 2020 survey of sales activity has identified 54 growth markets and 30 consistency markets, down only marginally on the results of the previous (Autumn 2020) survey, which found 55 growth locations and 34 consistency ones. This was the strongest performance by Regional Queensland in three years and the results of this latest survey are only slightly inferior.
The number of “declining” markets has reduced (from 12 to six to four in recent surveys) and there are now few danger markets in Regional Queensland outside of the perennial struggler, Mount Isa.
Compared to the Covid-inspired deterioration in the results of other major jurisdictions across the nation, this is a commendable performance – and provides further evidence that regional areas have done much better in the pandemic period than the biggest capital cities.
The well-performing markets include Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Hervey Bay, Gympie and Toowoomba, as well as the Regional Queensland heavyweights, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.
In addition, we have seen further evidence of recovery in the Gladstone market, after multiple years in decline.
We continue to rate the Sunshine Coast one of the strongest economic and real estate stories in the nation and it has produced another solid result in this winter survey. The Sunshine Coast Regional Council area and neighbouring Noosa Shire have 11 suburbs with rising sales activity and eight others with consistent sales performance. There are also a number of locations which have delivered strong price growth in the past 12 months.
Nearby Gympie has a number of growth locations and is poised for a sustained period of growth, given major infrastructure projects and its improved links to the boom Sunshine Coast economy.
Sales activity overall in Gold Coast City has declined, unsurprisingly given the impact of Covid-19 on an economy so heavily reliant on tourism. This is reflected in the 35 suburbs with plateau markets. Nevertheless, there remain 10 suburbs with rising sales activity.
There are solid performers spread across Queensland, stretching from Townsville in the far north to more southerly locations like Hervey Bay and the inland city of Toowoomba.
Townsville has five suburbs with growing sales and, boosted by major infrastructure projects, is poised for a recovery from the previous downturn.
Mackay, a growth market we have noted in previous surveys, also has five growth suburbs and has a number of locations delivering strong price growth. Sales in South Mackay have been 20-27-35-34-52 in the past five quarters, a pattern which had led to strong price growth recently.
Rockhampton is showing increasing signs of revival, with four growth suburbs and three with consistent sales performance. The suburb of Berserker has lifted quarterly sales from 21 to 31 to 33 to 43 in the past year. Frenchville and Gracemere display similar growth patterns.
The Fraser Coast, based on Hervey Bay, is showing increasing signs of a growth phase, with five suburbs with growing buyer demand.
Toowoomba, after several years of moderate activity, is showing symptoms of a rising market, with three growth and four consistency suburbs.
The one disappointing result comes from Cairns, which stood out strongly in the previous Autumn survey as a rising market with nine growth suburbs. But this Winter survey finds only two growth suburbs, with sales in most Cairns suburbs falling away recently. This is an economy strong reliant on tourism, including international visitors, which has taken a serious hit from Covid-19.
Regional Queensland has also performed well on price growth. Six out of 10 locations have produced some level of growth in their median house prices in the past 12 months and most of those where prices have declined have done so only marginally.
The Sunshine Coast has a number of strong performers with annual price growth, led by Warana (19%), Minyama (16%) and Noosa Heads (11%).
The Gold Coast also has a number of growth locations, including Runaway Bay (18%), Worongary (15%), Palm Beach (11%) and Mermaid Waters (10%).
Mackay has some outstanding performers, including South Mackay (16%), Blacks Beach (14%) and Bucasia (10%).
I’ve previously noted the revival signs in Gladstone, with vacancies down and rents rising. We are now seeing evidence of prices rising, although from a low base. West Gladstone is up 16% and Glen Eden 23% in annual terms, while Calliope, New Auckland and Tannum Sands have all risen 8-9% in the past year.
Other resources-related locations where prices are rising from low bases include Moranbah (up 19%, but still only with a median of $240,000) and Blackwater (up 45%, but with typical houses still worth only $130,000).
Emerald is headed back to growth, with quarterly sales of 50-56-59-63-72 in the past five quarters.
Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au ryder@hotspotting.com.au twitter.com/hotspotting
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terryryder-YECXbqmri2

