<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developments/broadbeach-qld-4218">Broadbeach</a> offers plenty of reasons to live vertically, but moving from a substantial family home into an apartment can expose the compromises of high-density living. Privacy, room for guests and usable living space tend to matter more when an apartment is intended as a permanent home rather than an occasional coastal base.

A typical residential floor at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a>, on Surf Parade,&nbsp;contains just four apartments. The 94-residence development by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> is predominantly made up of expansive three-bedroom homes, with a limited collection of half-floor penthouses above.

Across the apartment floors, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/rothelowman">Rothelowman</a> has used the relatively limited number of residences to give each home greater access to natural light and outlook. Living spaces extend towards full-height glazing, while a series of bay windows frame selected views across the Pacific Ocean, city and hinterland rather than treating the building edge as a continuous wall of glass.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360965]

“The apartment floors deliver a collection of homes that embrace controlled outlook via a series of bay windows deliberately framing moments of view,” Rothelowman Director Kim Lowman said.

From outside, those projecting forms contribute to the tower’s faceted profile. Strong horizontal and vertical elements establish its proportions, while the changing position of the sun alters the light, shadow and reflection across the façade throughout the day.

The same attention moves inside the apartments, where the material palette combines warm timber, natural stone, metallic detailing and softer curved forms. Kitchens sit within the main living zone, with stone island benches, integrated joinery and European appliances, before the living areas extend towards the glazing and the outlook.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360981]

Three genuine bedrooms provide room to accommodate family and guests, while two secure car spaces and storage address some of the practical considerations that can become more noticeable when moving from a larger home. Feedback from the display suite has centred on the warmth and restraint of the interiors, with buyers commenting that the residences feel like homes rather than conventional coastal apartments.

A limited collection of half-floor penthouses occupies the upper levels, increasing the scale of the living spaces and adding private balconies and elevated finishes. From this position, the outlook extends between the ocean and hinterland.

Outside the private residences, The Eveleigh separates its shared spaces between the podium and rooftop. The podium is centred on wellness, with subtropical landscaping surrounding a swimming pool and pool terrace, yoga garden, private gymnasium, sauna and hot and cold plunge facilities. Landscaped retreats and pavilions provide additional places to sit away from the main recreation areas.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360966]

Higher in the building, a rooftop pavilion and private dining suite sit alongside resident lounge, barbecue and outdoor dining areas, opening towards panoramic views across the ocean, city and hinterland.

“Buyers are no longer just looking for an apartment, but a lifestyle where they can relax, reset, and enjoy a balanced way of living,” Hirsch &amp; Faigen Director of Sales Matt George said.

Interest to date has come from established owner-occupiers and interstate lifestyle purchasers, including buyers planning a future move to the Gold Coast. Many are coming from larger homes and want to reduce ongoing maintenance without giving up space for family and guests, privacy, two car spaces or the ability to entertain at home.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360969]

Much of that daily life can also take place beyond the building without requiring a drive. Kurrawa Beach and Pratten Park are an easy walk from Surf Parade, while Pacific Fair, Oracle Boulevard, The Oasis, restaurants, cafés, entertainment and public transport are also within walking distance.

The Eveleigh is Hirsch &amp; Faigen's fourth Gold Coast development since entering the market in 2021, following The Hemingway at Palm Beach, The Emerson at Kirra and Yves at Mermaid Beach. Each of the preceding projects sold out before completion.

“Broadbeach had been on our radar throughout our time operating on the Gold Coast,” the developer said. “Following our projects in Palm Beach, Kirra and Mermaid Beach, Broadbeach represented the natural next step for the business.”

The Surf Parade site brought together proximity to the beach, protected coastal outlooks and walkability to dining, shopping and recreation. Hirsch &amp; Faigen also identified the street as an emerging premium residential address, with enough separation from Broadbeach's busier destinations to retain a quieter environment at home.

