Melbourne Moves Ahead to Become Australia’s Biggest City by 2030 despite slow growth during the pandemic.

<div class="row" data-reactroot=""><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p>Melbourne will become the nation’s fastest-growing city next year and will overtake Sydney to become the biggest capital in Australia by 2030, according to the federal government.</p><p></p><p>The Centre for Population’s latest projections show population growth will take a while to heat up, with 2022 set for just 0.3 per cent growth, hampered by net overseas migration of 41,000 outgoing.</p><p></p><p>This was up from a net outflow of 100,000 last year, marking the first time population net overseas migration had dropped in Australia since World War II.</p><p></p><p>Federal minister for housing Michael Sukkar said capital cities were forecast to return to higher growth rates than the rest of their states from 2022‑2023 as overseas migration returned.</p><p></p><p>“While the outlook remains uncertain due to the unpredictability of Covid, population growth is projected to increase to around 1.4 per cent by 2024-2025 as overseas migration recovers,” Sukkar said.</p><p></p><p>“Melbourne is projected to be the fastest-growing capital city from 2023‑2024 on, overtaking Sydney to become the nation’s largest city in 2029‑2030 at just over 5.9 million people.”</p><p></p><p><strong>Population predictions for Australia</strong></p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><div><picture><img src="https://tud-prod-tudmedia-oj9w2zshuo0o.s3.amazonaws.com/raw/images/8938d5f4-da2b-4e73-989d-fe460e5ff808.jpg" width="800"/></picture><div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><sup><sub>^Source: Australian Government 2021 Population Statement</sub></sup></p><p>This is in contrast to internal migration during the pandemic which saw Queensland take the lion’s share of new residents, followed by South Australia, with people moving from Melbourne and Sydney in the wake of lockdowns.</p><p></p><p>Australia’s population is expected to grow from 25.7 million in 2020-2021 to 29.3 million by 2031-2032. This is a drop of 1.5 million, or 4.9 per cent, on pre-pandemic predictions.</p><p></p><p>Lower fertility and international migration will have the biggest impact on population growth, which is predicted to increase from 0.3 per cent to 1.4 per cent in 2024-2025 before slowing to 1.2 per cent in 10 years.</p><p></p><p>While population growth was non-existent during 2020-2021 it did little to curb the housing market, which reached new highs. </p><p></p><p>Home values have <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/brisbane-adelaide-house-prices-corelogic">increased 22.1 per cent in the past 12 months</a>, with the highest number of approvals in November in Victoria for  apartments and homes.</p><p></p><p>Australian Bureau of Statistics director of construction statistics Daniel Rossi said the latest data showed nationally approvals for apartments increased 9.7 per cent while house approvals levelled off at 1.4 per cent.</p><p></p><p>“The series has been at historically elevated levels over the past year, largely driven by government stimulus and record low interest rates,” Rossi said.</p><p></p><p>“While private house approvals are no longer at record highs, the November result remains 25.8 per cent higher than the pre-pandemic level in November, 2019, indicating on-going strength in the detached housing market.”</p><p></p><p>However, the housing boom is expected to settle in the coming years, constrained by affordability along with <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/brisbane-catches-up-to-sydney-melbourne-property-prices">potential inflation and interest rate changes</a>.</p></div></div></div></div></div>

Melbourne will become the fastest growing city next year and will overtake Sydney to become the biggest capital city in Australia by 2030...

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Australian asking price rents have again broken records, with one city regaining the title of most expensive from the nation’s capital…


