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
Bondi renters issued eviction notice after asking for rent reduction when balcony collapsed
Hayley Taylor 7 News (No paywall)A Bondi man claims he and two other tenants in different units were evicted from their apartment block when they asked for a rent reduction after their balconies were ruled unusable, and one collapsed. The allegations are made in documents lodged with the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal by resident and businessman Pius Binder. Binder, 35, said he had been renting his beachside apartment on Brighton Blvd for about four years, when the balcony came away from the wall in October last year.
https://7news.com.au/business/housing/bondi-renters-issued-evict…
# Hot topic, TUNSW in the media NSW, Eviction, Rent, Repairs, Security and safety, Tribunal NCAT.How an owl and a flying fox may stop the government’s housing reforms
Andrew Taylor The Sydney Morning Herald (Soft Paywall)The Powerful Owl and Grey-headed flying fox could derail the Minns government’s signature transport-oriented housing reforms after a Sydney council asked a court to intervene to protect both species. In documents lodged in the NSW Land and Environment Court on Friday, Ku-ring-gai Council claims the government has broken the law in implementing the Transport Oriented Development (TOD) program. The program allows apartment blocks of up to six storeys (or 24 metres if there are shops on the ground floor) within 400 metres of 31 stations nominated by the state government, with another six stations later added.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/how-an-owl-and-fox-may-stop-…
# Must read NSW, .Sydney private schools defend demolishing houses and units to expand amid the city's housing crisis
Jesse Hyland ABC (No paywall)Andrew Athans was happy living in his rented unit in Sydney's inner west before he was sent into "panic mode" when told he needed to leave to accommodate the neighbouring private school's expansion plans. He lived in the eight-unit block owned by Christian Brothers' High School Lewisham for about two years before he was forced to find somewhere else to live in a tight and increasingly expensive rental market. The building on The Boulevarde in Lewisham and a house behind the block on Denison Road were demolished in December so the school campus could begin redevelopment works. It's one of the latest examples of a private school knocking down residential property to expand as Sydney grapples with a housing crisis.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-15/nsw-sydney-private-school…
# Hot topic NSW, Eviction, Rent.Addressing the Housing Crisis: Tweed Shire Council's Affordable Housing Strategy
Jeff Gibbs Northern Rivers Times (No paywall)Tweed Shire Council is actively engaging the community to gather insights and solutions for the development of a new draft Affordable Housing Strategy, aimed at addressing the pressing housing crisis in the Tweed region. Declaring a housing emergency in 2021 in response to unprecedented challenges in housing affordability and accessibility, the Council is now focused on formulating a strategy to provide sustainable, affordable housing for the community’s future. The Tweed Affordable Housing Strategy is being developed alongside the Growth Management and Housing Strategy 2041, which identifies areas for housing diversity, including affordable and social housing. Once completed, this strategy will offer clear guidance to Council and community housing providers on unlocking new opportunities for affordable housing.
https://thenorthernriverstimes.com.au/northern-rivers-local-news…
# NSW, Rent.$5 million boost to deliver more homes for South Coast Build to Rent
NSW Government (No paywall)The NSW Government will provide a $5 million boost to deliver an additional 10 dwellings for the South Coast Build to Rent project, helping to increase housing supply and deliver more rental housing. The NSW Government will provide a $5 million boost to deliver an additional 10 dwellings for the South Coast Build to Rent project, helping to increase housing supply and deliver more rental housing. The additional $5 million in funding increases the NSW Government’s investment in the project to $35 million – delivering a total of 60 dwellings. As part of Landcom’s design and planning for the Bomaderry site, it became evident additional dwellings could be delivered for a small increase in funding. The additional funding will allow delivery of new architecturally designed homes for approximately 130 people.
https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/5-million-boost-to-deliver…
# Hot topic NSW, Rent.Architect Philip Thalis paid the price for being outspoken. Now he’s won the profession’s gold medal
Julie Power The Sydney Morning Herald (No paywall)Australia’s newest gold medal winner for architecture, Sydney’s outspoken Philip Thalis, has called on fellow architects, engineers, urban planners and others who shape our cities to be braver, bolder and more vocal. He said architects were collegial and supportive, but a shortcoming of the profession was its failure to speak to society at large. “The conversation is dominated by others. You know, this is our day job. Architects have this incredible breadth of experience and knowledge of the city and of how to make buildings.” Thalis said others were often too scared to speak out, and he knows that being outspoken and criticising government can come at a price.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/architect-philip-thalis-paid…
# Hot topic NSW, .Liberal MP considers defying party to support Greens bill on no-grounds evictions
Michael McGowan The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)A NSW Liberal Party MP is considering crossing the floor to support a Greens bill to ban no-grounds evictions, citing frustration with a lack of progress on a practice both major parties promised to end before the last election. Felicity Wilson, the Liberal MP for the seat of North Shore, is contemplating breaking with the Coalition to support a bill introduced by Greens MP Jenny Leong requiring landlords to give reasonable grounds before terminating fixed or periodic leases.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/liberal-mp-considers-defying…
# Hot topic NSW, Eviction, Rent.North Bondi tenant is facing eviction after asking for his rent to be cut following a ruling his balcony was unusable
John Rolfe Daily Telegraph (Paywall)Tenants of a Bondi apartment block claim they have been hit with “retaliatory eviction” for attempting to invoke a legal right to rent reduction when their balconies were ruled unusable after one collapsed. The accusation is made in documents filed with the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) after the balcony of businessman Pius Binder’s Brighton Boulevard unit came away from the wall in October last year. “Two people were on it the night before and could have been harmed,” Mr Binder said in the documents. “Thankfully nothing happened.” Prior to Christmas, restrictions were also placed on the use of that apartment’s other balcony and those of other units. In late December and early January, tenants in two apartments applied for a rent reduction under the Residential Tenancies Act. Mr Binder asked for a cut of 40 per cent, or $364 a week. He got $50 off.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/north-bondi-tenant-is…
# Must read, Hot topic, TUNSW in the media NSW, Rent, Repairs.