The Eveleigh is now under construction by Maxcon, with completion forecast for mid-2028. Three-bedroom residences are currently available from $2.87 million.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149670]

Joel Robinson

The Eveleigh brings house-like apartments to Broadbeach

A long-stalled Campbelltown development site is back in play, with new plans for 139 apartments set to supersede a mixed-use scheme approved almost a decade ago but never built.

The new proposal for 28 Cordeaux Street would deliver 116 market and 23 affordable apartments in a part 14-storey building, bringing a substantial new project into a Campbelltown market where new apartment supply remains limited.

Plans have been filed over the 3,092 sqm corner site at Moore-Oxley Street, around 600 metres from Campbelltown Railway Station and the city-centre retail core.

The site already carries a mixed-use residential approval dating to 2016. Doroch Architects has now been engaged on a larger replacement scheme, which is progressing as a State Significant Development Application following a Housing Delivery Authority determination in August 2025.

The apartment mix comprises 39 one-bedroom, 72 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom residences. Two-bedroom apartments make up just over half of the project, while three-bedroom homes account for 20 per cent.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="136dd5b9-3791-4da6-9e31-76f533f5b4de" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da2.png?VersionId=LgOSy9nwf5u.MGswBBwaGGxuX8QpHSl_" />

Of the 139 apartments, 23 will be delivered as affordable housing under the in-fill affordable housing provisions of the Housing SEPP. The affordable component represents 15 per cent of the residential gross floor area and will be managed by a registered Community Housing Provider.

Doroch has sought to break the scale of the building into two distinct elements, with a masonry podium of around four storeys establishing the street edge before the residential tower steps back above.

The corner position has shaped that approach. Cordeaux Street faces toward the commercial and civic centre, while Moore-Oxley Street leads into the lower-scale residential neighbourhood to the south, and the design verification report describes the site as "bridging the commercial core to the north and established residential areas to the south."

The podium will be expressed predominantly in face brick, while the upper levels shift to brushed and grooved concrete cladding with darker metal detailing. Recessed sections, deep balcony edges and landscaping break down the upper form, with an approximately 11.8-metre setback to the northern boundary addressing the adjoining St Peters Anglican School.

<img alt="First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c8b3d2d3-c561-4bfc-a5d9-a68c0c10dac1" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Campbelltown%20da1.png?VersionId=AeAEyJU02Gk2k5noUj2StziCvdQ7fW4B" />

Campbelltown has been starved of new residential developments in the last decade.

The only other notable development set to come to market this year is ALAND's Queen Square, a mixed-use precinct on over two hectares that will comprise apartments above a vibrant ground-level retail and hospitality dining precinct.

First look: New 139-apartment plans revive long-stalled Campbelltown city centre site

First Look: Sherlock Construction pitches apartments for low-rise Deception Bay

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.

