Australia’s housing debate has rarely been more urgent. The National Housing Supply and Affordability Council forecasts the country could fall around 262,000 homes short of housing needs by 2029, underscoring the scale of the challenge facing planners, governments and developers.

In response, much of the conversation has centred on high-density towers around transport corridors and strategic centres.

Diversified developer Coronation Property, while also focused on well-located, strategic sites, is incorporating an arguably underutilised typology, the terrace.

Difficult to integrate into true high-rise developments, terraces have become a defining feature of Coronation’s lower-rise portfolio, including projects in Ashbury and Erskineville. <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/ashbury-terraces-165-171-milton-street-ashbury-nsw-2193">Ashbury Terraces</a> places a stronger emphasis on this housing type, forming part of a broader community mix.

At its Erskineville development, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/lillian-erskineville-9-metters-street-erskineville-nsw-2043">Lillian</a>, terraces are more limited, with just a handful&nbsp;included within the wider, predominantly apartment-led precinct, one of the first developments to launch in Erskineville in several years.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135149 project_image_fid=368392]

Terrace residents at Lillian benefit from many of the same advantages as apartment owners, the lock-up-and-leave lifestyle and access to shared amenities like the rooftop wellness space, but with significantly more space.

Spanning multiple levels, the terraces also feature front and rear courtyards, providing direct access to the central landscaped gardens within the precinct.

<h3 data-end="212" data-section-id="1n97jye" data-start="191">The terrace model</h3>

Terrace housing has long been part of Australia’s urban fabric. From Paddington and Surry Hills to Glebe and Annandale, rows of terrace homes have shaped neighbourhood streets, offering a housing form that sits between detached houses and apartments.

The contemporary terrace, however, addresses many of the limitations of older designs, where narrow staircases and constrained layouts often compromised liveability.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135149 project_image_fid=368157]

“Terraces represent one of the city’s most intelligent housing models,” says Joe Nahas, Managing Director of Coronation Property.

“They deliver density without losing the human scale that makes neighbourhoods liveable. In many ways, they provide a bridge between the Sydney we know and the Sydney we need to build. If Sydney is going to grow well, it can’t rely on towers alone.”

<hr data-end="1090" data-start="1087" />
<h3 data-end="1124" data-section-id="1a7l0gw" data-start="1092">The evolution of the terrace</h3>

That thinking has shaped Coronation’s approach at Ashbury Terraces, where the terrace typology has been reinterpreted for modern living.

Designed by SJB, the project recently received recognition at the 2026 Better Future World Design Awards, acknowledging its architectural clarity and response to the surrounding suburban context.

SJB Director Adam Haddow says the intent was to evolve a familiar housing form rather than reinvent it.

“The terrace is one of Sydney’s most familiar housing forms, so our approach at Ashbury was to reinterpret that typology in a contemporary way,” Haddow says.

“The homes are designed to sit comfortably within the existing neighbourhood while introducing more light, landscape and shared spaces that support modern living.”

Ashbury Terraces combines terraces, apartments and penthouses across a series of low-rise buildings, integrating contemporary architecture with landscaped communal spaces and resident amenity.

That same typology is now being carried into Coronation’s Lillian development in Erskineville, where a smaller number of terraces sit within a predominantly apartment-led precinct.

<hr data-end="2269" data-start="2266" />
<h3 data-end="2289" data-section-id="cazuws" data-start="2271">Buyer response</h3>

Coronation’s decision to include terraces at Lillian was informed by strong buyer feedback from Ashbury Terraces, where purchasers were drawn to the flexibility and scale the housing type offers.

One resident, Sweta Pursem, purchased a terrace as a single buyer, citing its long-term versatility.

“As a single buyer, it might seem surprising that I chose a terrace over an apartment, but I was thinking long term,” Pursem says.

“The terraces are incredibly versatile, catering to a range of lifestyles while still offering the space and privacy of a house.”

