Developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/time-place">Time &amp; Place</a> has appointed Hacer to build <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/park-modern-south-melbourne-1-middleton-lane-south-melbourne-vic-3205">Park Modern</a>, its $500 million residential development overlooking Melbourne's Botanic Gardens, while also launching sales to the public.&nbsp;

Located at 11-27 Dorcas Street in South Melbourne, the development encompasses four sites Time &amp; Place strategically acquired and amalgamated over an 18-month period.&nbsp;

The development site is bordered by Middleton Lane, Dorcas and Wells Street, culminating in a substantial 2,398 sqm precinct which occupies the block.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=138453 project_image_fid=351808]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/hacer-group">Hacer</a> has been awarded the build contract, with demolition works now complete and the project team targeting first residents by early 2028.&nbsp;

Following the project receiving Development Approval in January 2025 via the Victorian Government's accelerated Development Facilitation Program (DFP) planning pathway, the much-anticipated project has now earnt its title as the largest island development site in Melbourne's CBD fringe.&nbsp;

Designed by the renowned architect <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bates-smart">Bates Smart</a>, Park Modern takes the form of two sculptural towers strategically placed with a unique orientation designed to maximise each apartment's views of the Botanic Gardens, Shrine of&nbsp; 
Remembrance and the Port Phillip Bay.&nbsp;

The sculptural tower forms are grounded by a robust concrete podium; its gridded proportions a nod to the grand Victorian mansions that once lined St Kilda Rd. Generous balcony planter boxes create a soft, green edge, blending in with the lush greenery of the street and garden surrounds.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=138453 project_image_fid=351806]

Park Modern brings to market 230 one, two, three, and four-bedroom residences, sized from 50 sqm to 300sqm, with pricing starting from $670,00 and reaching north of $10 million.

The development also includes two sub-penthouses and one double-storey penthouse sitting across the uppermost floors of the 17-storey development, boasting 4m ceiling heights.&nbsp;

The design of the project, which will embody modernised art deco with fluid forms, corner living spaces with multiple natural light sources and finely detailed metalwork in the façade, aims to prioritise light as one of the building materials, complementing the sweeping views across the Domain precinct, St Kilda Road and the Botanic Gardens.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=138453 project_image_fid=351804]

The interior design expands on the architecture's art deco references through custom designed door handles and feature lighting. The use of materials such as sustainably harvested timber and natural stone in the benchtops convey an enduring quality to the homes. Two choices of interior material palettes are available; a light palette inspired by bright summer days and a warm palette referencing the autumnal hues of the elm trees along St Kilda Rd.&nbsp;

The building has an intrinsic focus on sustainability, with generous glazing, considered shading, rainwater harvesting and rooftop solar photovoltaics to enable renewable power.&nbsp;

Park Modern's Display Suite, located Level 6, 332 St Kilda Road, opened on 13 September, inviting prospective buyers to explore the development's stunning interiors designed by Bates Smart. Viewings are available by appointment with&nbsp;Burtons.&nbsp;

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“We have assembled a world-class team befitting this much-cherished park side address," Time &amp; Place Director and Founder, Tim Price, says.

"With some of our most trusted project partners in Bates Smart and Hacer, we are confident in delivering highly desirable residences that will optimise the views and interaction with the gardens, city and bay."

"Park Modern is our vision for a sophisticated, amenity-rich village in South Melbourne, where the 15-minute neighbourhood concept comes to life - placing the city's best food, arts, culture and entertainment within a short walk&nbsp; 
of home.&nbsp;

"This development is a testament to Time &amp; Place's mission to make for interesting living, which we continue to do by creating developments in connected, engaging, and exciting urban communities. This is the last opportunity to create a new residential address on the Botanical Gardens. We've spent seven years curating the land and a design that will feel as right in twenty years as it does today."&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=138453]

Joel Robinson

Time & Place appoints Hacer to build newly launched Park Modern apartments in South Melbourne

Builder-developer ALAND has had buyers jump at the opportunity to buy into their first inner-city Sydney apartment development.

Over $103 million in sales were achieved at the launch of The Walden, North Sydney's newest apartment tower. The sales equated to around 55 per cent of the first release of residences.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=6382]

Located at 177 Walker Street, North Sydney, The Walden boasts a front-row position on the eastern fringe of the North Sydney CBD, offering uninterrupted Sydney Harbour views stretching from the Sydney Harbour Bridge all the way to Sydney Heads.