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

Vacant Housing

<html><body>
A vacant residential property tax (VRPT) was introduced from 1 January 2018 in Victoria. From January 1, the new 1 per cent Vacant Residential Property Tax will apply to properties in 16 councils that are not occupied for six months of the year. The Victorian Government introduced this tax with the claim it would help address the lack of housing supply in Victoria.
If you own a property in one of the affected Melbourne council areas and it was unoccupied for six months or more between 1 May and 31 December 2017, you must notify State Revenue Victoria by 15 January 2018.
As the legislation was only introduced into the Victorian Parliament in May 2017, homes will be considered to have been occupied between 1 January and 30 April 2017. This means, for the 2017 calendar year, homes will only need to be occupied for a further two months between 1 May and 31 December to be considered to have been occupied for more than six months.
Its compliance program will look at both non-reporting of vacant properties and incorrect exemption claims.
<ol>
<li>What is the vacant residential land tax?</li>
</ol>
The vacant residential land tax (commonly referred to as the vacant residential property tax or vacancy tax) is a tax on residential properties in the inner and middle suburbs of Melbourne which are unoccupied for more than six months a year.
<ol start="2">
<li>What is meant by "vacant"?</li>
</ol>
A property will be considered vacant if it was unoccupied for more than six months in the preceding calendar year by:
The owner, or the owner’s permitted occupier, as their principal place of residence, or
A person under a lease or short-term letting arrangement
The six months does not need to be continuous.
<ol start="3">
<li>When does the tax start?</li>
</ol>
The tax will apply from 1 January 2018 and is based on use and occupation in the preceding year. For example, tax liabilities for the 2018 tax year will based on vacancy in 2017, tax liabilities for the 2019 tax year will based on vacancy in 2018 and so on.
<ol start="4">
<li>Does the tax apply to all residential properties in Victoria?</li>
</ol>
No. The tax will only apply to vacant residential properties located in the following local council areas:
Banyule
Bayside
Boroondara
Darebin
Glen Eira
Hobsons Bay
Manningham
Maribyrnong
Melbourne
Monash
Moonee Valley
Moreland
Port Phillip
Stonnington
Whitehorse
Yarra
<ol start="5">
<li>How much is the tax and how is it calculated?</li>
</ol>
This is an annual tax of 1 per cent of the capital improved value (CIV) of taxable land. For example, if the taxable land has a CIV of $500,000, the tax will be $5000, if the taxable land has a CIV of $1,000,000, the tax will be $10,000.
The CIV of a property is the value of land and buildings as determined by the general valuation process. The CIV of a property is displayed on your council rates notice. It is not always displayed on all four quarterly rates notices, but will always appear on the first notice issues in the financial year.
<ol start="6">
<li>Are there any exemptions?</li>
</ol>
Yes. In addition to existing exemptions for land tax purposes, there will be several new exemptions which will apply to the vacant residential land tax. These include exemptions for:
Holiday homes, (see point 7 below)
City apartments/homes/units used for work purposes, (see point 8 below)
Property transfers during the year, (see point 9 below) and
New residential properties (see point 10 below)
<ol start="7">
<li>When is a holiday home exempt?</li>
</ol>
The holiday home exemption will apply to properties which are occupied as a second home by the owner for at least four weeks in the year.
This exemption will be subject to the following conditions:
The land owner must have had a principal place of residence in Australia in the preceding year, and
The Commissioner of State Revenue must be satisfied that the property for which the exemption is being sought is a genuine holiday home
An owner will only be able to claim the exemption in respect of one holiday home in a calendar year.   
<ol start="8">
<li>When is a residential property used for work purposes exempt?</li>
</ol>
This exemption is designed for properties owned and used by people who stay in the inner and middle suburbs of Melbourne for work purposes, but whose principal place of residence is elsewhere in Australia.
The exemption will apply to properties that are occupied for at least 140 days a year for the purpose of attending the owner’s workplace.
This exemption will be subject to the following conditions:
The land owner had a principal place of residence in Australia in the preceding tax year, and
The place of work must be in one of the specified local council areas
<ol start="9">
<li>What if a property changes ownership during a year?</li>
</ol>
Land that changes ownership during the year will be exempt from the tax in the following calendar year. For example, if a property is sold and transferred during 2018, it will be exempt from the tax for the 2019 tax year.
<ol start="10">
<li>What if a property is converted to residential premises during a year?</li>
</ol>
Land that becomes “residential land” during the year will not be subject to the vacant residential land tax in the following calendar year. For example, if a warehouse is converted into residential apartments during 2018, it will be exempt from the vacant residential land tax for the 2019 calendar year.
<ol start="11">
<li>How will the SRO know if you have vacant property?</li>
</ol>
Owners of vacant residential properties located within the specified local council area will be required to notify the Commissioner of State Revenue by 15 January in each year, and provide any information that the Commissioner requests. If a property is eligible for an exemption, the land owner will be asked to notify the SRO and advise which exemption applies.
If an owner fails to make a notification by 15 January, it will be a notification default and may be subject to penalty tax under the Taxation Administration Act 1997.
The State Revenue Office will conduct monitoring and compliance activities to ensure that vacant residences are being declared as required. Their compliance program includes comparing their data with other state and federal agencies, and conducting investigations into suspected avoidance. For example they may check water usage with relevant water authorities as a lack of water usage is a good indicator that a property is vacant.
<ol start="12">
<li>Does the tax apply to properties leased through online platforms?</li>
</ol>
Yes. If a property in one of the specified local council areas is leased through an online platform such as AIRBNB, it will be subject to the tax if it is unoccupied for more than six months in a calendar year. The six months does not need to be continuous.
</body></html>