For Pursem, the multi-level layout provides a level of functionality not typically found in apartment living.

“Having a separate living area from the bedroom and home office makes everyday living feel both functional and comfortable. When friends and family come to visit, the layout gives a sense of privacy while still feeling open and spacious.”

Her terrace also supports a more connected, lifestyle-driven way of living.

“I love entertaining, and the courtyard is ideal for relaxed weekend drinks with friends. I tend to use each level differently throughout the day, it creates a natural rhythm between work, downtime and entertaining, which I didn’t have in apartment living.”

Ashbury Terraces is now complete and ready to move in, while Lillian in Erskineville is under construction and expected to welcome residents in mid-2027.

Joel Robinson

Coronation champions terraces as a key piece of Sydney’s housing mix

Private equity real estate firm Conquest has entered into a $220 million partnership with Woolworths’ development arm, Fabcot, to deliver its long-awaited Waterloo project on Bourke Street.

The Bourke Street development was first flagged by Fabcot back in 2021 as part of its push into Sydney’s residential market. However, progress has since stalled, with no activity on site amid a number of design revisions in consultation with the City of Sydney.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/conquest">Conquest</a>, which is actively planning more than $6 billion worth of new developments, predominantly mixed-use precincts, is now set to move the project forward.

The current plans include between 110 and 120 apartments across two buildings designed by Bates Smart at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/923-935-bourke-street-waterloo-nsw-2017">923 Bourke Street</a>. The scheme will incorporate a portion of apartments reserved for key workers, alongside premium commercial space at ground level, including a full-line Woolworths supermarket.

Construction is expected to commence in the second half of 2026.

Michael&nbsp;Akaawi, CEO of Conquest, said the partnership reflects the firm’s commitment to "convenience-led" urban renewal."

"We are preparing to commence construction in the second half of this year," Akaawi says.

"Along with Woolworths, we look forward to delivering the first major supermarket to the growing Waterloo community, integrated with premium new apartments and specialty retail shops. Our focus is on creating a seamless lifestyle hub where essential services are at the doorstep, saving residents time and enhancing their quality of life."&nbsp;

<img alt="Conquest" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d8beee83-ef9b-446b-a3b3-1e2fe596512b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-05-01%20at%2011.08.46%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=raYhGepiLUJfx4InLPRRJduA3ftDJ_kS" />

The news comes just a week after Conquest went to the NSW Government to upsize its plans for Castlecrag's Quadrangle Shopping Centre.

Conquest purchased the site for just shy of $70 million last year, with existing plans in place for a mixed-use residential and retail precinct comprising 38 luxury apartments.

Those plans have now been significantly expanded, with the developer lodging a State Significant Development Application with the NSW Government’s Housing Delivery Authority for 150 apartments across two 11-storey buildings. The apartments will sit above a four-storey podium, incorporating specialty retail tenancies and five levels of basement car parking, on the 5,166 sqm site at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/100-edinburgh-road-castlecrag-nsw-2068">100 Edinburgh Road</a>.

Conquest has been increasingly active in the development space in recent years. The group acquired the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/eastlakes-nsw-2018">Eastlakes</a>&nbsp;Shopping Centre redevelopment, where it plans to deliver more than 1,000 apartments above a new retail precinct, and has also lodged a $900 million State Significant Development Application for a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/conquest-unveils-900m-stanmore-village-vision-for-landmark-inner-west-site">mixed-use precinct in Stanmore</a>.

Conquest partners with Woolworths to deliver mixed-use Waterloo project

A shift away from Sydney’s industrial past has left parts of the inner south defined by contrast, brick warehouses repurposed into dining precincts, former factory streets softened by landscaping and pedestrian activity.

Rosebery is one of those suburbs. Over the past decade, it has undergone significant gentrification, anchored by The Cannery, which has helped reposition the area as one of the inner city’s most sought-after lifestyle pockets.

