Queensland builder-developer MAYD has revealed the first look at its major North Kirra beachfront development, lodging amended plans that reduce the number of apartments and increase the proportion of larger residences.

The project is planned across a substantial 4,742 sqm amalgamated site spanning seven lots at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/2-6-pacific-parade-bilinga-qld-4225">2-6 Pacific Parade</a> and 27-33 Golden Four Drive in Bilin​ga, directly opposite Nor​th Kirra Beach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/mayd-group">MAYD</a> secured the site for $32.5 million in 2025, in what was one of the Gold Coast's largest property transactions of the year.

The development will be delivered across two stages, with the first stage carrying an estimated gross realisation value of around $360 million.

The latest amendments seek to reduce the overall apartment count and shift the project further toward the owner-occupier market, with larger residences designed for buyers wanting considerably more space than traditionally offered in a beachfront apartment.

The residential mix will include townhomes, oversized two-bedroom apartments, substantial three-bedroom residences and four-bedroom homes.

MAYD has appointed Cera Stribley to lead the architecture and interiors, with the Melbourne-based design practice drawing on the beachfront setting through a series of ocean-facing terraces and heavily landscaped balconies.

Strong horizontal forms and curved balconies will define the exterior, with subtropical landscaping integrated throughout the building to soften the built form and increase the connection between the residences and the beachfront.

The project will also include an extensive collection of resident wellness and lifestyle facilities, continuing the broader shift across the Gold Coast's luxury apartment market toward larger homes supported by resort-style amenity.

<img alt="MAYD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d1bcbb05-e659-4b47-8bd4-1e595315e2ad" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%202.05.03%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=jj0XEud1X1DuLt7_KyElhjMdZGOXmLHP" />

MAYD Founder Todd Mould said North Kirra was increasingly appealing to buyers attracted to the more established, lower-density character of the southern Gold Coast.

"North Kirra presents one of the most compelling luxury residential opportunities currently emerging in Australia, combining absolute beachfront with the character and authenticity that buyers are increasingly seeking, and the same sense of tight-knit community that defined Burleigh and Currumbin perhaps 10 or 15 years ago," Mould said.

"With Gold Coast Airport on its doorstep, it also offers a level of accessibility that broadens its appeal across almost every market demographic."

The project comes as the southern Gold Coast continues to attract an increasing share of high-end apartment development and buyer activity.

Kirra in particular has emerged as one of the region's more tightly held beachfront markets, with its relatively low-density character, established surf and hospitality scene and proximity to Gold Coast Airport differentiating it from the higher-density markets further north.

Mould said those characteristics had informed the approach MAYD and Cera Stribley had taken to the project.

"We've worked closely with Cera Stribley to create a vision that is deeply connected to its surroundings," he said.

"Inspired by the coastline itself, the architecture has been shaped around space, privacy and resort-style living, creating a collection of homes that reflects the next generation of luxury on the southern Gold Coast."

MOTIV Managing Director Carly Cottam, who has been appointed to market the project, said buyer attention had continued to move south along the Gold Coast.

"Purchasers who may once have defaulted to Broadbeach, Main Beach or Surfers Paradise are increasingly recognising the value of a genuine beachfront location that offers lower density, strong amenity and a more established sense of community," Cottam said.

"Kirra has a powerful combination of growing demand and genuine scarcity. Beachfront supply is inherently constrained, the area remains relatively low density, and buyers are increasingly placing a premium on locations that feel established, uncrowded and authentic rather than heavily developed."

Cottam said the proximity to Gold Coast Airport was also proving increasingly important for interstate and second-home buyers.

"Being minutes from Gold Coast Airport makes it particularly compelling for interstate buyers, frequent travellers and second-home purchasers who can access an authentic coastal lifestyle almost immediately after stepping off a flight."

The acquisition takes MAYD's active development portfolio to more than $500 million, with the North Kirra project representing one of its largest undertakings to date.

MAYD is targeting an early 2027 launch.