Female and Homeless: Australia’s Housing Crisis

<div class="row" data-reactroot=""><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p>Australia’s ageing population, high cost of housing, and significant <a href="https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/women-property-market-australia">gap</a> in wealth accumulation between men and women across their lifetimes is leading to increasing inequality. </p><p>Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) reveals that women comprised more than two-thirds of all people seeking homelessness support and were not able to be helped last year.</p><p>And without solutions, this crisis will continue to snowball.</p><p>“[The] data shows that women continue to bear the brunt of any crisis, whether it be fires, a pandemic, or an economic recession,” Chair of Homelessness Australia Jenny Smith says.</p><p>The AIHW December figures show that in 2019 to 2020, 260 people each day seeking homelessness support missed out. And more than two-thirds, or 67 per cent, of this group were women or girls.</p><p>“This includes many women who were presenting to homelessness services with young children,&quot; Smith says. “Last year, there were 11,201 children under ten who missed out on support.”</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><h2><strong>More than 400,000 women over 45 are at risk</strong></h2></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p>As demand for homelessness services continually exceeds capacity, women over the age of 45 are one of the fastest-growing groups of people who are homeless in Australia.</p><p>An estimated 405,000 women over the age of 45 were at risk of housing affordability stress and subsequently becoming homeless, reveals the &quot;At Risk&quot; policy report from Housing For the Aged Action Group (HAAG), and Social Ventures Australia.</p><p>And census figures show, there was an estimated near 7000 women over the age of 50 who were homeless in 2016, this figure reflecting a 31 per cent increase since 2011.</p><p>Kobi Maglen of HAAG national older persons homelessness prevention says this represents the “tip of the iceberg” as older women don&#x27;t tend to present at homelessness services.</p><p>“But instead make do by missing meals or medication, staying with friends, or housesitting,” she says.</p><p>Women retire with lower average superannuation balances than men due to a range of social and economic factors including the gender wage gap and time taken out of the workforce to care for children or family members. </p><p>Female-dominated industries are more likely to be low paid, casual or part-time, while experiences of family violence, gender and age discrimination more likely to impact their work.</p><p>Maglen says this problem is exacerbated by Australia’s lack of appropriate and affordable housing. </p><p>“And this means that increasing numbers of older women are left with nowhere to go,” she says.</p><p>“This is an unfolding crisis compounded by the economic, social and health impacts of Covid-19. It also highlights the critical link between safe, secure and affordable housing and good health and wellbeing, particularly in older age.”</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><hr/></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><strong>The number of people unable to be assisted in 2020</strong></p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><table><thead><tr><th></th><th>Male</th><th></th><th>Female</th><th></th><th>Total Number</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>Age group</th><th>Number</th><th>Per cent</th><th>Number</th><th>Per cent</th><th></th></tr><tr><th>0-9</th><th>5,479</th><th>24.9</th><th>5,722</th><th>12.8</th><th>11,201</th></tr><tr><th>10-14</th><th>1,951</th><th>8.9</th><th>2,467</th><th>5.5</th><th>4,418</th></tr><tr><th>15-17</th><th>2,133</th><th>9.7</th><th>3,255</th><th>7.3</th><th>5,388</th></tr><tr><th>18-24</th><th>2,830</th><th>12.9</th><th>7,311</th><th>16.3</th><th>10,141</th></tr><tr><th>25-34</th><th>3,124</th><th>14.2</th><th>10,843</th><th>24.2</th><th>13,967</th></tr><tr><th>35-44</th><th>3,195</th><th>14.5</th><th>9,020</th><th>20.1</th><th>12,215</th></tr><tr><th>45-54</th><th>2,232</th><th>10.2</th><th>4,306</th><th>9.6</th><th>6,538</th></tr><tr><th>55-64</th><th>699</th><th>3.2</th><th>1,383</th><th>3.1</th><th>2,082</th></tr><tr><th>65+</th><th>324</th><th>1.5</th><th>476</th><th>1.1</th><th>800</th></tr><tr><th>Total</th><th>21,967</th><th>100</th><th>44,783</th><th>100</th><th>66,750</th></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><sup>^Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) December 2020 data</sup></p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><hr/></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><h2><strong>Australia&#x27;s homeless women are our mothers, aunties, neighbours, sisters: ‘Like you or me’</strong></h2></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><div><picture><img src="https://tud-prod-tudmedia-oj9w2zshuo0o.s3.amazonaws.com/raw/images/58461d42-2dbf-4a26-a8eb-dbcc5eb51765.jpg" width="800"/></picture><div><span style="align-content:center;opacity:0.8">▲ Marie* was 55 when she first faced homelessness. More than 400,000 women over 45 are at risk of homelessness. *Not her real name. Image: Getty.</span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><br>“I never ever imagined I would find myself in this situation. Ever,” Marie says.</p><p>“Everything changed when my husband and I separated. I had to stop work for health reasons and my relationship could not stand the strain as I was the main earner,” she says. </p><p>At the time, Marie was 55 when she faced homelessness. She had owned homes in the UK and Australia. </p><p>The majority of women that homeless services are in contact with are like “you or me”. They have led “conventional lives”. Marie is educated and has typically worked in management roles.  </p><p>“I had $30,000 in superannuation. My share of our matrimonial home settlement was not enough for me to buy anything, so I put it into my superannuation,” she says.</p><p>“I had been a stay-at-home Mum, which is rarer these days, but my main earning period was between the age of 40-53, hence the low Super.</p><p>“Then followed three years of temporary, insecure housing situations including housesitting, informal “rentals”, living with friends, staying with my son, and a spell in a caravan park. </p><p>“I made 18 moves and the toll on both my physical and mental health was huge.” </p><p>Womens&#x27; Housing Company chief executive Debbie Georgopoulos says access to safe and secure housing is a fundamental human right.</p><p>“Homeless women in Australia are the women we know. They are our Mothers, our aunties, our neighbours, our sisters,” Georgopoulos says. </p><p>“It can happen to anyone.” </p><p>“The solution to homelessness is more housing, it is as simple as that.” </p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><hr/></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><h2><strong>Tackling the housing crisis?</strong></h2><p>Minimal construction for most of the past 25 years means that national social housing supply has effectively halved since the 1990s.</p><p>A UNSW City Futures Centre study, commissioned by the Housing Productivity Research Consortium, found that among the best ways to broaden Australia’s economic recovery strategy would be a large-scale national social housing program.</p><p>“A seven billion-dollar investment in social and affordable housing would unlock more than $18 billion in economic expansion, creating more than 18,000 jobs a year over four years, and making a serious dent in homelessness,” Kate Colvin, national spokesperson for Everybody’s Home, says.</p><p>Colvin says the federal government would need to build 12,000 homes a year to help cover the shortfall for over 65s and that&#x27;s not including the support needed for younger Australians.</p><p>“This is a great time for the federal government to be building social housing because every dollar they spend on that construction activity, generates a $1.50 for the economy. So while the economy is still struggling this is something that delivers a double benefit.”</p><p>“A better-balanced housing system is the right thing to do. It also happens to be the smart thing to do.”</p></div></div></div></div></div>