What hasn’t kept pace with that transformation is new residential supply, which has remained relatively limited. Builder-developer Deicorp identified that gap early, securing a site in 2019 and delivering what is now one of the suburb’s most architecturally distinctive developments.

To realise the vision, Deicorp engaged Candalepas Associates to design The Rothschild, a project that is immediately recognisable from the street.

Completed in 2025, The Rothschild comprises two buildings across Rothschild and Mentmore Avenues, delivering 176 apartments. The development replaces a former industrial site, retaining a material and structural dialogue with its past while introducing a more resolved residential framework. The scale is deliberate but not monolithic, broken into forms that engage both street frontages, with retail at ground level and two levels of basement parking below.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106843 project_image_fid=221665]

From the street, the architectural intent is clear. Off-form concrete columns run through the façade, establishing a repeated structural rhythm that gives the building its visual weight. These are paired with deep-set arches and sections of exposed brickwork, creating a layered elevation that reads less like a typical apartment block and more like a reinterpretation of industrial architecture.

The material palette is intentionally restrained, with concrete left exposed and brick used to define mass rather than decoration. The result is a building that stands out through proportion and repetition, rather than height or glazing.

This approach continues internally. A central landscaped courtyard sits between the two buildings, anchored by an olive grove that acts as both a visual and spatial focal point. Rather than functioning as residual space, the courtyard is designed as a shared ground plane, where circulation paths, seating areas and planting come together to create a usable communal environment. Its positioning allows natural light to penetrate deep into the site while maintaining separation between residences.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106843 project_image_fid=221666]

Within the apartments, the planning follows a clear and functional logic. Entry points lead directly into open-plan living areas, with kitchens positioned as central elements alongside dining and lounge spaces. These zones extend to balconies or external openings, maintaining a visual connection to either the courtyard or the street.

Kitchens prioritise practicality, with generous bench space, ample storage and European appliances configured for everyday use. Bedrooms are typically set back from the main living areas, creating quieter zones within each residence, with separation achieved through layout rather than material change. Bathrooms are compact but efficient, incorporating mirrored cabinetry and integrated storage to maximise space. Across all residences, the emphasis is on clarity of movement and functional planning.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=106843 project_image_fid=221669]

At ground level, retail and hospitality uses extend the building’s presence beyond its residential function. A café or restaurant space, alongside communal amenities such as a music room and rooftop areas, positions the development as part of a broader urban network rather than a standalone project. These shared spaces reinforce a lifestyle where the building operates as an extension of the surrounding neighbourhood.

Rosebery’s proximity to Green Square, The Cannery and nearby parklands supports this model of living, where much of daily life is within walking distance. The Rothschild sits comfortably within that network, contributing to the streetscape through its distinctive architecture, while internally organising space around light, structure and communal use.

The Rothschild is now complete and ready to move in, with limited residences remaining.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=106843]

The Rothschild reinterprets Rosebery’s industrial DNA into residential form

KTQ has unveiled&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/casilia-16-marine-parade-coolangatta-qld-4225">Casilia</a>, the final residential release within the Kirra Point precinct which really kicked off the boom in the area back in 2019.

The final stage comprises&nbsp;87 residences and marks the culmination of a long-term, family-led vision for Kirra Point, as the precinct moves toward completion in tandem with the development.

Around $100 million in sales have been achieved already, close to 35 per cent of the residences secured ahead of launch. There have been a significant number of buyers returning from the first stage of the development, Miles Residences, securing another property within Kirra Point.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152295 project_image_fid=368410]

Selling agent Tim Keenan from Keenan Byrne said the response reflects both the scarcity of the offering and Kirra’s growing reputation as a premium coastal market.

“This is effectively Kirra’s final act, the last release within what has become one of the Southern Gold Coast’s most tightly held beachfront precincts,” Keenan said.