The harbour views, not to mention North Sydney’s relatively limited housing supply compared to other North Shore suburbs, as well as high demand from a wealthy downsizer demographic and a growing population, is driving the strong demand and premium prices commanded in the area.

The harbourside suburb also continues to benefit from significant government and private sector investment, which is changing the face of North Sydney as it transitions to an 18-hour a day living, dining and recreation hotspot, with more spending set to come over the next decade.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=6395]

ALAND Founder Andrew Hrsto says North Sydney has fast become a sought-after destination for discerning property buyers.

“It’s clear that North Sydney’s changing rapidly, and property buyers are excited both by what’s on offer in 
the suburb now, as well as what’s yet to come,” Hrsto says.

“Against this backdrop, The Walden is set to become a benchmark for luxury living in North Sydney, and it’s perfectly poised for buyers to capitalise on the continued growth and transformation in the local area."

Hrsto says with&nbsp;its unrivalled amenities, refined design, and rare balance of sophistication and community connection, The Walden delivers a lifestyle unlike anything else on the market.

Residents will enjoy access to a comprehensive suite of facilities, including a fully equipped gym, wellness and treatment room, spa, wine cellar, resident lounge, private dining room, pool, dedicated work-from-home and meeting spaces, as well as the convenience of a dedicated concierge.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=6394]

Ben Stewart, Partner at SRM Residential, which is overseeing sales at The Walden, says North Sydney offers the perfect balance of city convenience and lifestyle appeal for prospective buyers.

“Apartment sales in North Sydney have remained robust throughout 2025, and today’s opening sales at The Walden reflect strong buyer confidence in the area’s ongoing revitalisation,” said Stewart.

“All the purchasers I spoke to are appreciating the unparalleled amenity and expansive apartments, coupled with North Sydney’s connectivity through the Metro with Barangaroo accessible in three minutes and Martin Place in five – all these factors are key drivers for a purchaser demographic that includes lower North Shore owner-occupiers and downsizers, plus a few city-based, high-end investors."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=134323 project_image_fid=6399]

Stewart says the views, design, and sizing of the apartments at The Walden, is a level&nbsp;above the majority of other projects on the market.&nbsp;

"We’re seeing buyers prioritise well-designed apartments that offer both lifestyle appeal and long-term investment potential. ALAND’s 23 years of delivery success, backed its Gold Star iCIRT rating and Latent Defect Insurance (LDI) have been embraced by this market.”

ALAND will commence construction of The Walden in early 2026, ahead of planned completion by 2028.

ALAND's sales success at The Walden, North Sydney launch

Builder-developer DASCO is continuing to expand its development pipeline, unveiling plans for its third project in Sydney.

The company has secured a prime 5,874 sqm site in the St Leonards South precinct, spanning 14–16 Marshall Avenue, 5–9 Holdsworth Avenue, and 2–10 Berry Street. The site will host three new buildings, delivering 231 new residences.

Each tower will rise 14 storeys and feature a mix of apartments, double-storey townhomes, and penthouses. The inclusion of affordable housing in the development has triggered a height uplift from the previously approved 10 storeys to 14.

DASCO is already familiar with the area, as it is currently delivering The Newlands by Eterno, just down the road, alongside Elation by New Golden.

“This milestone reflects our continued commitment to shaping vibrant communities and delivering enduring places to call home,” DASCO said in its announcement, adding that it will once again partner with Metrics.

DASCO and Metrics are also collaborating on the recently launched Senso in Epping, a landscape-focused precinct comprising 479 apartments across five buildings, the first of its kind in the suburb.

DASCO’s other active project, Danks St District, is similarly transforming its local area. It will include six new residential buildings with around 373 apartments. Both current projects are backed by a 10-year Latent Defects Insurance policy from Resilience Insurance.

&nbsp;

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Exclusive: DASCO expands Sydney apartment pipeline with trio of St Leonards buildings

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/consolidated-properties">Consolidated Properties Group (CPG)</a> has revealed plans for a new residential development on one of the last remaining direct riverfront sites in Newstead.&nbsp;

The <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/47-skyring-terrace-newstead-qld-4006">Skyring Terrace project</a> will comprise 235 premium apartments in a 25-storey tower with Moreton Island views, accompanied by a small four-storey riverfront building of just 12 ultra-luxury residences.