Australia's housing crisis: Women comprised more than two-thirds of all people seeking homelessness support last year...

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<p>Michael Power had a problem.</p><p>He needed ox hair, lots of it. But there hadn’t been oxen, or bullocks, in any great numbers in downtown Hobart for 120 years.</p><p>He could have substituted horsehair—he liked to keep a couple of bags of it around, just in case—but he didn’t have nearly enough, he realised as he apraised the challenge ahead at the heritage site.</p><p>“It’s easy enough to find and I’ve got a couple of people who supply me, but I wouldn't have had enough for this job. People just throw it out.</p><p>“Perhaps if I’d had a couple of years to notify everyone…”</p><p>He thought about goat hair, which he’d imported from the United Kingdom in the past, but when he phoned his supplier they had run out. And in any case, last time there had been all that trouble with the Australian Border Force. He hadn’t seen his goat hair for weeks.</p><p>Meanwhile, about 15m away and up on the roof of the same building, James Barker and son Django were facing their own challenges.</p><p>It is possible to purchase the 40mm copper clouts they wanted in Australia, but not in the volume they needed. They eventually found the nails in Belgium—all 40,000 of them.</p><p>“Yeah, pretty much all of the materials, the copper rivets, all the fixings that we use, everything’s either out of Europe or the US,” Barker says.</p><div id="38vbGsZuflfzCd68Vg2Swu"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7k8oy9R8skTcfmBhEnDM2X/aa8ebd7f17aa1b894d54a28fbba24410/4.jpg" alt="Roofing plumber James Barker and son Django working on the bond store roof." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7k8oy9R8skTcfmBhEnDM2X/aa8ebd7f17aa1b894d54a28fbba24410/4.jpg"></picture><div><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ Roofing plumber James Barker and son Django working on the bond store roof.&nbsp;<br><br></span></div></div><p>Barker is a roofing plumber by trade and Power a solid plasterer. Together, they are heritage tradespeople—highly skilled in an increasingly small world—and their challenges for this latest job are not just sourcing materials, but the sheer numbers involved.</p><p>Those copper clouts were needed to secure 22,000 slates to about 3500m of battening across more than 600sq m of roof. And don’t forget almost three tonnes of lead for the ridging, valleys and box gutters.&nbsp;</p><p>In the middle of next month, the two men and their teams will finish the job renovating key elements of Hobart’s Tasmanian Museum and Gallery (TMAG) which safeguards about&nbsp;800,000 objects as diverse as fossils and fine art.</p><p>Australia’s second-oldest museum began life in the 1820s as a warehouse storing supplies for the Van Diemen’s Land colony, including dry goods such as grain and bonded goods including tobacco and spirits.</p><p>For a while it housed&nbsp;the country’s oldest scientific society, the Royal Society of Tasmania.</p><p>Fast forward 200 years when in April commercial builders Hansen Yuncken won a $2.5-million tender from the Tasmanian government to replace the slate roof of the bond store and re-render the exterior to preserve the historic brickwork.</p><p>“For us this job is a complete change from the status quo,” project manager Alexander Swift says.</p><p>“A typical construction for Hansen Yuncken is complex, concrete and structural steel, big… that’s our bread and butter.</p><p>“But this is about slowing down and trying to understand how things would have been done previously. Trying to understand their methods, really delving deep into detail, leveraging off our specialist tradespeople and then trying to facilitate works so they can best do their artistry.”</p><div id="35Gvtz3dIU2KZKCn4ATaWh"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5rwqgY5k0mRfku22NGeOOx/97f3a7b698f4cbd74591c4bf9764740a/5.jpg" alt="Purcell architects and heritage consultants’ Lucy Burke-Smith on site." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/5rwqgY5k0mRfku22NGeOOx/97f3a7b698f4cbd74591c4bf9764740a/5.jpg"></picture><div><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ Purcell architects and heritage consultants’ Lucy Burke-Smith and Hansen Yunken project manager Andrew Swift on site.