Regional Queensland market maintained strong performance despite COVID

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Melbourne’s clearance rate dipped to 46 per cent at the weekend after the return to stage three restrictions.
There were 417 scheduled auctions but just 168 results reported to Domain.
Some 149 properties were withdrawn from auction.
It was 57 per cent on the prior weekend.
The Victorian current rules end August 19.
"Melbourne’s weekend auction market tracked sharply backwards at the weekend with predictably significant withdrawals dragging down the clearance rate to its lowest point since early May," Dr Andrew Wilson at My Housing Market said.  "Although the Melbourne market suffered dramatically from the reinstatement of the coronavirus lockdown this week, other capitals continued to perform solidly overall," he noted.
The number of properties selling before auction, rather than under the hammer, is on rise across Sydney.
Sydney’s preliminary clearance rate was 64 per cent, jumping from last week’s 62 per cent, after 452 scheduled auctions and 255 reported results. 
It included 67 auctions withdrawn across the city.
The top sale was the five-bedroom, double-storey home at 3/85 Raglan Street, Mosman (pictured in title) for $4.55 million through Belle Property agent Stefan Bertram.
The dearest in Melbourne was $2,802,500 in Carlton. The 1018 Drummond Street offering was a four bedroom house. 
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Melbourne’s clearance rate dips to 46 per cent after return to stage three restrictions

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EXPERT OBSERVER
The number of loans to owner occupiers for established homes fell by 9.1 per cent during May 2020 to the lowest monthly level on record.
Today’s Housing Finance data does not reflect the impact of HomeBuilder program announced in June. We don’t expect to see the positive impact of HomeBuilder reflected in Housing Finance data for a number of months.
This month’s data reflects the peak of the COVID-19 related shutdown and likely includes reduced demand for existing homes and the slower processing of applications.
Due to the lag between submitting a finance application and gaining approval, we anticipate that this is only the beginning of negative finance and construction data from the ABS.
Data shows that loans for the purchase or construction of a new dwelling held on relatively well. This reflects the longer timeframe between purchasing a new dwelling and gaining access to finance.
First home buyers fell by 9.3 per cent during May, led by a decline of 18.8 per cent in New South Wales. This is not surprising given the level of risk aversion and lack of equity within this cohort.
There was a surge in re-financing during the month, to the highest level on record, as households took advantage of record low interest rates.
It is difficult to draw conclusions from this data other than there has been a material disruption to the housing market.
HomeBuilder along with other state incentives and an easing of restrictions will assist in bringing consumers who delayed their purchasing decisions back to the market. This will minimise the adverse impact of the COVID-19 shock on employment in the homebuilding sector, but this will not be reflected in ABS data for some months. 
HIA New Home Sales for June, will be the first indicator of the impact of HomeBuilder on the housing market. 
Across the states, the value of loans to owner-occupiers (excluding refinancing) during the three months to May 2020 was significantly lower than the previous three months in Western Australia (-14.6 per cent), Queensland (-12.9 per cent), the Northern Territory (-7.4 per cent) and South Australia (-7.0 per cent). Tasmania (-4.8 per cent), Victoria (-3.1 per cent) and the ACT (-3.1 per cent) also recorded declines. New South Wales was relatively flat, declining by 0.5 per cent over the same period.
TIM REARDON is the HIA Chief Economist
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Record housing finance data reflects COVID-19 shock: HIA's Tim Reardon

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Unit rentals have experienced the biggest price drop in more than 15 years, marking a historic rent price fall of 3.2% (equivalent to $15 per week) over the June quarter, according to the latest Domain Rental Report.
House and unit rental prices fell across most major cities, illustrating that no city was immune from the impact of coronavirus.
Sydney and Hobart unit rentals were hardest hit — both recorded the steepest quarterly fall on record.
Melbourne’s inner-city areas also saw large downturns.
Sydney’s median rental cost for units fell 3.8% to $500 per week.
Melbourne’s median rental cost for units fell 3.5% to $415.
Brisbane’s median rental cost for units fell 1.3% to $380.
Adelaide’s median rental cost for units stayed steady, with no month-on-month change from the previous quarter’s $320 per week figure.
Perth’s median rental cost for units also stayed steady, with no month-on-month change from the previous quarter’s $320 per week figure.
Hobart’s median rental cost fell further than any other major city, seeing a mammoth 8.4% fall in prices down to $380 per week.
Canberra’s median rental cost for units fell 2.1% to $470 per week.
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New apartments

New townhouses

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