Award-winning architecture firm&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/woods-bagot">Woods Bagot</a>&nbsp;was inspired by&nbsp;the great classical buildings of Brisbane.&nbsp;CPG's long-term build partner, tier one construction firm <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/hutchinson-builders">Hutchinson Builders</a>, will deliver the development.

CPG Chairman and CEO, Don O’Rorke said he's spent the last 10 years in their office looking next door to Customs House and thinking, 'imagine if we could build something like that.'

“We want this building to be considered one of Brisbane’s best in 100 years," O'Rorke says.

"I want my great, great grandchildren to be proud say that we built this. “&nbsp;

<img alt="CPG unveils a modern classic on the Newstead riverfront" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="119b4fe7-f733-40ca-9588-36e67d46707a" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/47SKYRING_C2.jpg?VersionId=252vgJzSyaJ2LcbpQlTI.YisSLwt7sxl" />

Woods Bagot Principal, David Lee said the design of the building is "elegant, confident, and timeliness."

“When Consolidated Properties Group approached us, we knew this site demanded something notable. It’s an iconic building that marks the entry to the &nbsp;vibrant Newstead riverside community," Lee said.

"Classical motifs are reinterpreted and abstracted to create a modern aesthetic on key architectural elements, like the slab edges, columns and &nbsp;balustrade.”&nbsp;

CPG’s Head of Residential, James MacGinley said Woods Bagot have created a modern classic.

"From the bullnose brick columns to the sandstone flagstones everything has been selected to last a lifetime. Too often, contemporary design relies on modern façade materials to create architectural &nbsp;interest. But people forget that those modern materials fade over time while stone and brick last forever.” &nbsp;

Positioned to capture panoramic vistas north across the river to Hamilton Hill, the project’s front-row location offers uninterrupted, never-to-be-built-out views - a rarity in Brisbane’s tightly held &nbsp;riverfront landscape.&nbsp;

MacGinley said the apartment layouts embrace the perfect north east aspect of the site.

"More than 75 of the apartments have a river view which is an incredible design achievement from the Woods Bagot team.” &nbsp;

The development forms part of&nbsp;CPG’s riverfront collection including Monarch Residences at Toowong, and a new 25-storey development at Yeerongpilly.

Hutchinson Builders are expected to commence in 2026, with apartment sales launching early next &nbsp;year.

Don O'Rorke's Cons Prop unveils Newstead riverfront apartment plans

Melbourne developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hengyi-australia">Hengyi</a> is trying again to develop its prominent Bay Road site in Bayside Sandringham.

The new application, now under consideration via Victoria’s Development Facilitation Program, marks a revised approach after a previous iteration was refused by VCAT in late 2023. They are planning three seven-storey residential buildings at 208-210 Bay Road, an already cleared 5,226 sqm block just under two kilometres from the beach.

The buildings will home&nbsp;123 apartments above a two-level basement car park, along with a commercial tenancy, communal facilities, and landscaping interventions.&nbsp;

<img alt="208-210 BAY ROAD SANDRINGHAM VIC 3191" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d5523a8c-47e3-47f4-b468-9fb97f241977" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/front%20full.png?VersionId=CGSZOulullVRFFbCrTAvZLXJ1jPv5.wM" />

Hengyi has addressed the key concerns from VCAT, namely&nbsp;how the building would integrate with the current environment.

The buildings step down from Bay Road towards the rear, addressing sensitive residential interfaces and the neighbouring Sandringham East Primary School. Design features include varied setbacks, upper-level recesses, and deep soil zones intended to retain and supplement the existing tree canopy.&nbsp;

Vehicular access is proposed via an upgraded crossover on Bay Road, while pedestrian connectivity is enhanced through retention of an easement that links to the primary school. Car parking is proposed to be reduced below the standard requirements, justified in part by the site’s proximity to public transport and active transport networks.

<img alt="208-210 BAY ROAD SANDRINGHAM VIC 3191" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d622acc1-0917-43d4-b8ba-8857ded0cc73" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/perspective_2.png?VersionId=iSrKHlI_D11ckyBzWdgq5QEy2TSWZCTW" />

Architect Rothelowman noted in the Urban Context Report that the proposal&nbsp;"seeks to balance site efficiency, residential amenity, and a sensitive response to its urban interface."