<br><br></span></div></div><p>Lucy Burke-Smith, an associate partner with Purcell architects and heritage consultants, says the origins of the job go back to 2018, when Purcell&nbsp;was&nbsp;called in to address some rising damp and salt attack issues within&nbsp;the walls of the&nbsp;bond&nbsp;store.</p><p>And then the rain came. On May 11 that year, more than 200mm fell on Hobart, much of it in one six-hour period.</p><p>The extreme flooding caused movement in the historic Watergate wall, a brick-and-stone structure with a centrally positioned entrance built in 1826 to connect the bond store to the adjacent commissariat building.</p><p>“So the package [of work] really got extended at that point, not only to deal with the bond store, but the imminent risk of a potential collapse of the Watergate wall, which is an incredibly significant feature,” said Burke-Smith.&nbsp;</p><p>Hansen Yuncken has something of a track record with complex heritage projects in Tasmania, including the Port Arthur penitentiary precinct conservation program and, more recently, the Hobart’s Anglesea Barracks, the oldest Australian army barracks still in use.</p><p>“Those projects sort of opened my eyes to this heritage world and allowed me to embrace the skills and the sensitivities and sympathies that are required to undertake this sort of work,” Swift said.</p><p>He, Burke-Smith, Power and Barker have worked together before, on a variety of heritage projects. The respect for each other is clear.</p><div id="35Gvtz3dIU2KZKCn4ATaWh"></div><p>“It’s one thing to be able to scope and specify and nominate the schedule of work,” says Burke-Smith, “but one of the challenges that I think that the contractors face in delivering this, is how to program it all.&nbsp;</p><p>“So for example, if you take quite simply just the preparation of some of the lime mortars that are used in conservation projects like this, it’s not something that you typically buy off the shelf, when we’re looking to gather all of the components.”</p><div id="5BCjII5S84yECK0KLoGTop"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7w4MjV4NiGY5KywXNm60vf/92b9c90058218bf533c2433839fe42dd/3.jpg" alt="Solid plasterer Michael Power: " data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/7w4MjV4NiGY5KywXNm60vf/92b9c90058218bf533c2433839fe42dd/3.jpg"></picture><div><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ Solid plasterer Michael Power and fibre is mixed with the plaster for the heritage restoration.<br><br></span></div></div><p>Sand, for example.</p><p>Power, a 60-year-old Irishman from County Waterford, imported sand from Newcastle in New South Wales, where he’d spent his first years in Australia.</p><p>“I could have used the local sand,” he says. “I still would have had to import it from northern Tasmania and I would have had to mix it. But that’s just sort of a tradesman’s thing.&nbsp;</p><p>“Newcastle has this very good stuff called Rosebrook sand. And I got that for a couple of reasons, it’s well graded and it’s clean. And I suppose I had an opportunity with a job of this size and I wanted to work within a setting that I was comfortable with.</p><p>“It’s a really good sand.”</p><p>The convicts, he says, probably used silt from the river, which 200 years ago would have come right up to the building’s edge.</p><p>“They didn't have the opportunity to go around and source all the good sands like we had. Which could be why the render hasn’t lasted.”</p><div id="2AwQ7PBaSExl8Zriusxigg"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/2JEZJZUh8zPZ3oCs0Wh5Xu/38dc4f6d6701f8f1fa290445c528cf0c/1.jpg" alt="The Watergate wall and bond store at the Hobart museum and gallery precinct." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/2JEZJZUh8zPZ3oCs0Wh5Xu/38dc4f6d6701f8f1fa290445c528cf0c/1.jpg"></picture><div><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ The Watergate wall and bond store at the Hobart museum and gallery precinct.<br><br></span></div></div><p>Power says he spent a lot of time asking himself: “What would they have done?”.</p><p>Back on the roof, James Barker had wanted Welsh slate—produced in the giant Penrhyn quarry since the 13th&nbsp;century and highly regarded for the consistency of its colour and texture.