RECENT ABS BUILDING APPROVALS DATA PROVIDED SOME INTERESTING INSIGHTS INTO THE RESIDENTIAL MARKET IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA WHICH HAS SEEN PRIVATE SECTOR HOUSING RISING (IN TREND TERMS) FOR THE LAST 24 MONTHS. It has certainly been a big couple of years for the industry which saw the largest number of developer lots sold since UDIA started […]
THE UDIA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO THE CHANGING NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA AND EMERGING TRENDS. FOUR OF THE DEVELOPMENTS ARE EITHER TRANSPORT ORIENTATED DEVELOPMENTS (TODS) OR CONTAIN TODS WITHIN THE DEVELOPMENT. The TOD concept underpins development from around the world and is based on the premise of having residential density (apartments […]
THE BANK WEST CURTIN ECONOMIC CENTRE RECENTLY RELEASED THEIR REPORT ON WORKFORCE AND SKILLS: WESTERN AUSTRALIAN LABOUR MARKETS IN TRANSITION. THE REPORT INVESTIGATES EMPLOYMENT IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA AND FINISHES ON A HIGH NOTE SAYING THAT THEY DON’T SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEGATIVE VIEWS PUT FORWARD BY “SOME DOOMSAYERS WHO WARN OF A DAMAGING POST-BOOM CONTRACTION IN […]
THE STATE GOVERNMENT’S RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF PRIORITISING THE AIRPORT TRAIN LINE AND MAX LIGHT RAIL OVER THE NORTHERN EXTENSION AS WELL AS THE TRAIN LINE TO ELLENBROOK AND THE “KNOWLEDGE ARC” LIGHT RAIL PROJECT, HIGHLIGHTED THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH PUBLIC TRANSPORT PLANNING. The major transport decisions around rail (both light and heavy) fall into three […]
ON TUESDAY THE SECOND INSTALLMENT OF THE BLUE PRINT FOR PLANNING REFORM: “PLANNING MAKE’S IT HAPPEN PHASE II” WAS RELEASED. IF FULLY IMPLEMENTED, IT WILL REDUCE TIMELINES AND RELIEVE SOME COST PRESSURES IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. In the first round of planning reform, the “model conditions” which are applied to subdivision applications were reviewed […]
THE FINAL REPORT OF THE ECONOMIC REGULATION AUTHORITY (ERA) INTO MICROECONOMIC REFORM WAS RELEASED LAST WEEK WITH A MYRIAD OF RECOMMENDATIONS WHICH NOW HAVE TO BE ASSESSED BY GOVERNMENT AND SORTED INTO THOSE TO BE IMPLEMENTED, THOSE TO BE REJECTED AND THOSE THEY WILL CONSIDER SHOULD THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT BE FAVOURABLE. Amongst the braver decisions […]
UDIA UNDER TAKES AN INDUSTRY SENTIMENT SURVEY WHICH COLLATES THE OPINIONS OF PEOPLE WORKING IN THE SECTOR ABOUT THEIR WORKLOADS, THE APPROVALS SYSTEM AND THE OUTLOOK FOR THE MARKET. Compared to the two recent surveys, which were extremely bullish, the sales growth outlook is weaker. In April 2013 75% of respondents believed that there would […]
THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SECTOR IS CONTINUING TO MOVE STRONGLY WITH THE NUMBER OF LOT SALES IN UDIA’S WEEKLY SNAPSHOT TRENDING UPWARDS. FOR THE LAST THREE WEEKS SALES HAVE BEEN SITTING AT OR ABOVE TREND, WHICH IS UNUSUAL FOR JULY WHEN THE COLD WEATHER TENDS TO DAMPEN THE ENTHUSIASM FOR HOUSE HUNTING. The effect […]
THE REVISION OF THE STATE PLANNING POLICY (SPP) FOR PLANNING FOR “BUSHFIRE RISK MANAGEMENT” WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE CHALLENGING, AND THAT IS PROVING TO BE THE CASE. SUBMISSIONS ON THE SPP CLOSE ON THE 25TH JULY WITH THE FEEDBACK REQUIRED ON THE MORE DETAILED GUIDELINES BY 1 AUGUST THIS YEAR. The catastrophic fires in […]