THE RESERVE BANK BOARD’S DECISION TO CUT THE CASH RATE TO A HISTORICAL LOW IN EARLY MAY HAS ENCOURAGED A STRONG LIFT IN FIRST HOME BUYERS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA. The number of applications for the FHOG increased 22 per cent in May, reaching levels not seen outside the 2008/09 construction stimulus period. Urban Development Institute […]
THE MINISTER FOR PLANNING RECENTLY ANNOUNCED CHANGES TO THE RESIDENTIAL DESIGN CODES, (THE R-CODES) THAT WILL IMPACT ON FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA, PARTICULARLY THE DELIVERY OF SMALLER LOTS. The R-Codes help establish the density of housing by detailing the minimum size of the lot and then the average lot size in an area. R-20 […]
PILBARA HOUSING MARKETS HAVE FELT THE FULL FORCE OF UNPRECEDENTED ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, BUT NOW ARE STARTING TO NORMALISE AS MINING CONSTRUCTION INVESTMENT EASES WA Nationals leader Brendon Grylls called the Pilbara the ‘epicentre of economic growth in the world’. The world is a stretch, but the Pilbara has definitely driven economic growth in Australia, particularly […]
THE NUMBER OF NEW HOUSING LOANS INCREASED FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE MONTH IN APRIL, WITH LOANS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND PURCHASE OF NEW DWELLINGS LEADING THE WAY. According to figures published by the Bureau of Statistics today, the number of new loans for owner occupation in Western Australia (excluding refinancing) increased a seasonally adjusted 1.5 […]
FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME THAT LOVE STATISTICS, THE AUSTRALIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS (ABS) DATA IS FASCINATING BUT NOT NECESSARILY FUN. ALL OF THAT CHANGED WITH THE RELEASE OF THE “RUN THAT TOWN” APP. The “Run that Town” app is a strategy game, a bit like Sim City, but using real data from any town in […]
A SUMMARY OF THE INSTITUTE’S MONTHLY UPDATE ON THE WA MARKET WHICH WAS PUBLISHED THIS WEEK UDIA Chief Economist, Tim Connoley, this week published his latest report on the WA market. In essence he said that the low rate environment has encouraged the two most sensitive market segments: investors and First Home Buyers (FHBs). Investor […]
MEDIUM DENSITY OPTIONS NEED TO BE DEVELOPED IN AND AROUND ESTABLISHED, AGING SUBURBS TO BETTER ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF OUR AGING POPULATION AND RELEASE LARGE HOMES TO FAMILIES THAT REQUIRE THE SPACE More than half a million single Australians over the age of 60 currently reside in detached houses across the country. Originally intended for […]
WE ARE ON THE CUSP OF REVOLUTIONARY CHANGE TO DEAL WITH THE INCREASING FINANCIAL AND HUMAN COST OF MOBILITY, BUT WHAT WOULD SELF-DRIVE CARS MEAN FOR URBAN PLANNING? Imagine it’s 6:25pm and you’ve just wrapped up a meeting. You still have several items on your “must-do” list before you can call it a night and […]
THE GLOBAL TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM WAS IMPLEMENTED AFTER THE 2004 BOXING DAY TSUNAMI KILLED 230,000 PEOPLE IN 14 COUNTRIES. LOCALISED WARNING SYSTEMS HAD EXISTED SINCE THE 1920’S AND EXPANDING TO COVER THE PACIFIC IN THE 1940’S BUT IT TOOK A DISASTER OF MASSIVE PROPORTIONS FOR THERE TO BE A HOLISTIC RESPONSE TO THIS INTERNATIONAL PROBLEM. […]