“We’ve seen exceptionally strong pre-sale interest, from VIP waitlists through to off-market enquiry, which speaks to both the quality of the product and the confidence buyers have in the precinct. What’s particularly compelling is the number of buyers returning from Miles, either upgrading or investing again, which is a strong signal of how the precinct has been received."

Keenan adds that at the same time, north-facing beachfront remains exceptionally rare in Australia, limited to places like Noosa, Byron and Kirra, which is underpinning long-term value.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152295 project_image_fid=368415]

Positioned along one of Australia’s few true north-facing beaches, Casilia offers a mix of two and three-bedroom residences with pricing ranging from $1.87 million to $7.15 million and two exclusive penthouses. Residences are oriented to capture varying outlooks, from uninterrupted Pacific Ocean views across Kirra Beach to hinterland vistas, with upper levels and shared amenity taking in sweeping perspectives along the Gold Coast coastline.

At rooftop level, a north-facing pool deck captures expansive, uninterrupted views over Kirra Beach and north towards Surface Paradise. The space incorporates a heated resort-style pool, mineral spa, sun lounges and a covered BBQ cantina.

Buyer profiles are broad, typically aged between 40 and 70, with a strong skew toward second-home ownership, drawn by a combination of lifestyle, relative value, proximity to Gold Coast Airport and lower congestion compared to more established markets such as Byron Bay and Noosa.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152295 project_image_fid=368414]

The project is being delivered by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/ktq-group">KTQ Group</a>, a family-owned Australian property group with a diverse portfolio spanning residential, hospitality and commercial developments. The group has delivered a number of notable projects across sectors, including the award-winning Elements of Byron resort, demonstrating its depth of experience across both hospitality and residential development.

Known for its long-term approach to place-making, KTQ Group retains a vested interest in its projects, often holding assets within its portfolio, which has also helped build trust among buyers and reinforced confidence in both the vision and delivery certainty of the precinct.

“Casilia represents the final opportunity to secure a residence within Kirra Point and brings to market the last release within our long-term vision for the precinct," KTQ Group's Jeremy Holmes said.

"Kirra Point has been more than a decade in the making, and that timeframe reflects the care behind each decision, it takes listening, balance and vision to arrive at something that feels right for the location.

“Our approach has always been to deliver Kirra Point as a destination in its own right, a connected coastal neighbourhood integrating residential, hospitality and wellness, rather than a standalone project. It’s a vision that respects place, pace and permanence, and contributes to a sense of community that feels authentic to Kirra.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=152295 project_image_fid=368411]

Once complete, the Kirra Point masterplan will incorporate a mix of dining establishments, bars and cafés, alongside the Kirra Point Health Club and a future 91-room independent resort hotel, creating a walkable, integrated lifestyle precinct.

Architecutue and interiors at Casilia have been designed by the experienced design houses of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/little-boat-projects">Little Boat Projects</a> and O’Neil Architecture &amp; Interior Design, The design moves beyond the conventional coastal apartments, instead taking cues &nbsp;from the surrounding landscape - layering natural materials, soft curves and warm textures to create spaces that respond to light, airflow and the rhythms of coastal living.

Residences are designed with an array of floorplates, generous proportions and intuitive flow, while at ground level Casilia connects into the broader precinct, where future laneways, retail and hospitality offerings will contribute to a neighbourhood defined as much by how people live day-to-day as its beachfront position.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152295]

The final residential release within the Kirra Point masterplan is set to launch, as strong pre-sales signal sustained demand for the Southern Gold Coast

A decade in the making: KTQ launches Casilia at Kirra Point

South East Queensland developer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/gardner-vaughan-group">Gardner Vaughan Group</a>’s entry into the Gold Coast apartment market has progressed from pipeline to market, with its Chevron Island project Bronze on Chevron now formally available to purchase ahead of a planned 2029 completion.