Rothelowman's design inspiration stemmed from asking the question 'What does&nbsp;Sandringham and Bayside have that is unique to other parts of suburban Melbourne?'

They said indigenous coastal flora and fauna, extensive areas of recreational greenland, and living by the ancient land that follows the bay, are the three key features of Sandringham.

The proposed mix includes affordable and market housing, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a>&nbsp;seeking to balance increased density with amenity through articulated built forms and communal offerings such as a gym, co-working space, and rooftop spa.

John Patrick Landscaped Architects have come in to enhance the landscaping, which was another key factor in the VCAT decision to refuse the original application. Now there will be rainforest and coastal gardens with a predominantly native and indigenous planting palette.

<img alt="208-210 BAY ROAD SANDRINGHAM VIC 3191" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7cdceff0-aa99-4ed7-a159-0038e8f66fbb" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/perspective_3.png?VersionId=uvTAu41Ryn3GWKLjJrIbilvQO09MsuR9" />

The Town Planning Report by Urbis suggested the project is designed to deliver “a much-needed increase in dwelling diversity and density” in an area earmarked by Bayside Council as a Moderate Residential Growth Zone.

The Bayside Housing Strategy identifies the corridor as suitable for higher density residential renewal, aligning with the state government's recent target of 30,000 new homes in Bayside by 2051.

The application is being assessed by the Minister for Planning under Clause 53.23 due to its scale, provision of affordable housing, and $70 million-plus investment.&nbsp;The project is forecast to support 200 full-time construction jobs and deliver $56 million in gross value added during the build period.

Hengyi has previously developed Swanston Central and Light House, both in the Melbourne CBD.

The Bayside Housing Strategy identifies the corridor as suitable for higher density residential renewal, aligning with the state government's recent target of 30,000 new homes in Bayside by 2051

First look: Hengyi proposes trio of apartment buildings for Sandringham’s Bay Road

Casual Job

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GUEST OBSERVER
Our analysis shows an economic downturn as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic will dramatically increase rental stress for people with insecure or casual work. If the downturn persists this will place people in precarious jobs at higher risk of homelessness.
The scenario we explored is the effect of loss of casual work on people on very low incomes. We identify this at-risk group as those aged between 19 and 30 years, living independently with disposable incomes of A$600 a week from casual work or a combination of casual work and benefits.
They typically work in cafes, restaurants, catering, events, fast food and retail. These are the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-06/this-is-why-casual-workers-could-be-hardest-hit-by-coronavirus/12027382">jobs most immediately impacted by an economic slowdown</a>. It is estimated <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-25/australia-sees-increase-in-casual-workers-ai-job-threats/11043772">one in four Australian workers is casual</a>, although not all are on low incomes.
The infographic below illustrates the extreme rental stress a slowdown will cause the low-income casual workers. We have calculated average rent across the broader Melbourne and Sydney metropolitan areas. The infographic shows the impact on rental stress of losing up to A$300 per week of disposable income. The percentages represent the amount of income taken up by rent, with red indicating the most extreme rental stress.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/321155/original/file-20200317-60932-19pvj8k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Source: REIA median rental data (December, 2019), A Guide to Australian Government Payments, authors' calculations
For example, the top row shows a casual worker in Sydney sharing a two-bedroom flat earning A$604 a week had A$344 disposable income after rent. The final row shows an individual in Sydney with A$326 weekly income after losing work income. Their rent then takes up 80% of their income, leaving them with A$66 a week to live on after rent.
The potential impact of the downturn on the disposable income of people with very low incomes means they will be in extreme rental stress unless they have savings.
So do they have savings?
The federal government has <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">suggested</a> casual workers have savings to tide them over. Our analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics data suggests 38.9% of those earning A$600 or less per week have less than A$600 in savings to get them through. Over a quarter of this group are already in debt.
Another 26.6% of low-income casual workers have a month or less for things to get back to normal.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/320900/original/file-20200316-27643-y5y5ri.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">
Average savings of people earning A$600 a week. Source: Income and Housing, Australia, 2017-18 (Australian Bureau of Statistics), Authors' calculations
These savings will be used up rapidly when average rent in a share house is A$133-220 per week in Melbourne and A$165-260 in Sydney. These rents include outer metropolitan areas, so rental stress in the inner cities will be worse, as our <a href="https://theconversation.com/city-share-house-rents-eat-up-most-of-newstart-leaving-less-than-100-a-week-to-live-on-123772">previous analysis</a> showed.
The downturn will affect a large number of people already on benefits because their income is partly from benefits and partly from earnings. According to <a href="https://data.gov.au/dataset/ds-dga-cff2ae8a-55e4-47db-a66d-e177fe0ac6a0/distribution/dist-dga-1fb71211-4e8a-4bf2-b659-148cd4d6972d/details?q=">data from the Department of Social Services</a>, 41% of Youth Allowance recipients, 28% of NewStart recipients and 36% of Parenting Payment single recipients are working and therefore receive part-rate allowances.
Will the first economic stimulus package help?
For people already receiving benefits the one-off <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/coronavirus/households">A$750 stimulus payment</a> will help to tide them over for 3-4 weeks’ rent. But to date casual workers have not been included in that stimulus payment (unless they receive <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/family-tax-benefit">Family Tax Benefit</a>).
People who lose their casual work will be able to get the new <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/jobseeker-payment">JobSeeker payment</a> from March 20. It’s the same as the <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/newstart-allowance/how-much-you-can-get">NewStart rate</a> – A$326 per week (including average rent assistance) – so it is clear they will be in immediate rental stress.
 