&nbsp;</p><p>Heritage architect Burke-Smith says it was commonly used in early Australian roof construction, first arriving in the colonies as ballast in the hulls of trading ships.</p><p>But Barker found it was impossible to get.</p><p>“I’m sure if we were in Europe, we might be able to get it,” he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;“But the quarries are running short of it in Wales. And we’re at the bottom of the world.</p><p>“I got a generic email from my supplier probably two months ago, begging us to stop asking when it was going to be coming back online. There is none in Australia.”</p><p>He chose Spanish Del Carmen slate from the&nbsp;Cabrera Mountains of north-west Spain,&nbsp;instead.</p><p>And got on with the job of looking for copper rivets with a star-shaped head (most in Australia are hexagonal) and a rubber grommet to waterproof the fastening.&nbsp; Again, he found them in Belgium, where there’s an unbroken tradition of slate rooves and copper fixtures.</p><p>He says it has been a great job.</p><p>“It was certainly an enjoyable job for us. And very, very challenging. But those two things go hand in hand—if it’s challenging, we enjoy it more. So yeah, from our point of view, it’s been a lot of fun.”</p><p>Both tradies say there’s no shortage of heritage work and are booked until mid-2024. Each is doing his part to ensure their disappearing skills survive a little longer.</p><div id="5dRMcL4tY5RjSIntNmSbMe"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/oexliWvTMFEmc0VzJSP1P/23b567edc4940dd9e0f7c0402e730aca/2.jpg" alt="The Barkers’ trade is not one for those with a fear of heights." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/oexliWvTMFEmc0VzJSP1P/23b567edc4940dd9e0f7c0402e730aca/2.jpg"></picture><div><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ James and son Django’s trade is not one for those with a fear of heights.<br><br></span></div></div><p>Barker, whose grandfather owned a quarry in the Beqaa Valley in eastern Lebanon, has apprenticed his 20-year-old son who becomes the fourth generation to work stone and slate.</p><p>“He’s really embracing it, which is great. It was part of the deal for me to take him on as an apprentice. It was really important for me that he was making his own path.”</p><p>Power boasts he has the only solid plastering apprentice in Tasmania, although he has to send him to Victoria to complete his TAFE component.</p><p>Earlier in the year the two spent three months preparing the mix of three parts sand to one part of lime putty, which then sat under water in sealed containers to cure. While he waited Power experimented with iron sulfate through limewashes—just the way convicts would have done it—to try to replicate the original orange colour. It would have been easier to use an oxide, but he says oxides tend to fade.</p><p>And he searched for 1000 hand-made, replacement bricks, soft enough so as not to disturb the original bricks they’d be resting against in Watergate wall. He found a man in South Australia who makes five or six bricks a day, and who agreed to produce a mix of three different sizes, because no two convict bricks are exactly the same size and shape.</p><p>And he looked for animal hair.</p><p>“In the end we used a manufactured hair, polypropylene. Obviously that’s not heritage, but we just couldn’t get enough animal hair,” he concedes.</p><p>And it’s an honest alternative to teams of bullocks grazing the waterfront at Sandy Bay.<br><br></p><hr><p><br><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;"><strong>Main image of the museum courtyard by John Gollings AM </strong><br><a href="gollings.com.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-href="gollings.com.au">gollings.com.au</a> <a href="gollings.com.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-mce-href="gollings.com.au">johngollings.com</a><br><br></span></p><hr><p><strong><br>You are currently experiencing <em>The Urban Developer</em> Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals. </strong><a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans"><strong>Click here to learn more.</strong></a></p><div id="2GhuueZl01Zwo2aFfjNVi2"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg" alt="TUD + Banner" data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/12UMq5eMSEOh0QxJVBYaDt/d7507cf4ceb1365cc9ce7eaff84d06cc/tud___banner.jpg"></picture></div>