The 119-apartment development on Mawarra Street marks the Brisbane-headquartered builder-developer’s first residential play in the Gold Coast, following its expansion south from Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bronze-on-chevron-8-mawarra-street-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Bronze on Chevron</a> comprises a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom residences, with pricing starting from just over $1.5 million. The project is being delivered under Gardner Vaughan’s fully integrated model, with the group acting as both developer and builder, a structure it has consistently applied across its South East Queensland portfolio.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107520 project_image_fid=367182]

Architecture has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cottee-parker-architects">Cottee Parker</a>, with landscape architecture by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/landscape-architect/jeremy-ferrier-landscape-design">Jeremy Ferrier</a>. The building presents as a single-tower scheme, with a focus on maximising outlook across both the Surfers Paradise skyline and the Nerang River.

Apartments have been planned with open-plan living zones extending to generous balconies, a response to the site’s dual-aspect positioning between river and ocean. Interiors follow a restrained coastal palette, with two colour schemes offered, and an emphasis on natural light and cross-ventilation.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107520 project_image_fid=367181]

Resident amenity is concentrated across more than 1,250 sqm and includes a resort-style pool, gym, yoga lawn and rooftop entertaining areas. A function space with catering facilities forms part of the upper-level offering, alongside north- and south-facing outdoor areas.

Ground level will incorporate two retail tenancies, intended to extend the existing village character of the surrounding streets.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=107520 project_image_fid=367200]

The project sits within walking distance of Thomas Drive’s established dining strip, while maintaining proximity to <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Surfers Paradise</a> beach and broader Gold Coast amenity. The location, positioned on Chevron Island between the river and coastline, has increasingly attracted mid- to high-density development in recent years as the precinct evolves beyond its low-rise origins.

Gardner Vaughan’s move into the Gold Coast was first signalled in 2025, with the group identifying the region as a natural extension of its operations. Chief Executive Officer Simon Betteridge described the expansion as both “strategic and natural”, citing demand for well-designed apartments in lifestyle-driven markets.

Construction is expected to complete in early 2029.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=107520]

