Spongiest city no match for deadly ‘atmospheric river’
Extensive flood devastation in Australia and New Zealand is calling into question the design of cities that should keep millions of residents out of harm's way.
housing and urban planning
Home values slide further but regions prove resilient
The property downturn is hitting capital cities harder than regions, suggesting higher demand has become permanent for regional markets.
Qld bottom of per-capita housing spend
The Queensland government has been accused of failing to plan for a growing population as its social housing spend per person is the lowest in the country.
Labor plans major social housing overhaul
Labor's planned restructuring of the NSW social housing system is an exercise in bureaucracy instead of building more homes, Premier Dominic Perrottet says.
construction and property
economy, business and finance
housing and urban planning
politics
real estate
National housing accord needs renovation
Federal laws are in the works as more Aussies slide into housing stress and homelessness, but critics are urging immediate measures as rents and mortgages rise.
More than 130 flooded homes in Qld buyback
More than 130 home owners in flood-prone areas of Queensland have accepted government offers to buy back their properties but dozens have not taken up the deal.
Average incomes not enough to buy a home
Unless you live in Perth, middle income earners fall well short of the borrowing power needed to buy a standard house.
homelessness
housing and urban planning
inflation and deflation
pension and welfare
politics (general)
poverty
social issues (general)
wage and pension
welfare
Surging Qld rents sapping living standards
Thousands of Queensland households are spending more than a third of their income on rent and are unable to meet basic living standards, a new report suggests.
Mortgage cliff looms as cheap loans expire
Housing affordability has taken a hit from rising mortgage rates and spiralling inflation, bringing an end to the property boom, but buyers are more prepared.
Queensland spends $50m on housing crisis
Funding to help renters stay in their homes, support for emergency accommodation and cost-of-living relief form the response to a major Queensland summit.
Regional rental stress worse than ever
The latest Rental Affordability Index shows more regional households are facing stress and key workers cannot find homes, in NSW, Queensland, Tasmania and WA.
Tax reforms flagged for housing crisis fix
Labor should have another look at contentious housing-linked reforms it unsuccessfully took to the 2019 election, independent MP Andrew Wilkie says.
Rents becoming more and more unaffordable
New research has confirmed what many tenants across the country already know - rents are soaring and rising faster than household incomes.
Pensioner concessions to free up housing
New laws encouraging pensioners and welfare recipients to downsize their homes and free up stock for younger families have been passed by parliament.
Jobs lure workers from cities to regions
Demand for workers is attracting people from Australia's cities to its regions, but housing shortages threaten to stifle the country's growth potential.
Qld Aboriginal mission bones ‘not human’
A Queensland police probe of bone fragments found near the former Deebing Creek Aboriginal Mission has found they are "not human", the government says.
House hunters could look to border towns
First home buyers in Victoria and Queensland could enter the market sooner by looking over the border after NSW introduced significant property tax changes.
breaking_news
construction and property
economy, business and finance
housing and urban planning
real estate
Ransom payouts lure ‘lowlife’ hackers: REA
REA Group's chief says the company behind Australia's biggest property website wouldn't pay a cyber attacker's ransom as it only encouraged more hacks.
Development opposed on Qld Aboriginal site
Ipswich Council in Queensland has rejected a development near a former Aboriginal mission on cultural grounds, amid protests against another development nearby.
NSW flood victims criticise buyback scheme
Northern NSW residents impacted by floods say they were not adequately consulted over the newly announced $520 million buyback package for homes.
Queensland posts record surplus on bumper taxes
The Queensland government has more than doubled its predicted 2021/22 budget surplus to $4.3 billion on the back of higher-than-expected tax receipts.
construction and property
homelessness
housing and urban planning
politics (general)
real estate
social issues (general)
Queensland fast tracks temporary disaster housing
The Queensland government will speed up providing temporary emergency housing after disasters by scrapping planning approvals.
architecture
construction and property
design and engineering
housing and urban planning
politics (general)
real estate
Qld missing 20,000 rental homes: summit
Optimism for the federal budget, 20,000 missing rentals and an immediate stocktake of land holdings have been discussed at Queensland's housing summit.
End of rental scheme a major risk for Qld
On the eve Queensland's housing summit, the state government has warned 10,000 homes will be less affordable when a federal subsidy scheme ends.
Qld to probe short-term rental home market
The Queensland government has launched a probe into the state's short-term rental market ahead of a housing crisis summit later this week.
Vacancy tax pitch for Qld housing crisis
The Queensland Greens hope the threat of tens of thousands of dollars in tax will encourage investors with vacant homes to return them to the rental market.
Palaszczuk Government in U-turn on changes to land tax regime
A Queensland plan to calculate land tax based on holdings across the country has been shelved after pushback from other states.
Qld minister in the dark about DNA change
Queensland's deputy premier says he was unaware the state's DNA testing processes were changing in 2018, when he was serving as health minister.
Granny flat fix to help Qld home crisis
More home owners will be able to rent out their granny flats as the Queensland government flags planning changes in a bid to increase affordable housing.
Door open to use Qld’s Wellcamp for homes
The empty 1000-bed quarantine facility could house vulnerable people from the surrounding area, the state's housing minister says.
Sydney, Melbourne lead house price plunge
Five in eight capital cities have experienced declines in housing values in July as national prices mark the third consecutive month in the red.