j.ballantyne1990-6AQqhLzZaK

Vacant Melbourne property owners need to meet January 15 notification deadline

<html><body>
The Melbourne areas with the most number of unoccupied properties have been revealed, as the Andrews government prepares for its new vacant property tax.
The new tax will hit the Melbourne City Council area, where more than 2500 high-rise apartments are vacant.
The new tax will apply to the 16 local government areas from January 1 next year for properties that are left vacant for more than six months in a calendar year.
In the Moonee Valley council area, which includes Essendon, Moonee Ponds, Ascot Vale, Avondale Heights, there are at least 1700 empty properties.
There are more than 1000 vacant properties in the inner-northern Yarra City Council area, which takes in Fitzroy, North Carlton, Collingwood and Richmond.
Glen Eira and Port Phillip each have up to 1300 unoccupied properties.
 The number of empty homes is estimated based on water usage.
Premier Daniel Andrews said the vacancy tax would send a strong message to property owners who were "land banking" that they needed to sell or rent those homes.
There is a range of exemptions for the tax. Some of those will include deceased estates, holiday homes and properties being renovated.
Mr Andrews said the vacancy tax was a commonsense change.
"This is a really powerful signal to the market not to be leaving properties vacant at a time when so many people are finding it so hard to get into the market."
Census figures from 2016 showed that Australia had 200,000 more homes sitting empty than it did a decade ago. 
The vacancy tax is expected to raise more than $80 million over four years. But Mr Andrews said he hoped it would encourage owners to rent or sell their properties rather than providing revenue to the government.
Opposition Treasurer Michael O'Brien​ asked "are property owners now required to send their diaries to Daniel Andrews' tax officials?"
HomeGround Real Estate, a division of Launch Housing, is calling on owners of empty properties in the municipality to return 1,000 homes to the rental market.
Despite the current housing affordability crisis, more than 7,000 homes in the City of Melbourne municipality remain empty according to City of Melbourne demographic data 2013*. Returning just 14 per cent, or 1,000 homes, to the rental market would make a big difference to the growing number of people who struggle to find an affordable home in Melbourne.
HomeGround Real Estate is a not-for-profit real estate agency run by Launch Housing, one of Melbourne’s largest providers of housing and homelessness services. The innovative social enterprise aims to increase the stock of affordable housing for clients throughout Melbourne, securing affordable properties for low income tenants, including women and children escaping family violence. 
Launch Housing Deputy CEO Dr Heather Holst said property owners leave homes empty for a variety of reasons but listing the properties with HomeGround Real Estate could make a big difference.
“More and more people on lower incomes are at risk of homelessness due to the lack of affordable rental properties in Melbourne.
“The benefits are huge. People who have otherwise been priced out of the market are offered more affordable private rental, and HomeGround Real Estate offers landlords expert property and tenancy management services that give them peace of mind, the opportunity to contribute to those in need of housing, and a ‘social return’ on their negotiated, discounted rental fee.” 
The City of Melbourne made a one-off grant of $150,000, from its $2 million Pathways Innovation Package, to HomeGround Real Estate to contribute to activities that will increase the number of rental properties that are available to people experiencing homelessness within the municipality.
</body></html>