In the middle of next month, two heritage tradies and their teams will finish  job renovating key elements of Hobart’s Tasmanian Museum and Gallery (TMAG) which safeguards about 800,000 objects as diverse as fossils and fine art.  It's not been without it's challenges.

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<p>Authorities have ordered that the developers of a residential subdivision dubbed ‘the worst development in Hobart’ move quickly to demolish three homes due to an “intolerable risk” of flooding in heavy rain.</p><p>The development at 44 McGill Rise in the suburb of Claremont is on top of a hill in the notoriously hilly southern city of Hobart, with sweeping water and city views. </p><p>But three of the homes have this week been deemed uninhabitable due to structural issues, electrical faults and water ingress.</p><p>Tenants had complained about receiving electric shocks from kitchen taps and significant water damage, but said their concerns initially fell on deaf ears before authorities investigated. </p><p>An audit found that the building surveyor engaged by the developer did not provide adequate documentation about the stability of building platforms for the construction methods used. </p><p>The Glenorchy Council raised concerns with Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS) about the allowing of private building certifiers to provide certificates to council for building approval. </p><p>It found that the certificates provided to council should not have been issued. </p><p>Subsequent engineering reports uncovered that embankments for some of the properties in the subdivision could collapse in high rainfall, posing a significant threat to life. </p><p>The developers are publicly listed as Aviation Consolidated Holdings Pty Ltd, which according to records is directed by a George Ters and Sunjidmaa Altankhuyag. </p><p>The developers could not be contacted by <em>The Urban Developer</em>. </p><p>Of the 22 new homes, eight had to be vacated after being deemed uninhabitable in the wake of an urgent audit of the construction work. </p><p>The three homes to be demolished in the next 90 days are 25, 42 and 44 McGill Rise, which have been vacant since the issues came to light in 2021. </p><p>A further five properties at McGill Rise were also deemed structurally deficient but did not pose the same level of risk as the three properties to be demolished.</p><p>Glenorchy mayor Bec Thomas explained that the private building surveyor used by the developer signed off on the construction and those certificates were provided to council. </p><p>“The council’s priority is public safety. These houses pose an unacceptable risk to that, and they need to be demolished,” she said.</p><p>“The council has been engaged with owners of these premises through their legal representatives in an attempt to have rectification work carried out. </p>

Three houses in the Tasmanian capital will be pulled down due to flood risk as the saga of the two-year-old project rolls on…

Tradies from NSW and Victoria are flocking to Queensland in record numbers according to QBCC as skills shortages hit the construction industry.