Joel Robinson

First look at MAYD's North Kirra mixed-use precinct

<main data-perf-region="main">
Castle Hill, the longtime hub of the Hills District, has been one of the major beneficiaries of Sydney's Metro expansion, with improved connectivity helping drive continued population growth, development and buyer demand across the Hills District.

But despite that growth, the suburb has seen relatively few major new apartment projects brought to market over the past 18 months.

Hills District developer Reve Group is looking to fill that gap with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nova-r-ve-castle-hill-2-garthowen-crescent-castle-hill-nsw-2154">Nova Rêve</a>, a major new mixed-use precinct on the corner of Garthowen Crescent and Old Castle Hill Road, a short walk from Castle Hill Metro Station and Castle Towers.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377679]

The project will comprise three residential towers alongside a hotel, restaurants, cafes and a skybar, more than 1,600 sqm of ground-floor retail and almost an acre of landscaped gardens.

It represents the largest project undertaken by Reve Group, the development arm of the Kassis family, which has been building across the Hills District for more than 30 years through Kassis Homes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377675]

Nova Rêve also represents a significant step up from the family's first apartment development, Grand Rêve, which was delivered nearby on Garthowen Crescent.

Grand Rêve introduced larger, house-like apartment layouts and premium inclusions including Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances to the Castle Hill market.

Nova Rêve takes that approach to a precinct scale, combining the residential component with hospitality, retail and substantial public and resident landscaping.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377685]

Reve Group Managing Director Sam Kassis said the project reflected the family's three decades of building in the Hills, which has evolved from trophy homes on quarter-acre blocks to larger-scale apartment development.

"Grand Rêve was our first apartment project here and it showed us what this pocket of Castle Hill could be. Nova Rêve is the refinement of that idea: not just apartments, but a place the whole suburb can use," Kassis said.

A key part of that approach is the hotel, which has been designed to operate as an amenity for the wider Castle Hill community rather than solely hotel guests.

It will include restaurants, cafes, skybars and all-day dining, alongside conference and event facilities catering to business functions, community groups and private events.

At ground level, more than 1,600 sqm of shops and cafes will open onto the surrounding streets and landscaped areas.

Almost an acre of gardens designed by Land and Form Studios will run through the precinct, incorporating pathways, seating, barbecue areas and children's play spaces.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152737 project_image_fid=377680]

Reve Group's Romio Georges said creating an active ground plane had been central to the planning of Nova Rêve.

"There are gardens with pathways, barbecues, seating and play areas, shops and cafes opening onto the street, and a hotel with restaurants and a skybar that anyone in Castle Hill can walk into," Georges said.

The project's elevated position on one of Sydney's highest ridgelines will also provide apartments with outlooks toward the Sydney skyline, surrounding parkland and the Blue Mountains.

More than 80 per cent of the apartments will occupy corner positions, with Turner responsible for both the architecture and interiors.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152737]

<h3 data-end="3697" data-section-id="q3n5ak" data-start="3672">&nbsp;</h3>
</main>

Nova Rêve arrives as Reve Group bets on Castle Hill's next growth phase

A collection of just 25 large-format apartments and penthouses overlooking Goodwin Park is entering the Coolangatta market, with <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/marea-residences-coolangatta-27-27a-dixon-street-coolangatta-qld-4225">Maréa Residences</a> combining a low-density, residential-only approach with uninterrupted park and Pacific Ocean outlooks.

Located at 27 Dixon Street, Maréa comprises three and four-bedroom residences alongside a limited number of dual-level penthouses, with the project positioned between Goodwin Park and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/coolangatta-qld-4225">Coolangatta</a>’s coastal precinct.

Construction has commenced, with completion currently estimated for late 2027. Three-bedroom residences are priced from $1.8 million.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374005]

The project has been designed around its northern outlook across the park, with the building’s architecture, landscaping and material palette intended to establish a connection with the neighbouring green space. The residences have been configured to maximise natural light and views across Goodwin Park towards the ocean.