Melbourne's vacant property hotspots revealed as Andrews introduces new tax

<html><body>
Only a small fraction of the one million vacant dwellings on the 2016 census night were likely owned by foreign investors.
An analysis of the August census results by the economic consultancy SGS Economics has gone towards debunking the suggestion that foreigners are contributing to a housing shortage by leaving their homes empty.
SGS found the largest concentration of unoccupied dwellings was in the regions, reflecting lack of accomodation demand, rather than in the overbuilt capital cities where new apartment construction has been at record levels.
The firm’s analysis of the census shows that people being away from home was by far the most common reason for empty dwellings on census night, accounting for 453,000 properties.
There were also 237,000 holiday houses unoccupied.
The likely total of stock deliberately kept out of use was small, SGS economist Terry Rawnsley said.
The 2016 result was the highest vacant recorded over the time period analysed by SGS Economics from 1981 to 2016.
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="112">
Region
</td>
<td valign="top" width="70">
Dwellings
</td>
<td valign="top" width="85">
Vacant share of total
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="112">
Greater Sydney
</td>
<td valign="top" width="70">
136,019
</td>
<td valign="top" width="85">
7.3%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="112">
Regional NSW
</td>
<td valign="top" width="70">
148,683
</td>
<td valign="top" width="85">
12.4%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="112">
Greater Melbourne
</td>
<td valign="top" width="70">
167,494
</td>
<td valign="top" width="85">
9.1%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="112">
Regional VIC
</td>
<td valign="top" width="70">
111,136
</td>
<td valign="top" width="85">
16.1%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="112">
Greater Brisbane
</td>
<td valign="top" width="70">
68,386
</td>
<td valign="top" width="85">
7.6%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="112">
Regional QLD
</td>
<td valign="top" width="70">
127,171
</td>
<td valign="top" width="85">
11.7%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="112">
Greater Adelaide
</td>
<td valign="top" width="70">
47,396
</td>
<td valign="top" width="85">
8.4%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="112">
Regional SA
</td>
<td valign="top" width="70">
44,829
</td>
<td valign="top" width="85">
22%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="112">
Greater Perth
</td>
<td valign="top" width="70">
85,744
</td>
<td valign="top" width="85">
10.5%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="112">
Regional WA
</td>
<td valign="top" width="70">
47,137
</td>
<td valign="top" width="85">
18.6%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="112">
Greater Hobart
</td>
<td valign="top" width="70">
8,806
</td>
<td valign="top" width="85">
8.9%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="112">
Regional Tas
</td>
<td valign="top" width="70">
23,323
</td>
<td valign="top" width="85">
16.3%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="112">
Greater Darwin
</td>
<td valign="top" width="70">
5,529
</td>
<td valign="top" width="85">
10%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="112">
Regional NT
</td>
<td valign="top" width="70">
5,184
</td>
<td valign="top" width="85">
15%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="112">
ACT
</td>
<td valign="top" width="70">
12,590
</td>
<td valign="top" width="85">
7.7%
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td valign="top" width="112">
Other Territories
</td>
<td valign="top" width="70">
376
</td>
<td valign="top" width="85">
19.5%
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
"With the 2016 census being broadly in line with historical levels we can't blame investors intentionally leaving homes vacant or the rise of Airbnb," Rawnsley told Fairfax Media.
"There might be 180,000 dwellings falling into this 'withheld-from-market' category, but it's not going to be one million."
Around 55,000 homes were ­vacant as they had just been completed, while a further 47,000 were being renovated or repaired.
A further 16,000 were awaiting demolition, the SGS report said.
<div>
<div>There were 110,000 properties awaiting rental (presumably including some foreign-owned pro­perties).</div>
<div> </div>
<div>The analysis showed a further 70,000 properties were not covered by any these reasons.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>“While this analysis has limitations, it suggests that most of the dwellings that were unoccupied on census night were unoccupied for a very valid reason.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>"There does not appear to be a large pool of dwellings being withheld from the housing market,” the SGS ­report said.</div>
</div>
Although the number unoccupied was higher in the latest census, it rose only from 10.7 per cent of all dwellings to 11.2 per cent. The figure has been around 10 per cent since the 1980s.
Sydney’s pricey property market had only 7.3 per cent of dwellings vacant, the lowest rate in the country. Regional South Australia, by contrast, has 22 per cent of its housing empty.
Empty homes are most often found in areas that suffer a loss of major industries or where there is a large number of holiday homes.
While Sydney's inner suburbs had a rate of 9.5 per cent, this fell in regional areas such as Shoalhaven, where 26.1 per cent of homes were empty on census night.
In Greater Melbourne, the rate was 9.1 per cent – but higher in the inner suburbs 11.1 per cent of homes were vacant. However on the Mornington Peninsula this at 22 per cent due to holiday homes.
The Australian noted both federal and state governments have imposed punitive taxes on foreign investors who leave properties vacant, on the basis of suggestions that Chinese buyers are seeking assets in Australia for financial security rather than for return.
This year’s budget included a penalty for foreign-owned properties left vacant for more than six months, levied at $5000 for properties worth less than $1 million and a sliding scale for properties worth more.
It has however yet to be implemented.
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Foreigners not to blame for vacant ghost homes: SGS Economics