It’s worth noting this rental crisis is compounded because NewStart has not kept pace with rental increases over the last 25 years. NewStart has been increased by CPI only. The chart below shows how wide the gap between Melbourne rent price increases and CPI has become.
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/320901/original/file-20200316-27648-dca69x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="">Median increase in Melbourne rents and CPI, June 1999 – December 2019. Source: Rental Report, Department of Health &amp; Human Services (Dec 2019), Consumer Price Index (ABS), Authors' calculations
So what needs to be done?
The loss of income for casual workers will result in extreme rental stress for people who were already on low incomes. This issue demands urgent attention to prevent a homelessness epidemic. Agencies like the <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-17/calls-for-housing-eviction-bans-during-coronavirus-outbreak/12060484?fbclid=IwAR0ND56d2GClAg-JNwdtQm6m59rcurdNjBV_M4kl9DbXKgFUDe-PB1q-Y1U">Council for Homeless Persons</a> are already calling for an immediate moratorium on evictions.
Landlords have a responsibility here as well since they benefit from continuity of rentals and the contribution of government policy to their wealth and assets. For example, low-income rents are paid out of a combination of regular earnings, benefit payments and rent assistance. These will now be supplemented because people on low incomes are likely to use the stimulus package to keep up.
The challenge for the government is to provide support to people on very low incomes that will see them through the entire COVID-19 crisis. One solution would be to immediately increase the JobSeeker payment to help people on low incomes ride out the downturn in casual work. Another solution would be to provide replacement income for casual workers affected by the downturn.<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/133782/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;">
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/simone-casey-130516">Simone Casey</a>, Research Associate, Future Social Service Institute, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/liss-ralston-295934">Liss Ralston</a>, Urban Statistician, Centre for Urban Transitions, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</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/coronavirus-puts-casual-workers-at-risk-of-homelessness-unless-they-get-more-support-133782">original article</a>.
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j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Coronavirus puts casual workers at risk of homelessness unless they get more support