Inside, the material palette incorporates timber, stone and brushed brass, complemented by curved detailing and ambient lighting. Kitchens and bathrooms carry the same natural material approach, while residences also include basement parking, storage and lift access.

Maréa’s penthouses are arranged over two levels and include private pools, adding another layer to the project’s focus on larger-format apartment living. Across the development, residences are configured with three or four bedrooms rather than the broader mix of smaller apartment types commonly found in larger projects.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374010]

Resident amenity is concentrated at rooftop level, where landscaped entertaining terraces and pools take advantage of elevated views across Coolangatta and the Pacific Ocean.

The project has so far been particularly well received by local owner-occupiers and downsizers, according to Urban Activation Property Sales and Marketing Director Matt George, with the residential-only format, construction quality and northern park outlook among the features resonating with purchasers.

“The uninterrupted northern aspect overlooking Goodwin Park has been a key point of difference, with buyers attracted to the sense of serenity and open space the park provides, while still enjoying easy access to the ocean and being within walking distance of the lifestyle and amenities Coolangatta has to offer,” George said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=150999 project_image_fid=374002]

“The combination of high-quality construction, a residential-only building, park outlook and proximity to the beach has resonated strongly with the local downsizer market.”

The Dixon Street address is within walking distance of Coolangatta Beach and the broader southern Gold Coast coastline, including the surf breaks at Snapper Rocks and Kirra. Coolangatta’s cafés, restaurants and retail are nearby, while Gold Coast Airport is also within close proximity.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=150999]

Maréa Residences brings parkside apartments to Coolangatta

Melbourne developer PDG has secured Victorian Government approval for its $1.5 billion Southbank development <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-one-1-queens-bridge-street-southbank-vic-3006">The One</a>, clearing the way for the long-dormant riverfront site opposite Crown to finally be developed.

The Minister for Planning has approved the project at 1-29 Queens Bridge Street, with the Department of Transport and Planning issuing the planning permit following its assessment.

The approval will allow PDG to develop the prominent 5,059 sqm site with a major mixed-use tower comprising premium apartments, including branded residences, a luxury hotel and boutique office space.

PDG acquired the site in late 2024, with its position directly opposite Crown's main entrance and near Melbourne's Arts Precinct making it one of Southbank's most significant remaining development opportunities.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3933013e-6332-4386-b9be-089df05caf17" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.22%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sITIgBqDL0N3VNSMwWEmF5UA.uvcsRyu" />

Designed by COX in collaboration with ODO and PDG, the tower's architecture draws on the movement of the Yarra River, with six vertical pleats running the height of the sculpted facade.

The project will also see the heritage-listed Queens Bridge Hotel restored and incorporated into the development&nbsp;with new hospitality and public uses, including a rooftop venue.

A significant component of The One will be its residential amenity.

More than 5,000 sqm of resident facilities will be delivered across a single level, making it one of the largest consolidated residential amenity offerings proposed in an Australian apartment development.

The planning approval also incorporates a major upgrade of Queensbridge Square, which PDG will deliver in partnership with the City of Melbourne.

<img alt="PDG" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="73167fcd-1031-4b6f-a408-a064cfe45ed1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-27%20at%209.29.17%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Pf1AEWxw6SNmBqR0zQW5lyEze.MtxgFp" />

The existing square will be revitalised as a new civic and pedestrian space along the Yarra River, strengthening the connection between the project, Southbank and the riverfront.

PDG Founder and Managing Director Vince Giuliano said the approval represented a major milestone for a site which has remained largely underutilised for more than 15 years.

“This is the most significant Planning Permit approval Melbourne has seen in recent years,” Giuliano said.

“For more than 15 years, this site has remained underutilised. This approval enables us to deliver a project that will contribute meaningfully to the revitalisation of Southbank, restore and reactivate an important heritage building, and create a new civic and hospitality destination for Melbourne.”