Gardner Vaughan brings Bronze on Chevron to market as Gold Coast debut

Retirement Income

<html><body>
GUEST OBSERVATION
Here’s the boldest idea the government’s inquiry into retirement incomes should consider but might not: no longer exempting all of the value of each retiree’s home from the pension assets test.
The test would merely exempt part of the value of retirees’ homes. The change would free-up funds to support other retirees who are struggling because they have to pay rent.
It’s an idea with an impressive lineage.
The <a href="http://taxreview.treasury.gov.au/content/Content.aspx?doc=html/pubs_reports.htm" target="_blank">Henry Tax Review</a> suggested exempting only the first A$1.2 million. The bit above $1.2 million would be regarded as an asset and subject to the test.
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298025/original/file-20191022-56220-7y2uln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/298025/original/file-20191022-56220-7y2uln.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt=""></a>
<a href="http://taxreview.treasury.gov.au/content/Content.aspx?doc=html/pubs_reports.htm" target="_blank">Henry Tax Review</a>
The review said it would hit only 10,000 retirees. The $1.2 million figure was in 2009 dollars, meaning that if the change came in today the review would want it to cut in at a higher dollar figure.
The <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/news/theres-no-silver-bullet-when-it-comes-to-housing-affordability/" target="_blank">Grattan Institute</a> suggests a lower cut in: $500,000. The first $500,000 of each mortgaged home would remain exempt from the pension assets test, the part above $500,000 would be regarded as an asset. Grattan says it would save the budget $1 to $2 billion a year.
The <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-03/family-home-should-be-included-in-pension-asset-test-acci-says/8237206" target="_blank">Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry</a> agrees, as does the <a href="https://actuaries.asn.au/Library/Miscellaneous/2019/RetirementIncomesGreenPaperFinal.pdf" target="_blank">Actuaries Institute</a>.
The idea scares homeowners
Who could object?
The Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association says asset testing the family home would be “<a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-03/no-homes-in-assets-test-say-pensioners/8238828" target="_blank">massively unfair</a>”, targeting the vulnerable.
But people with high-value mortgage-free homes aren’t normally thought of as vulnerable.
Labor’s treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers says it would push more retirees “<a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Hansard/Hansard_Display?bid=chamber/hansardr/e79ccb2b-a20c-483b-95e8-ca89001fbbd2/&amp;sid=0011" target="_blank">off the pension, out of their homes, or both</a>”.
He is right about the former, but wrong to think the retirees who suffered a cut in their pension or lost their pension would be badly off.
The worst off retirees, as recognised by a <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Economics/Economic_security_for_women_in_retirement/Report" target="_blank">Senate Committee</a>, are those without homes making do with grossly inadequate rental assistance.
Right now it is possible for a single person owning a $1.3 million mortgage-free home and $260,000 of other assets to get the full age pension.
Assuming that person draws down on those other assets at the rate of 5% per year, he or she can spend $37,000 per year and pay no rent.
Yet homeowners do well
A non home owner with $785,000, or half the assets, would be denied the pension.
Like the much-richer homeowner, that person would be able to draw an income of about $37,000 per year, but half it will have to go on rent.
It’s hardly fair.
It encourages retirees with homes to stash more and more of their assets into them in order to get the pension (and pass something valuable on to their children). Retirees with lesser assets miss out and have to rent.
But fairness is in the eye of the beholder.
The problem is that a ceiling on exemption from the assets test that seems fair in one part of Australia might not seem fair in another where home prices and perhaps the cost of living is higher.
Our suggestion could be sold as fair
In order to make more equal treatment seem fair to all retirees with homes I and fellow actuary Colin Grenfell have <a href="https://actuaries.asn.au/Library/Miscellaneous/2019/RetirementIncomesGreenPaperFinal.pdf" target="_blank">worked up an option</a> that would use the median (typical) price for each postcode as the cut off point for exemption from the assets test.
It would happen postcode by postcode, updated every year using Council valuations and as the median prices changed.
Only the owners of homes who values were atypical for the area would be affected, and only that part of the value of their home that was atypical would be included in the assets test.
Its key selling point is that it wouldn’t threaten homeowners with values at and below the average for their area.
The funds freed could increase the overall pension, but would probably be better applied to lifting rent assistance.
It’s important to treat retirees in the same financial circumstances the same, regardless of whether they own a mortgage-free home, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/fall-in-ageing-australians-home-ownership-rates-looms-as-seismic-shock-for-housing-policy-120651" target="_blank">fewer and fewer</a> retirees are owning mortgage-free homes.
It would have the added benefit of reducing the pressure on our parents and grandparents to own houses with bedrooms on the first floor that are never opened, not until they die and their houses are sold.
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125500/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">Anthony Asher, Associate Professor, UNSW.
This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/postcode-by-postcode-a-clever-way-to-include-homes-in-the-age-pension-assets-test-125500" target="_blank">original article</a>.
</body></html>

j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Postcode by postcode: a clever way to include homes in the age pension assets test

