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 hit hardest as 30,000 international students join fight for housing
Amber Schultz The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)The NSW government wants universities to take more responsibility for housing international students as Sydney braces for tens of thousands of arrivals for the return of face-to-face learning.
There are more than 28,000 international students enrolled in NSW universities but, as of Saturday, education providers are required to deliver a minimum of two-thirds of course content in person, putting an end to COVID-era remote learning.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/sydney-hit-hardest-as-30-000-int…
# Hot topic NSW, Housing affordability, Housing market, Students.Approval for massive development on Sydney fringe fast-tracked despite koala habitat concerns
Anne Davies and Lisa Cox The Guardian (No paywall)The New South Wales government has given the green light to a massive housing development on Sydney’s fringe despite the state’s environment minister expressing reservations last month about current koala habitat protections in the region.
The development of 13,000 houses in Appin, 80kms south of Sydney, proposed by Walker Corp, is one of the largest on Sydney’s outer edges, and is located in sensitive koala territory.
The government has given approval to the project but the actual rezoning has been deferred until 15 December to give the government time to negotiate a state planning agreement with Walker Corp and allow the developer to finalise an infrastructure plan for the huge area.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jul/03/approval-…
# Hot topic NSW, Housing market, Planning and development, State Government.Premium properties lead real estate revival, but is a double-dip housing downturn looming?
Michael Janda and Rachel Pupazzoni, with Tony Ibrahim ABC (No paywall)Sydney is continuing to lead a home price rebound, as property values close in on a return to pandemic boom peaks.
Two interest rate rises in a row appear to have done little to dent the market, particularly in the premium sector — the top quarter of homes by value.
CoreLogic data show a 1.1 per cent rise in national property values over June, backing up May's 1.2 per cent increase.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-03/house-prices-june-2023-co…
# Hot topic NSW, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market.Health, education, jobs and housing: Burney to give Voice priorities on day one
Lisa Visentin Brisbane Times (No paywall)Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney says she will task the Voice with generating fresh ideas in health, education, jobs and housing from day one, in her strongest comments to date aimed at defining its purpose and agenda.
Burney will use a speech to the National Press Club on Wednesday to outline her vision of the body as being “active and engaged” on key policy challenges facing Indigenous communities if the public backs it in the upcoming referendum, pitching the Voice’s relationship with government as collaborative rather than combative.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/health-educati…
# Must read, Hot topic Australia, Aboriginal renters, Campaigns and law reform, Housing affordability.No relief for renters as median rents rise to $520 a week nationally
ABC ABC (No paywall)The latest data for the June quarter from Prop Track shows median rents have risen by 2% nationally, with Sydney and Melbourne leading the way.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-05/no-relief-for-renters-as-…
# Hot topic, Research alert Australia, Rent, Housing affordability, Housing market.PropTrack: Melbourne rents rising faster than any other capital, could get worse
Nathan Mawby realestate.com.au (No paywall)Melbourne rents are growing the fastest of any capital city in the nation and our most affordable homes are being hit the hardest.
And things are set to get worse for tenants with the state’s top real estate advocacy group warning they believe landlords are preparing to exit the market in droves.
New PropTrack figures show the city’s typical unit cost tenants $470 a week to lease at the end of June after a $20 (4.4 per cent) a week lift in the past three months.
https://www.realestate.com.au/news/proptrack-melbourne-rents-ris…
# Hot topic, Research alert Australia, Rent, Housing affordability, Personal stories.Mixed views over housing affordability measures
Catriona Stirrat SBS (No paywall)The debate continues over the federal government's stalled $10 billion housing fund proposal. The Greens and Coalition blocked the bill last week, citing their own issues with the fund. But industry experts and economists are also divided over the scheme.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/podcast-episode/mixed-views-over-hou…
# Must read, Hot topic, Audio Australia, Federal Government, Housing affordability, Planning and development.Outer suburbs’ housing cost advantage vanishes when you add in transport – it needs to be part of the affordability debate
Neil G Sipe The Conversation (No paywall)In all the debate about Australia’s housing crisis, the impact of transport has been largely overlooked.
When we talk about transport, it’s usually about time spent commuting and not the out-of-pocket costs. While housing is typically the biggest household cost, spending on transport is the second- or third-largest cost – and these costs are inextricably linked.
https://theconversation.com/outer-suburbs-housing-cost-advantage…
# Hot topic Australia, Housing affordability, Housing market, Planning and development.