The latest approval follows an earlier planning permit issued by the City of Melbourne covering demolition works across part of the site at 9-29 Queens Bridge Street. Those demolition and early works are already underway.

PDG has also started generating early interest in the residential component from owner-occupiers ahead of a planned public launch in early 2027.

PDG secures approval for $1.5bn Southbank apartment development, The One

Local developer Harridan is seeking to turn its Woolloongabba apartment project into the first stage of a broader transformation of Burke Street, using a new 16-storey mixed-use building to establish a greener pedestrian connection toward the rapidly evolving Boggo Road transport and knowledge precinct.

The South East Queensland developer has filed plans for 154 apartments on the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/4-burke-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">southern side of Burke Street</a>, where its proposal has been designed alongside a wider vision by LatStudios for the street.

That vision positions the southern side of Burke Street for buildings of 15 storeys and above, while envisaging lower-rise development of up to five storeys on the northern side to transition into Woolloongabba's existing character housing. It also proposes wider pedestrian verges, deep planting, new street trees and upgrades to the pedestrian approach to Boggo Road Station.

The Harridan development itself has been designed by Brisbane-based Arqus Design and will comprise 154 apartments across 16 storeys. The mix is weighted heavily toward two-bedroom apartments, with 121 proposed alongside 10 one-bedroom and 23 three-bedroom residences. There will typically be around 14 units per floor.

A lower-ground car park and three podium levels will accommodate 156 resident parking spaces, along with visitor and commercial parking. There will also be 154 resident bicycle spaces and 40 visitor bicycle parks.

&nbsp;

Harridan is a family-owned developer and part of the Holmwood Highgate Group, with more than three decades of development activity across South East Queensland. Its portfolio spans residential, commercial and industrial property, with current residential projects including Riverbank on Byron in Bulimba, Esperance Residences in Carina and The Precinct at Kinross Road in Thornlands.

Wooloongabba has been popular for apartment developers, particularly since the announcement of the 2032 Summer Olympics games in Brisbane.

While there have been a lot of development applications, it has failed to materialize into real supply.&nbsp;

Sarazin has been the major player in the area. They are under construction at Murcia Residences, on the fringe of East Brisbane and Woolloongabba. They have just launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-stanley-residences-woolloongabba-8-trafalgar-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">The Stanley Residences</a>, in Woolloongabba on Trafalagar Street. They also have Nuage coming soon on the nearby <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nuage-woolloongabba-14-wellington-road-woolloongabba-qld-4102">Wellington Road</a>.

First look: Harridan plans Burke Street transformation beside Boggo Road transport hub

Rba Insights

<html><body>
The Sydney price recovery could be just one or two cash rate cuts away.
That's a real possibility based on the latest research of no-less, the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Their researchers found falling interest rates was the chief catalyst behind the huge surge in prices between 2012 and 2017.
“We find that low interest rates — partly reflecting lower world long-term rates — explain much of the rapid growth in housing prices and construction over the past few years," RBA economist Trent Saunders and RBA senior research manager Peter Tulip noted.
Their modelling of the Australian housing market sought to quantify the inter-relationships between prices, rents, construction and vacancies.
They found the building boom seen in recent years would not have been as pronounced were it not for the lower borrowing costs and higher prices prompting a supply response from developers.
Another demand factor, high immigration, helped explain the tight housing market and rapid growth in rents.
“The model estimates that the reduction in real interest rates (actual interest rates, less inflation) accounts for most of the boom in dwelling prices and a large part of the boom in dwelling investment,” said the researchers in their 35 page report.
It is not the official view of the board that sits in judgement on the first Tuesday of the month, but the insights are going to shape the timing and speed of any next move in the cash rate.
The speculation of the rate cut hit the mainstream in early this year when Shane Oliver, the chief economist at AMP Capital, raised the prospect.
Oliver noted home price weakness was at levels where the RBA started cutting rates in 2008 and 2011 and the 2015-16 property slowdown was also turned around by rate cuts in May and August 2016.
"Ongoing home price falls in Sydney and Melbourne will depress consumer spending as the wealth effect goes in reverse and so homeowners will be less inclined to allow their savings rate to decline," Oliver noted.
The RBA rate cut whisperer Bill Evans at Westpac chimed in last month expecting the Reserve Bank to cut the cash rate by 25bps in both August and November this year.
Evans noted headwinds for the housing market and activity were also apparent in developments around credit.
Evans noted there was less lending demand and supply, after concerns around falling prices and stretched affordability and lending supply being hit by new regulations and caution from some lenders in a falling market.
Evans anticipates unlike the response of the property markets in 2016 to two rate cuts that he does not expect that these two cuts will immediately stabilise housing markets.
Last week NAB's Alan Oster who said the RBA outlook for a further fall in unemployment to gradually lift wages and ultimately inflation is increasingly in doubt.
He therefore expects the RBA to provide some further support to the economy in the form of lower interest rates.
Oster anticipates in July and November. 
While the RBA research will contribute to the commentary, there's little risk that home prices will rise rapidly.
The introduction of tougher lending standards towards household expenses and outstanding debt held by individual borrowers ought make sure of this.
</body></html>

jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

The Sydney price recovery could be just one or two cash rate cuts away

<html><body>
RBA economist Trent Saunders and RBA senior research manager Peter Tulip have created a model to summarize the Australian housing market.
"We build an empirical model of the Australian housing market that quantifies interrelationships between construction, vacancies, rents and prices," Saunders and Tulip said.
"We find that low interest rates (partly reflecting lower world long-term rates) explain much of the rapid growth in housing prices and construction over the past few years," the paid said.
"Another demand factor, high immigration, also helps explain the tight housing market and rapid growth in rents in the late 2000s.
"A large part of the effect of interest rates on dwelling investment, and hence GDP, works through housing prices.
Click here to enlarge the key model relationships in the Australian housing market.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/3/11/key-model-relationships.jpg" alt="">
The model has six important equations, denoted by blue boxes.
"It also contains a large number of identities and simple forecasting equations (typically autoregressions) used for projecting forward variables we think of as exogenous," Saunders and Tulip said.
A brief discussion of each of the key points, highlighted by Saunders and Tulip, are found below. To read the full RBA release, <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/rdp/2019/pdf/rdp2019-01.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a>.
Building Approvals
"We model constant price building approvals for detached houses, higher-density housing, and alterations and additions separately.
"This disaggregation is useful because the different types of construction behave differently and because alterations and additions do not contribute to the number of new dwellings, an important factor in explaining the vacancy rate."
Dwelling investment and the housing stock (constant prices) 
"Dwelling investment is a volatile component of GDP and is important for macroeconomic forecasting and policy. 
"It has also been a focus of other researchers and model builders, so our predictions for it facilitate comparisons. 
"Approvals flow into dwelling investment with a long-run elasticity of 1. 
"Specifically, for each category of housing construction, we map approvals through to commencements, then commencements to work done, work done to dwelling investment, and finally, dwelling investment to the constant price measure of the housing stock.
Completions and the number of dwellings 
"The second chain of variables affected by dwelling approvals explains the number (as distinct from the value or volume) of dwellings that are built. 
"To estimate the number of approvals we remove alterations and additions and the effect of the changes in quality (most evident in larger floor sizes) from the estimates of new dwelling approvals."
Rental Vacancies
"Figure eight (below) shows components of what might be considered as ‘excess supply’ of housing. 
"The green line in the top panel shows quarterly changes in the number of dwellings. This equals housing completions (as modelled in the previous section) less demolitions.
"This is often called the supply of new dwellings, though the demand/supply distinction is difficult to apply to owner-occupied housing, which households provide to themselves.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/3/13/Figure8.jpg" alt="">
"These estimates are lower than the ‘housing supply’ estimates of Ong et al because we allow for both approvals that are not completed and demolitions. 
"The purple line shows what we call ‘underlying’ household formation, defined as quarterly changes in adult population, which is an important and exogenous component of underlying demand, divided by a five-year trailing average of adults per dwelling."
Housing Prices
"Research on the determinants of housing prices, both in Australia and overseas commonly focuses on the user cost of housing. 
The user cost represents the annual cost of owning a house, comprising the sum of interest payments, repairs, rates and other running costs, less expected capital appreciation.
"In the long run, this tends to be close to the cost of renting a similar dwelling. 
"If the user cost were lower than rents, households would be financially better off owning than renting and might be expected to bid up the price of houses. 
"Conversely, when renting is cheaper, there would be downward pressure on housing prices."
To read the full RBA release, <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/rdp/2019/pdf/rdp2019-01.pdf" target="_blank">click here</a>.
</body></html>