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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/80742/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1">
GUEST OBSERVER
Vacant housing rates are rising in our major cities. Across Australia on census night, 11.2 percent of housing was recorded as unoccupied – a total of 1,089,165 dwellings. With housing affordability stress also intensifying, the moment for a push on empty property taxes looks to have arrived. 
The 2016 Census showed empty property numbers up by 19% in Melbourne and 15 percent in Sydney over the past five years alone. Considering that thousands of people sleep rough – almost 7,000 on census night in 2011, more than 400 per night in Sydney in 2017 – and that hundreds of thousands face overcrowded homes or unaffordable rents, these seem like cruel and immoral revelations.
Public awareness of unused homes has been growing in Australia and globally. In London, Vancouver and elsewhere – just as in Sydney and Melbourne – the night-time spectacle of dark spaces in newly built “luxury towers” has triggered outrage.
This has struck a chord with the public not only because of its connotations of obscene wealth inequality and waste, but also because of the contended link to foreign ownership.
Early movers on vacancy tax
Against this backdrop, the Victorian state government has felt sufficiently emboldened to legislate an empty homes tax. Federally, the shadow treasurer, Chris Bowen, recently backed a standard vacant dwelling tax across all the nation’s major cities. 
Similar measures have come into force in Vancouver and Paris. And Ontario’s provincial government recently granted Toronto new powers to tax empty properties.
Emulating Vancouver, Victoria’s tax is a 1% capital value charge on homes vacant for at least six months in a year. Curiously, though, it applies only in Melbourne’s inner and middle suburbs. And there are exceptions – if the property is a grossly under-used second home you pay only if you’re a foreigner. 
Also, as in Vancouver, tax liability relies on self-reporting, which is seemingly a loophole. This might be less problematic if all owners were required to confirm their properties were occupied for at least six months of the past year. But that would be administratively cumbersome. 
This highlights a broader “practicability challenge” for empty property taxes. For example, how do you define acceptable reasons for a property being empty? 
In principle, such a tax should probably be limited to habitable dwellings. So, if you own a speculative vacancy, what do you do? Remove the kitchen sink to declare it unliveable?
How can we be sure a home is empty?
Lack of reliable data on empty homes is a major problem in Australia. Census figures are useful mainly because they indicate trends over time, but they substantially overstate the true number of long-term vacant habitable properties because they include temporarily empty dwellings (including second homes). 
Using Victorian water records, Prosper Australia estimates about half of Melbourne’s census-recorded vacant properties are long-term “speculative vacancies”. That’s 82,000 homes. 
Applying a similar “conversion factor” to Sydney’s census numbers would indicate around 68,000 speculative vacancies. Australia-wide, the Prosper Australia findings imply around 300,000 speculative vacancies – 3 percent of all housing. That’s equivalent to two years’ house building at current rates.
According to University of Queensland real estate economics expert Cameron Murray, a national tax that entirely eliminated this glut might moderate the price of housing by 1-2%. Therefore, although worthwhile, dealing with this element of our inefficient use of land and property would provide only a small easing of Australia’s broader affordability problem.
Making better use of a scarce resource
Taxing long-term empty properties is consistent with making more efficient use of our housing stock – a scarce resource. A big-picture implication is that tackling Australia’s housing stress shouldn’t be seen as purely about boosting new housing supply – as commonly portrayed by governments. 
It should also be about making more efficient and equitable use of existing housing and housing-designated land.
Penalising empty dwellings is fine if it can be practicably achieved. That’s especially if the revenue is used to enhance the trivial amount of public funding going into building affordable rental housing in most of our states and territories. 
But empty homes represent just a small element of our increasingly inefficient and wasteful use of housing and the increasingly unequal distribution of our national wealth.
One aspect of this is the under-utilisation of occupied housing. Australian Bureau of Statistics survey data show that, across Australia, more than a million homes (mainly owner-occupied) have three or more spare bedrooms. A comparison of the latest statistics (for 2013-14) with those for 2007-08 suggests this body of “grossly under-utilised” properties grew by more than 250,000 in the last six years.
Our tax system does nothing to discourage this increasingly wasteful use of housing. It’s arguably encouraged by the “tax on mobility” constituted by stamp duty and the exemption of the family home from the pension assets test. 
A parallel issue is the speculative land banks owned by developers. The volume of development approvals far exceeds the amount of actual building. In the past year in Sydney, for example, 56,000 development approvals were granted – but only 38,000 homes were built. 
In many cases, getting an approval is just part of land speculation. The owner then hoards the site until “market conditions are right” for on-selling as approved for development at a fat profit.
Properly addressing these issues calls for something much more ambitious than an empty property tax. The federal government should be encouraging all states and territories to follow the ACT’s lead by phasing in a broad-based land tax to replace stamp duty.
Such a tax will provide a stronger financial incentive to make effective use of land and property. The Grattan Institute estimates this switch would also “add up to A$9 billion annually to gross domestic product”. How much longer can we afford to ignore this obvious policy innovation?
 
