Housing News Digest
Housing News Digest
The Tenants' Union Housing News Digest compiles our pick of items from all the latest tenancy and housing media, sent once per week, on Thursdays.
Below is the Digest archive from November 2020 onwards. From time to time you will find additional items in the archive that did not make it into the weekly Digest email. Earlier archives are here, where you can also find additional digests by other organisations.
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Archive
Sydney Basin Tent Embassy opens at Victoria Park
Victoria Gillespie and Zeina Khochaiche Honi Soit (No paywall)On Saturday November 2, the Sydney Basin Tent Embassy opened at so-called Victoria Park. The event comprised speeches from embassy caretakers and Traditional Owners, as well as smoking ceremony and dances. The embassy calls for land back and recognition of First Nations sovereignty. The rain held off for the afternoon, as people gathered on the Western side of the park, close to the fence of the University of Sydney. The Tent Embassy unofficially began a couple of weeks ago, starting on the City Rd side of the park, but moved to the University side, sheltered by a fig tree and a forest of tall eucalyptus trees.
https://honisoit.com/2024/11/sydney-basin-tent-embassy-opens-at-…
# Must read NSW, Aboriginal renters.NSW Minister Clarifies That She Didn’t Mean You *Could* Rent A 2-Bedder In Sydney For $200
Laura Masia Pedestrian (No paywall)New South Wales Housing Minister Rose Jackson found herself in a bit of a shitstorm this week after she claimed it was possible to rent a two-bedroom apartment in Sydney for “a couple hundred bucks“. Her comment sparked an outcry from renters all over Sydney on social media due to how out of touch the claim seemed to be. Now, Jackson has taken to the comments of an Instagram post to set the record straight. On Wednesday, the grassroots housing movement House You shared a post criticising Jackson for underestimating the median prices of Sydney rent and claiming that she is “out of touch”.
https://www.pedestrian.tv/news/rose-jackson-rental-sydney-price/
# Hot topic, TUNSW in the media NSW, .NSW strata watchdog seeks power to enter apartment buildings without a warrant, fine owners if common property not maintained
Amy Greenbank ABC (No paywall)The NSW government has introduced a new tranche of strata reforms to parliament, which it says sets a "high-water mark" for strata living in the state. However, one significant part of the bill received scant attention during Fair Trading Minister Anoulack Chanthivong's speech to parliament on Wednesday. Under the proposed changes, NSW Fair Trading is seeking new powers to enter any apartment building in the state without a warrant, if there are reasonable grounds to believe an owners corporation is not fixing common property.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-22/nsw-stateline-strata-laws…
# Must read, Legal significance NSW, Repairs, Strata.Gareth Ward calls on NSW Labor to halt planned closure of community justice centre
The Bugle Newspaper (No paywall)Member for Kiama, Gareth Ward, has urged the NSW Labor government to reverse its decision to shut down Community Justice Centre (CJC) services across the state, including in the Illawarra and South Coast regions. During Question Time, Ward called on the Premier to reconsider these planned closures, which are set to take effect on July 1, 2025. Established by the Community Justice Centres Act of 1983, CJCs offer free, alternative dispute resolution services to help resolve conflicts outside of court.
https://thebuglenewspaper.com.au/NewsStory/gareth-ward-calls-on-…
# Hot topic NSW, .Developers will bypass council approvals in residential development overhaul in NSW
Chantelle Al-Khouri & Alexander Lewis ABC (No paywall)Councils will be stripped of the power to block certain large new residential developments in NSW, as part of major changes to the state's planning system. Premier Chris Minns on Friday announced a pathway for developers to bypass council approvals, in order to speed up approval and delivery times. In an address to The Daily Telegraph's Bradfield Oration, Mr Minns said the changes would be a new pathway to assess and approve spot rezoning at the same time. "I'm sure some people will push back against it, but we're making this call because we don't have any time to waste," Mr Minns said.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-15/housing-approvals-nsw-lag…
# Must read NSW, .Albanese struggles to offload Dulwich Hill investment property
Kishor Napier-Raman The Sydney Morning Herald (No paywall)In both real estate and politics, timing is everything. For Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, he of once-impeccable political judgment, that timing has gone a little awry of late. Albanese’s decision to buy a $4.3 million clifftop home on the Central Coast amid a housing and cost-of-living crisis left several of his Labor colleagues scratching their heads. It meant the government wasted another week defending the prime minister from the “out of touch” allegations rather than prosecuting its agenda.
https://www.smh.com.au/cbd/albanese-struggles-to-offload-dulwich…
# Hot topic NSW, .No grounds eviction ban: Is the devil in the detail?
Karl Hoerr Law Society Journal (No paywall)The proposed reform is aimed at making the system fairer and comes at a time when a growing proportion of the state is living in rental accommodation – now sitting at 33 per cent. Some details have been announced, including the reasonable grounds that homeowners will have to establish to evict someone and the notice that will be required. But penalties for breaches of the new law, have not been revealed. And there are other aspects of the reform that are yet to emerge. So will the changes answer the calls made by tenancy advocates or open up a series of unintended consequences?
https://lsj.com.au/articles/no-grounds-eviction-ban-is-the-devil…
# Hot topic, Legal significance NSW, Eviction, Rent.To move or not to move: is it cheaper to find a new place or stay when your rent increases by 10%?
Sara Quach & Park Thaichon The Conversation (No paywall)Your landlord has just raised your rent by 10% and your mind starts running the numbers – should you cop it sweet or look to move? It’s a familiar scenario in today’s unpredictable housing market. Understanding the real costs of staying versus moving is essential for making informed choices: renters must consider hidden expenses such as moving costs, deposits and changing rental rates, giving them tools to handle rising rent pressures more effectively. National median market rents have hit record highs, reaching $627 per week, with an average annual growth rate of 9.1% during the past three years, according to real estate giant CoreLogic.
https://theconversation.com/to-move-or-not-to-move-is-it-cheaper…
# Hot topic Australia, Starting a tenancy.