jonathanchancellor-7SQnKwU6yx

The RBA's housing market model explained

jrobinson-rf4aSBido9

What have we learnt since the financial crisis? RBA's John Simon

The housing market and the economy: RBA Governor Philip Lowe

<html><body>
Only five percent of homes are in negative equity, the RBA Governor Philip Lowe advised in his speech to the AFR Business Summit.
"Our estimate is that currently, less than five percent of indebted owner-occupier households have negative equity, and the vast bulk of these households continue to meet their mortgage obligations," Lowe said.
Lowe says one factor that has helped is that the share of new loans with high loan-to-valuation ratios (LVRs) has declined substantially (Graph 15 below).
Click here to enlarge.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/3/6/Graph15-RBA.jpg" alt="">
"The nature of Australian mortgages – in which there is an incentive to make prepayments – has also helped," Lowe added.
Lowe expects a further tightening of the labour market, which will see a gradual increase in wages growth and faster income growth.
"This should provide a counterweight to the effect on spending of lower housing prices," Lowe suggested.
"Taking these various considerations into account, the adjustment in our housing market is manageable for the overall economy."
</body></html>

Only 5% of homes in negative equity says RBA

<html><body>
Home loan credit conditions tightened more than was probably required, the RBA governor Philip Lowe said today. 
"Overall, the evidence is that a tightening in credit supply has contributed to the slowdown in credit growth," he told the AFR Business Summit.
"The main story, though, is one of reduced demand for credit, rather than reduced supply.
"Even though the slowing in credit growth is largely a demand story, we are watching credit availability closely.
"It is perhaps stating the obvious to say that we want lenders who are both prudent and who are prepared to take risk.
"As lenders recalibrated their risk controls last year, the balance may have moved too far in some cases.
"This meant that credit conditions tightened more than was probably required.
"Now, as lenders continue to seek the right balance, we need to remember that it is important that banks are prepared to take credit risk.
"And it's important that they have the capacity to manage that risk well.
"If they can't do this, then the economy will suffer," Dr Lowe said.
"It has also been apparent through our liaison that some lenders became more cautious last year." "No discussion of housing prices is complete without touching on interest rates and the availability of finance. The low interest rates over the past decade did increase people's capacity to borrow and made it more attractive to borrow to buy an asset whose price was appreciating. But the increase in housing prices is not just about low interest rates."
Dr Lowe noted that recently there had been much attention paid to the availability of credit.
"This attention has coincided with a noticeable slowing in housing credit growth, especially to investors (Graph 10).
<div>
<div> </div>
<img src="https://www.rba.gov.au/speeches/2019/images/sp-gov-2019-03-06-graph10.gif" alt="Graph 10: Housing credit growth">
</div>
"It is clear there has been a progressive tightening in lending standards over recent years.
"The RBA's liaison suggests that, on average, the maximum loan size offered to new borrowers has fallen by around 20 per cent since 2015.
"This reflects a combination of factors, including more accurate reporting of expenses, larger discounts applied to certain types of income and more comprehensive reporting of other liabilities.
"Even so, only around 10 per cent of people borrow the maximum they are offered.
"Sensibly, most people borrow less than what they are offered, so the effect of this reduction in borrowing capacity has not been particularly large."
</body></html>