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/82207/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
Workers aren’t being compensated as much as they should be for precarious work in casual positions. 
One in four Australian employees today is a casual worker. Among younger workers (15-24 year olds) the numbers are higher still: more than half of them are casuals.
These jobs come without some of the benefits of permanent employment, such as paid annual holiday leave and sick leave. In exchange for giving up these entitlements, casual workers are supposed to receive a higher hourly rate of pay – known as a casual “loading”. 
But the costs of casual work are now outweighing the benefits in wages.
Costs and benefits of casual work
Casual jobs offer flexibility, but also come with costs. For workers, apart from missing out on paid leave, there are other compromises: less predictable working hours and earnings, and the prospect of dismissal without notice. Uncertainty about their future employment can hinder casual workers in other ways, such as making family arrangements, getting a mortgage, and juggling education with work. 
Not surprisingly, casual workers have lower expectations about keeping their current job. For example the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) found 19% expect to leave their job within 12 months, compared to 7% of other workers. Casuals are also much less likely to get work-related training, which limits their opportunities for skills development.
The employers of casual workers also face higher costs. High staff turnover adds to recruitment costs. But perhaps the main cost is the “loading” that casual workers are supposed to be paid on top of their ordinary hourly wage. 
Australia’s system of minimum wage awards specifies a casual loading of 25%. So, a casual worker paid under an award should get 25% more for each hour than another worker doing the same job on a permanent basis. In enterprise agreements, the casual loading varies by sector, but tends to be between 15 and 25%.
The practice of paying a casual loading developed for two reasons. One was to provide some compensation for workers missing out on paid leave. The other, quite different, motivation was to make casual employment more expensive and discourage excessive use of it. However this disincentive has not prevented the casual sector of the workforce from growing substantially.
Casual jobs aren’t much better paid
One approach in determining whether casual workers are paid more is simply to compare the hourly wages of casual and “non-casual” (permanent and fixed-term) employees in the same occupations. This can be done using data from the 2016 ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours. 
We compared median hourly wages for adult non-managerial employees, based on their ordinary earnings and hours of work (i.e. excluding overtime payments). If the median wage for casuals is higher than for non-casuals, there is a casual premium. If the median casual wage is lower, there is a penalty.
The 10 occupations below accounted for over half of all adult casual workers in 2016. In most of these occupations, there is a modest casual wage premium - in the order of 4-5%.
The size of the typical casual wage premium is much smaller, in most cases, than the loadings written into awards and agreements. Only one occupation (school teachers) has a premium (22%) in line with what might be expected.
Three of the 10 largest casual occupations actually penalise this sort of work. And overall for these 10 occupations there is a casual wage penalty of 5%. This method of analysis suggests that few casual workers enjoy substantially higher wages as a trade-off for paid leave.
Taking a closer look involves controlling for a wider range of differences between casual and non-casual workers. One major Australian study in 2005 compared wages after taking account of many factors other than occupation, including age, education, job location, and employer size. 
All else equal, it found that part-time, casual workers do receive an hourly wage premium over full-time, permanent workers. The premium is worth around 10%, on average, for men and between 4 and 7% for women.
These results imply that most casual workers (who are in part-time positions) can expect to receive higher hourly wages than comparable employees in full-time, permanent positions. However, the value of the benefit is again found to be less than would be expected, given the larger casual loadings mentioned in awards and agreements. 
It seems that while there is some short-term financial benefit to being a casual worker, this advantage is worth less in practice than on paper.
A recent study, using 14 years of data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey (HILDA), finds no evidence of any long-term pay benefit for casual workers. 
The study’s authors estimate that, among men, there is an average casual wage penalty of 10% - the opposite of what we should see if casual loadings fully offset the foregone leave and insecurity of casual jobs. Among female casual workers, there is also a wage penalty, but this is smaller, at around 4%. 
This study also finds that the size of the negative casual wage effect tends to reduce over time for individual workers, bringing them closer to equality with permanent workers. But very few casual workers out-earn permanent workers in the long-term.
Inferior jobs, but fewer alternatives
The evidence on hourly wage differences leads us to conclude that casual workers are not being adequately compensated for the lack of paid leave, or for other forms of insecurity they face. This makes casual jobs a less appealing option for workers.
This does not mean that all casual workers dislike their jobs – indeed, many are satisfied. But a clear-eyed look at what these jobs pay suggests their benefits are skewed in favour of employers.
Despite this, the choice for many workers - especially young jobseekers - is increasingly between a casual job or no job at all. Half of employed 15-24 year olds are in casual jobs. 
In a labour market characterised by high underemployment and intensifying job competition, young people with little or no work experience are understandably willing to make some sacrifices to get a start in the workforce. The option of “holding out” for a permanent job looks increasingly risky as these opportunities dwindle.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joshua-healy-104950" target="_blank">Joshua Healy </a>is Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Workplace Leadership, University of Melbourne.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/daniel-nicholson-315854" target="_blank">Daniel Nicholson</a> is Research Assistant, Industrial Relations, University of Melbourne.
Both are authors for <a href="https://theconversation.com/au" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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