Hal Pawson is Associate Director - City Futures - Urban Policy and Strategy, City Futures Research Centre, Housing Policy and Practice, UNSW and author for <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hal-pawson-147969" target="_blank">The Conversation</a>.
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jchancellor-FAypfDUnLy

Taxing empty homes: a step towards affordable housing, but much more can be done

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The Victorian government has decided to impose a tax on homeowners who leave their properties vacant in a bid to make housing more affordable in and around Melbourne, taking a leaf out of Vancouver's Empty Homes Tax.
The Vacant Residential Property Tax will be levied at 1 percent, multiplied by the capital improved value of the taxable property. 
The new rule is designed to coax owners who "unreasonably" leave their properties vacant to make them available for either purchase or rent.
If the property has a capital improved value of $500,000, the amount paid will be $5,000.
The new tax is expected to raise about $80 million over four years, according to a report in The Age. The changes will address the number of properties being left empty across inner and middle suburbs of Melbourne.
Late last year, the local government in Vancouver announced the Empty Homes Tax, which says, “Homes that are deemed empty will be subject to a tax of 1% of the property's assessed value. The Empty Homes Tax will be applied annually, with the first tax year beginning on January 1, 2017.”
The Vancouver council says that most homes will not be subject to the tax, as it does not apply to principal residences or homes rented on a long-term basis.
The city was high on the index of un-affordability, ranking third behind Sydney and Hong Kong in an international study by Demographia.
As for Victorian Vacant Residential Property Tax, the only word so far is that there will be some exemptions, owing to the fact that some properties are left vacant due to legitimate reasons, such as holiday homes, deceased estates and homes owned by Victorians temporarily overseas.
The tax is among several measures the government has announced to make housing more affordable, including scrapping stamp duty for first home buyers on properties worth up to $600,000.
The 1 per cent tax on vacant properties will encourage owners to either sell them or fill them by renting them out, says the government.
According to a study by Prosper Australia last year, more than 82,700 residential properties — or 4.8 percent of Melbourne’s housing stock — sit empty, while many people struggle to afford to buy or even rent accommodation.
The study estimated the number of unoccupied properties based on water use of less than 50L per day during 2014, from data provided by City West Water, South East Water and Yarra Valley Water.
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