Home loan credit conditions tightened more than was probably required: RBA

<html><body>
The March meeting of the RBA has seen the cash rate remain on hold at 1.5 percent.
It has now stayed at record lows for 28 consecutive meetings. 
The last time the rate changed was in August 2016.
CoreLogic's head of research Tim Lawless says there is a growing possibility that rates could fall later this year. 
"The strong labour market report for January was likely a key factor in keeping rates on hold, however in balance, wages have grown at a consistently low rate growth and inflation remains stubbornly below the target range," Lawless said.
"The sharp slowdown in residential construction activity and relatively benign retail trade figures may be hinting that weak housing market conditions are already spilling over to the broader economy. 
"No doubt the RBA are tracking housing market conditions very closely, watching for any further deterioration that might signal a dent to consumer spirits, resulting in less spending, more saving and a further pull back in residential construction activity. 
"CoreLogic reported another broad based decline in dwelling values in February, down 0.7% nationally, however the good news was that the rate of decline has eased over the past two months and housing affordability is showing a consistent improvement across most housing markets.  
"The performance of the housing sector over coming months should provide some clues about future monetary policy decisions. 
"A further deterioration in the pace or geographic scope of declines could tip the balance in favour of a rate cut later this year as the RBA becomes wary of the wealth effect moving into reverse.
</body></html>

RBA hold rates at record lows in March 

Minutes of February 2019 Monetary Policy Meeting of the Reserve Bank Board

<html><body>
EXPERT OBSERVER
The Governor chose to repeat the statement’s concluding paragraph which explains the policy decision with the same words that he used in December despite lower forecasts and recognition of downside risks.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
As expected, the Board of the Reserve Bank decided to leave the cash rate unchanged at 1.5%. At the February meeting, the Board discusses the executive’s revised forecasts which will be released in the February Statement of Monetary Policy on February 8.
However, in recent statements, the Governor has provided readers with growth and inflation forecasts and this was repeated in today’s statement.
For 2019, forecast growth has been revised down from 3 ¼ per cent to 3 per cent, and 2020, from 3 per cent to “a little less” due to slower growth in exports of resources.
It is important that this 3 per cent growth forecast is above the assessed trend rate of 2 ¾ per cent, and the implied 2020 forecast is likely to be around trend.
If a central bank is forecasting above trend growth, then it is highly unlikely to adopt an easing bias, and indeed the chances are still likely that the Governor will persist with his assessment that even though rates are likely to remain steady for some time, the next move is likely to be up.
The inflation forecasts were also revised with the underlying inflation forecast for 2019 reduced from 2 ¼ per cent to 2 per cent, while the 2020 forecast remains at 2 ¼ per cent. Hence the Bank is maintaining the view that inflation will gradually move into the 2 to 3 per cent band, although it will take somewhat longer than previously expected.
There are good reasons why the Bank lowered its growth forecasts. Firstly, while it still assesses the outlook for global growth as “reasonable”, it recognises that “downside risks have increased”. Secondly, it has made some significant changes around the household sector and housing.
For some time, Westpac has argued that the fall in house prices in Sydney and Melbourne will be associated with a negative wealth effect.
In the RBA’s previous writings, they tended to dismiss any wealth effect, but in today’s statement the Governor notes “the main domestic uncertainty remains around the outlook for household spending and the effect of falling housing prices in some cities”.
In linking house prices with household spending, he appears to be recognising the risk of a negative wealth effect.
Westpac has also argued that residential housing construction will be a drag on growth in both 2019 and 2020. The RBA has not supported that view, referring to a strong pipeline. But, recent falls in dwelling approvals, including for detached housing, clearly point to a significant drag on growth from the housing construction downturn.
The statement continues to point to “rising business investment” which in the December statement was linked to “business conditions are positive”. The Governor has obviously decided that the strong negative signal from the recent NAB business survey was insufficient at this stage to review the business investment outlook.
Given that the survey was taken in early January, Westpac thinks that approach is reasonable but there will be considerable interest to see whether future surveys send a more positive signal.
The Governor maintains his positive rhetoric around the labour market and confirms its forecast that the unemployment rate will fall to 4 ¾ per cent by the end of 2020. He also expects a further lift in wages over time, supporting household incomes.
Financial conditions in the US attract some attention, although the recent sharp decline in equity prices is noted to have been partly reversed. He also observes that market participants no longer expect the FOMC to be tightening monetary policy.
The Sydney and Melbourne housing markets are assessed as “going through a period of adjustment”, and credit conditions have tightened.
This is the approach which he has taken in previous statements but it is very significant that he has begun to recognise a potential wealth effect, meaning that the price adjustment may have implications for the real economy.
With a more cautious view on the wealth effect and recognition that dwelling construction will contract, Westpac’s GDP forecast for 2019 and 2020 is 2.6%, with recent data releases pointing to downside risks even for those modest numbers.
Finally, the Governor chose to repeat the concluding paragraph which explains the policy decision with the same words that he used in December despite lower forecasts and recognition of downside risks.
Notably, it includes the sentence “Further progress in reducing unemployment and having inflation return to target is expected, although this progress is likely to be gradual.”
Conclusion
With these revised forecasts, the RBA is clearly less comfortable with its previous positive outlook. Its growth forecasts remain significantly above Westpac’s own view.
With our forecasts of 2.6% growth in 2019 and 2020, it still seems that the more likely outcome will be for steady rates, even if as we expect, the RBA will eventually have to adopt growth forecasts much closer to Westpac’s current view.
Westpac confirms its long-held forecast that the RBA cash rate will remain on hold in 2019 and 2020.
BILL EVANS is the Chief Economist for Westpac
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body></html>