<html><body>
The 2015 budget confirms pre-budget announcements that the government is committed to reducing the cost of the age pension, but will now do so more fairly than it had intended in last year’s budget.
<h2>Indexation plans dumped</h2>
The government had previously wanted to link the annual increase of the age pension to CPI instead of wages. Since prices grow more slowly than wages, this would have affected negatively anyone expecting to receive the pension in future.
Crucially, that policy would have lowered the safety net for those with the lowest incomes, halving its value relative to wages in the next forty years. Of the different options to reduce pension costs, this was the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-intergenerational-report-and-reforming-the-age-pension-38056">most inequitable</a>. Thanks to Senate opposition it has now been abandoned. The freeze on eligibility thresholds relating to the pension will also be abandoned.
<h2>Changes to means-testing</h2>
The <a href="https://scottmorrison.dss.gov.au/media-releases/fairer-access-to-a-more-sustainable-pension">new proposal</a>, to start in 2017, is to make the pension more targeted by tightening the asset test, particularly for home-owners.
As with any means-tested benefit, there are <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-intergenerational-report-and-reforming-the-age-pension-38056">three parts</a>: maximum benefit (i.e. the full pension), the amount of assets you can have before the pension is reduced (i.e. the asset “free area”), and the rate at which the pension is reduced as you have more assets (i.e. the taper). Income is tested separately.
The previous policy would have cut the maximum. The new proposal is to extend the free area, but to make the taper on extra assets more aggressive (see illustration) – a measure originally <a href="https://www.acoss.org.au/media/release/drop_unfair_plan_to_lower_pension_indexation_reform_super_and_pension_asset">proposed</a> by the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS).
The family home is still not counted as an asset. But as this graphic shows, people who own their own home will be affected differently to those who do not because the free area increases much more for non-home-owners than for home-owners.
 
<a href="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/81342/area14mp/image-20150512-19524-1rgvrrx.png"><img src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/81342/width668/image-20150512-19524-1rgvrrx.png" alt=""></a>Asset test changes for pensioners <a class="source" href="https://scottmorrison.dss.gov.au/media-releases/fairer-access-to-a-more-sustainable-pension">Data from DSS</a>, Author provided
<div class="enlarge_hint">Click to enlarge</div>
<h2>Who will be affected by the new means test?</h2>
You will be affected if your (non-home) assets are within the green or red asset ranges, which differ depending on relationship status and housing tenure. One consolation: the Treasurer has <a href="https://www.budget.gov.au/2015-16/content/speech/html/speech.htm">promised</a> that “anyone who currently has a Pensioner Concession Card will continue to receive a concession card that provides the same benefits.”
The vast majority of older people will see no change. Those gaining and losing are part-pensioners. The Government <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2015/s4231137.htm">estimates</a> that 170,000 with modest savings are expected to gain some age pension and about 330,000 part-pensioners with more assets will lose at least some of their entitlement.
For example, older couples who own their home and have other assets between about A$800,000 and A$1.2 million are expected to lose their part-pension altogether.
Of the $2.4 billion savings to the budget created by these changes, almost the entirety is borne by changes affecting better-off home owners.
So the measure takes a step toward redressing the inequality of excluding the family home from the asset test, where someone who used their savings to buy a house is favoured over someone who uses theirs to pay rent.
The ideal policy would include the family home beyond a certain level and make better use of the <a href="https://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/pension-loans-scheme">Pension Loans Scheme</a>, under which pensioners can get the age pension and eventually pay it back from the equity of their home.
While not saving as much as the previous indexation policy, the effect of a tougher asset test will build over time as Australians accumulate more superannuation savings. In future, more Australians will have assets that will reduce their age pension.
Either way, Australia would be expected to continue to spend very little on public pensions <a href="https://www.oecd.org/els/public-pensions/pensionsataglance.htm">compared</a> to most OECD countries.
<h2>Fragility of retirement incomes</h2>
The proposed policy is a fairer alternative to the indexation changes proposed in last year’s budget. That such indexation changes had any currency at all points to the fragility of the retirement income system when policy-makers focus only on sustainability. Issues remain, but at last both sustainability and adequacy are being considered.
<h3 class="fn"><a href="https://theconversation.com/budget-brief-will-i-lose-my-age-pension-41447?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+12+May+2015+-+2805&amp;utm_content=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+12+May+2015+-+2805+CID_67c2eed5a2983e7197bcdbadd5314e11&amp;utm_source=campaign_monitor&amp;utm_term=Budget%20brief%20will%20I%20lose%20my%20age%20pension" target="_blank">Rafal Chomik</a> </h3>
<h3 class="fn">Senior Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research, UNSW at UNSW Australia Business School.</h3>
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