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
Pandemic measure set to cause interest rate pain for thousands of CBA customers
Shane Wright The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)A decision to help home buyers through the depths of the coronavirus pandemic could deliver the economy a pre-Christmas blow as customers with the nation’s largest lender await a steep increase in their monthly mortgage repayments. Commonwealth Bank’s head of Australian economics, Gareth Aird, said an incredible level of tightening in monetary policy was yet to hit the real economy and would ultimately force the Reserve Bank to start cutting official interest rates again next year.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/pandemic-measure-set-to-…
# Australia, Coronavirus COVID-19, Housing market.Tall timber buildings are exciting, but to shrink construction’s carbon footprint we need to focus on the less sexy ‘middle’
Lisa Ottenhaus The Conversation (No paywall)Developer Thrive Construct recently announced the world’s tallest steel-timber hotel to be built at Victoria Square, Adelaide. Australia has caught onto the trend of building taller in timber, with other plans for three buildings 180-220 metres high submitted in Perth and Sydney. These would more than double the current world record for a timber building. Tall timber buildings, made entirely of mass timber (layers of wood bonded together) or steel-timber and timber-concrete hybrid construction, are gaining popularity worldwide. ... Timber is a sustainable, renewable material that stores carbon while in use, and the appeal of using it in skyscrapers is clear. But I worry that focusing only on the tall means we overlook the “middle”: apartment buildings, hospitals, schools and shopping centres. Buildings like these are dominated by concrete, steel and brick, all of which are carbon- or energy-intensive materials. The “middle” is not sexy, and probably won’t make the news, but it’s where timber construction can have a significant sustainability impact.
https://theconversation.com/tall-timber-buildings-are-exciting-b…
# Australia, Climate change, Housing market.Number of vacant social homes in WA rises by 25 per cent as housing crisis continues
Jacqueline Lynch and Patti Brook ABC (No paywall)As thousands of West Australians linger on the social housing waitlist, almost 2,000 social houses across the state are empty and in need of repairs, maintenance or demolition — more than 25 per cent than last year. State government data shows there were 1,927 social houses empty in June 2022, compared to 1,514 properties at the same time last year. It is the highest number of vacant social houses since 2019.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-12/number-of-vacant-social-h…
# Australia, Public and community housing, Housing market.What can you buy for Australia’s median house price?
Melissa Heagney Domain (No paywall)The median house price across Australia’s capital cities is now $1,065,447, and a budget that size will stretch further in some parts of the country than others. Depending on the location, and the amount of renovation required, buyers might be looking at a home just a few kilometres from a CBD, or much further afield.
https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/what-can-you-buy-for-austra…
# Australia, Home ownership, Housing affordability, Housing market.Regional WA tourist hotspots Broome and Busselton feeling the house price boom
Ellie Honeybone, Sam Bold, and Dinushi Dias ABC (No paywall)Western Australia's coastal holiday hotspots Broome and Busselton are experiencing surging house prices, with real estate agents reporting increased interest in regional living from city dwellers.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-11/regional-housing-price-in…
# Australia, Housing affordability, Housing market.‘Losing its green heart’: Why a Sydney council plans to sell off green space to developers
Andrew Taylor The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)Federal and state Liberal politicians have lined up to condemn a north shore council that is attempting to sell off open space for housing. Ku-ring-gai Council on Tuesday will vote on a planning proposal to rezone the site of the Gordon Bowling Club to permit detached houses and seniors’ living up to 9.5 metres high.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/losing-its-green-heart-why-a…
# NSW, Housing market, Local Government, Planning and development.‘The house was freezing’: life during blackouts of 1970s Britain
Tobi Thomas The Guardian (No paywall)When Judy Young first saw the government’s response to concerns over power supplies could be potential blackouts this winter, her first thought was: “Thank God I haven’t got young children any more.” On Tuesday, it was reported that under the government’s latest “reasonable worst case scenario” plan, Britain could experience several days of blackouts in January if the country is short of power. Young, a retired headteacher and now portrait painter who lives in Herefordshire, said the blackouts of the 1970s were particularly challenging with her two very young children. “It was difficult being in a blackout with young children who you can never take your eyes off even for a second, especially not if you’ve got candles all over the place,” she says. “The house was freezing and it was dangerous with such small children to have any kind of oil heater which they could burn their fingers on.”
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/aug/14/house-freezing-…
# International, Utilities water energy internet, Families, History.Why becoming a grey nomad could affect your pension
Noel Whittaker The Sydney Morning Herald (Paywall)As the number of retirees grows and international travel becomes more problematical and expensive because of the pandemic, there is a surge in the number of grey nomads travelling Australia. After all, what could be simpler than taking your caravan to drive around our country? No lost luggage, no fluctuating fares, and the freedom to do what you want. However, there is a potential problem: the effect on your age pension. ... If you are away from your home for a long period, such as a year, it makes sense to rent it. However, you need to remember that your super is subject to deeming, which provides a notional income that must be added to the rent you receive on your house.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/super-and-retirement/why-becoming-a…
# Australia, Landlords and agents, Older people, Welfare.