bevans-rYk9SxEa4r

Reserve Bank lowers growth and inflation forecasts but remains confident: Bill Evans

<html><body>
Amid uncertainty in the financial markets following the Royal Commission report, it was business as usual for the RBA, who kept the official cash rate at 1.5 percent for another month.
Their recently released chart pack, which details figures from the world economy to Australia's financial figures, yielded no further information, just further declines in some key areas.
Below are four charts which highlight the continued declines.
One of the most important aspect is the housing price to housing debt ratio, which has been tracking in the opposite, and negative, direction for months.
Click here to enlarge.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/2/6/RBA-Chart1.jpg" alt="">
The decline in house prices has led to consumer sentiment tracking toward the average, a figure we haven't seen since since late 2017.
Click here to enlarge.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/2/6/RBA-Chart3.jpg" alt="">
The <a href="/news/apartments-drive-dwelling-approval-decline-back-to-2013-levels">recent dwelling approval figures</a>, which showed an 8.4 percent decline in December nationwide, will have been a big factor in the RBA's decision to hold rates.
Its surprise December decline bring the seasonally adjusted annual decline to 22 percent.
The annual decline has been driven by apartment approvals, which have now gone back 38 percent over the 12 months to December 2018.
House approvals have declined 11 percent in that time period.
In trends terms, dwelling approvals have now fallen for 14 straight months, down 39 percent from the November 2017 peak.
Click here to enlarge.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/2/6/RBA-Chart2.jpg" alt="">
There continues to be a gap between household consumption and disposable income.
A household's disposable income hasn't been higher than its consumption since 2014.
Click here to enlarge.
<img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/c_scale,w_580,q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/po.images/2019/2/6/Rba-Chart4.jpg" alt="">
 
 
 
</body></html>

Rba Insights

Editor's Picks

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News

Rba Insights

Editor's Picks

Receive the latest news stories to your inbox

Have something to contribute?

Developments

New apartments

New townhouses

News