Tag Archives: queenslanders

Bad planning policies leading to poor outcomes in Brisbane City according to UQ researchers

Two UQ geographers have written a great Conversation article, republished in the Brisbane Times, on Why city policy to ‘protect the Brisbane backyard’ is failing. The authors argue that current planning policies lead to undesirable outcomes. Current Brisbane City Council … Continue reading

Posted in Brisbane | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

South Brisbane & South Townsville top Qld in building approvals so far in 2017-18

In my last post, I considered the Queensland construction industry outlook. In today’s post, I take advantage of new data on building approvals at the small area level (ABS SA2 regions) for 2017-18 so far released by the ABS yesterday. … Continue reading

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

Still lots of room to boost population density in Brisbane

The vexed issue of heritage protection is in the news again, with controversy over the development of two apartment blocks behind the 1886 Clayfield heritage home Mundumburrah”, which will be raised and brought forward on its lot to accommodate the … Continue reading

Posted in Housing, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Brisbane City Council made right decision on Toowong towers

Brisbane City Council deserves credit for ignoring its own City Plan and approving the development of three new high-rise apartment towers at the old ABC site at Toowong (see Toowong towers nine storeys too high: Labor lord mayoral candidate). I’ve … Continue reading

Posted in Housing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

State & local govts need to allow development to boost housing supply – Gap mega-suburb would be a good start

Now that likely future PM Malcolm Turnbull has highlighted the “big supply side issue” in Australia’s housing market (see yesterday’s Australian), it would be timely for State and local governments around Australia to review their regulations and charges, which many … Continue reading

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

Heritage protection imposing high costs

The head of the Financial Stability Department at the Reserve Bank of Australia, Luci Ellis, delivered an excellent speech last week on Space and Stability: Some reflections on the Housing-Finance System. In the speech she observed: The cumulation of individual … Continue reading

Posted in Housing | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Senate inquiry should consider impact of heritage protection on housing affordability

I was pleased to see the Queensland Government note, in its submission (available on the submissions page) to the Federal Senate Inquiry into Affordable Housing in Australia, that “local government must be more responsive and flexible if improved housing affordability is to … Continue reading

Posted in Housing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Rent auctions linked to constraints on inner city development

A story in mX yesterday afternoon highlighted an unnecessary law against so-called rent auctions: Brisbane’s rental squeeze is forcing prospective tenants to offer landlords extra cash to secure a place to live. As competition for properties in the inner city … Continue reading

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Where is residential development occurring in the Brisbane metro area?

Every month the ABS releases new data on residential building approvals for Level 2 Statistical Areas (SA2s), which broadly correspond to suburbs, at least in the major cities. I’ve mapped the number of approvals for suburbs in the Brisbane metropolitan … Continue reading

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SEQ has expensive public transport due to low density and costly trains

While hard on commuters, the recent Translink fare hike (see Brisbane Times coverage) still leaves South-East Queensland with a heavily subsidised public transport system, which it will continue to have given a relatively low population density and historically poor choices … Continue reading

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