THE HOUSING INDUSTRY FORECASTING GROUP (HIFG) RELEASED THEIR MEDIUM TERM FORECAST FOR DWELLING COMMENCEMENTS THIS WEEK. HIFG IS A JOINT INDUSTRY AND GOVERNMENT BODY THAT WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE STATE GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE INDEPENDENT COMMENTARY ON THE HOUSING SECTOR IN WA. IT HAS A BROAD RANGE OF INDUSTRY REPRESENTATION, INCLUDING UDIA, ALONG WITH THE DEPARTMENTS […]
THE CHALLENGES THAT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY POSE IN AUSTRALIA ARE COMMON IN MANY COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD. IN FACT, WE CAN LEARN MUCH FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF OTHER NATIONS ON THIS INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT ISSUE. In a recent address to the Victoria University Business and Investment Club, the New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Bill English echoed many […]
THE IMPORTANCE OF PROVIDING A DIVERSITY OF HOUSING CHOICES TO THE MARKET IS REFLECTED IN THE SUCCESS OF A RANGE OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE UDIA AWARDS PROGRAM. IN TERMS OF MEDIUM AND HIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENT, THIS YEAR’S AWARD WINNERS OFFER PERTH’S GROWING APARTMENT MARKET SOME QUALITY OPTIONS. There is certainly an increasing appetite for medium […]
THE 2015 UDIA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE RECOGNISED A NUMBER OF DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE GONE BEYOND STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS TO DESIGN AND BUILD PLACES THAT ACHIEVE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SUSTAINABLE OUTCOMES THAT BENEFIT THE SURROUNDING NATURAL AREA AS WELL AS THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. While sustainability and environmental concerns must be addressed by developers in all projects, there are […]
LIKE MANY OTHERS IN THE INDUSTRY, I AM CONSTANTLY SEEKING TO INNOVATE TO BRING TO THE MARKET NEW AND INTERESTING PRODUCTS WHERE PEOPLE CAN LIVE, WORK AND PLAY. ONE OF THE INTERESTING INTERNATIONAL TRENDS IS THE EMERGENCE OF “CONVERTIBLE SPACES.” Like many others in the industry, I am constantly seeking to innovate to bring to […]
IN MY FIRST COLUMN AS UDIA PRESIDENT I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BRIEFLY INTRODUCE MYSELF AND TOUCH ON HOW I VIEW THE IMPORTANT ROLE THE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY PLAYS IN MEETING THE LIFESTYLE EXPECTATIONS OF A GROWING AND DIVERSIFYING WEST AUSTRALIAN POPULATION. Before I delve into that, I would like to thank […]
BY THE TIME OUR CURRENT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS HIT MIDDLE AGE, THEY WILL BE SHARING THEIR CITY WITH AN EXTRA 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE – BUT WHERE ARE ALL THESE NEW PEOPLE GOING TO LIVE? By the time our current high school students hit middle age, they will be sharing their city with an extra 1.5 […]
IT WAS AMERICAN, BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, WHOSE SAGE ADVICE TO YOUNG TRADESMEN WAS “REMEMBER THAT TIME IS MONEY” – AND IT HOLDS AS TRUE FOR THE ENTIRE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY ALMOST 300 YEARS LATER. Property development is a lot more complicated in the 21st century, and regulation can be a bit like an old house – […]
WESTERN AUSTRALIA’S ECONOMY HAS HAD SOMETHING OF A REALITY CHECK IN RECENT TIMES – BUT THERE IS A SILVER LINING TO THAT FOR MANY NEW HOMEBUYERS. It is true that in the past 12 months, we have really seen the knock-on effect of a national slowdown in mining as it puts the brakes on some […]