Category Archives: Housing

Vehicle sales affected by weak consumer confidence & Gen Y habits

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Gene Tunny

New motor vehicle sales in Queensland in August were almost 9% lower than in August 2013, according to ABS data released yesterday. There are at least three contributing factors: persistently weak consumer confidence (see Consumer sentiment slumps as budget worries … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Housing, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Ipswich set for building boom

Posted on September 5, 2014 by Gene Tunny

I wrote last year about how Ipswich will play an important role in the eventual recovery of the Queensland building industry. The outlook for the building industry in Ipswich now appears even better than it did then, with a huge … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing, Ipswich | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mining investment decline has driven recent economic weakness

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Gene Tunny

New data from the ABS show that although residential and commercial building activity is picking up nicely, the pick up is in no way large enough to offset the decline in heavy/engineering construction, which has largely occurred in the resources … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing, Macroeconomy, Mining | Leave a comment

Builders much more optimistic than current conditions would warrant

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Broadly speaking, humans are biased towards being optimistic, and the Master Builders Survey of Industry Conditions for June 2014 is a good example of the optimism bias. Builders across Queensland, and especially in the South-East, are much more optimistic about … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing, Macroeconomy | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Good employment outlook for Qld, but still waiting for strong economic recovery

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Steve Austin had a good chat with Nick Behrens from CCIQ yesterday morning on 612 ABC Brisbane, covering the economic outlook for Queensland and the Queensland Plan (What the job market in Queensland will look like in the future). Nick … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing, Labour market, Macroeconomy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Qld has three of top five regional areas with most expensive residential lots

Posted on July 17, 2014 by Gene Tunny

The Housing Industry Association released a very interesting note today on median lot prices in capital cities and regional Australia (i.e. non-Capital City Australia): Land price pressures signal policy failure. The data should prompt a number of Queensland Councils to review their … Continue reading →

Posted in Gold Coast, Housing, Mackay | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Brisbane to have a denser inner city, but urban sprawl as well

Posted on July 7, 2014 by Gene Tunny

I’ve written before about how residential building development is being concentrated in a few former commercial areas in the inner city and outer suburban areas such as North Lakes and Springfield (Where is residential development occurring in the Brisbane metro … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Queensland Treasurer will deliver necessary though unpopular Budget

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Today the Queensland Treasurer will deliver a State Budget that is necessary, but which is likely to be unpopular. It is necessary because getting State debt under control and restoring our AAA credit rating needs to be done now, to reduce … Continue reading →

Posted in Budget, Housing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Qld residential building recovery due to new apartments and townhouses

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Gene Tunny

After the bad news about the recent slump in consumer confidence – which hopefully is just a short-term post-budget reaction – it’s good to see a recovery in residential building, which the Treasury and RBA are hoping will help drive … Continue reading →

Posted in Housing | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nine News interview on Paddington seven-storey development

Posted on May 19, 2014 by Gene Tunny

Tessa Scott from Nine News Brisbane interviewed me yesterday morning regarding the proposed re-development of the Brisbane Workers’ Community Centre and associated shops on the corner of Given and Latrobe Terraces, Paddington. I was supportive of the proposed mixed-used (i.e. commercial … Continue reading →

Posted in Brisbane, Housing | Tagged , , | 2 Comments