<div class="row" data-reactroot=""><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p>Tradies from the southern states are flocking to Queensland in record numbers as<a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/bricks-construction-materials-supply-labour-shortages"> skills shortages</a> hit the construction industry.</p><p>The Queensland Building and Construction Commission has had its biggest jump in licensee numbers in more than five years from interstate tradies.</p><p>It approved 821 mutual recognition licences from Australian states and territories, and New Zealand in 2021, compared to 795 in 2020 and 578 in 2016.</p><p>Building approvals in Queensland <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/brisbane-housing-market-update">remain above pre-pandemic levels</a> for houses and the apartment sector is also gaining momentum.</p><p>The number of cranes in Brisbane increased at the <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/australia-construction-crane-tally-rises">fastest rate</a> in country—the Gold and Sunshine coasts beat other regional cities’ crane counts across the country in the past quarter.</p><p>South-east Queensland is also<a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/top-qld-spots-for-interstate-buyers"> proving popular</a> with interstate buyers—66 per cent of property enquiries came from NSW, according to Domain.</p><p><strong>Queensland licence approvals from interstate</strong></p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><table><thead><tr><th>Location</th><th>2021</th><th>2020</th><th>2019</th><th>2018</th><th>2017</th><th>2016</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>NSW</th><th>408</th><th>367</th><th>306</th><th>300</th><th>315</th><th>283</th></tr><tr><th>Vic</th><th>161</th><th>154</th><th>83</th><th>77</th><th>89</th><th>85</th></tr><tr><th>ACT</th><th>17</th><th>21</th><th>18</th><th>16</th><th>11</th><th>22</th></tr><tr><th>NT</th><th>5</th><th>6</th><th>14</th><th>6</th><th>9</th><th>12</th></tr><tr><th>SA</th><th>52</th><th>77</th><th>42</th><th>59</th><th>55</th><th>51</th></tr><tr><th>Tas</th><th>7</th><th>6</th><th>6</th><th>5</th><th>10</th><th>10</th></tr><tr><th>WA</th><th>28</th><th>22</th><th>31</th><th>21</th><th>26</th><th>31</th></tr><tr><th>NZ</th><th>6</th><th>16</th><th>9</th><th>10</th><th>17</th><th>18</th></tr><tr><th>Total</th><th>821</th><th>785</th><th>541</th><th>550</th><th>573</th><th>578</th></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><sup><sub>^Source: QBCC October 2021<br></sub></sup>QBCC interim commissioner Richard Cassidy said Queensland’s building and construction industry had remained strong during the pandemic.</p><p>“Queensland has been the place to be during the pandemic and we’ve kept building sites open across our great state,” he said.</p><p>“Tradies in Australia have jumped at the chance to share in our building confidence, deciding to move north for the career opportunities we have to offer.”</p><p>The move comes as skills shortages constrain the industry across all labourer types <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/bricks-construction-materials-supply-labour-shortages">including bricklayers</a>.</p><p>This was not only due to lockdowns preventing people from working on site but due to international border closures and the huge increase in building demand.</p><p>Queensland has <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/queensland-rushes-to-meet-land-demand">created a taskforce</a> to unlock land suitable for residential development, including nearly <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/queensland-unlocks-land-supply-seq">50,000 lots</a> between the Gold and Sunshine coasts since November 2020.</p><p>Meanwhile, property prices have<a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/australian-house-prices-increase-2000-per-week"> increased 18.3 per cent</a> in Brisbane and rental vacancies dropped to 1.3 per cent.</p></div></div></div></div></div>

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<div class="row" data-reactroot=""><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><strong>Bidders paid a total of nearly $48 million for six of the seven properties at CBRE&#x27;s portfolio auction, with Australian developer and publisher Morry Schwartz cashing in on a $21.55 million supermarket in Melbourne’s CBD. </strong></p><p>The $21 million sale, located at the base of the 28-storey Liberty Tower at 620 Collins street, was snapped up by private investor from Sydney, Joshua Berger, on a 4.13 per cent yield. </p><p>Six of the seven properties were cleared under the hammer at the CBRE auction last week, which included a free standing Officeworks in Hobart for $11.7 million snapped up on a 6.8 per cent yield.</p><p>CBRE national director investments Mark Wizel said the platform has auctioned a total of 42 properties since its start in 2017, with offshore buyers, predominantly Chinese, accounting for 13 of the 37 properties sold. </p><p>Freestanding supermarkets have accounted $144.5 million with childcare assets at $94.1 million and service stations $53.4 million.</p><p>Other properties sold in last week’s CBRE auction include a 7/11 service station in North Melbourne which sold for $4 million on a 4.57 per cent yield, and another 7/11 service station in Queensland&#x27;s Kallangur going under the hammer for $5.27 million on a 5.88 per cent yield.</p><p>An early learning centre in Albury sold for $2.65 million on a 7.1 per cent yield while a pharmacy in Melbourne&#x27;s east sold for $2.57 million on a 6.1 per cent yield.</p></div></div></div>

Auction bidders have paid a total of nearly $48 million for six of the seven properties.

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<p>Building activity ended 2022 as it had spent much of the year—down—falling by 1.6 per cent for&nbsp; the December 2022 quarter.</p><p>The data from the ABS construction activity report for the quarter showed that national building activity declined during the quarter to $30,578.6 million compared to the September quarter.</p><p> Engineering activity, which usually encompassed infrastructure activity, increased by 1 per cent to $24,693.5 million for the last quarter of 2022.</p><p>Within the building activity segment, residential building activity increased by 0.9 per cent nationally during the quarter compared to the previous quarter while non-residential building activity decreased by 5.1 per cent.</p><p>Detached house construction activity (which does not include the data for apartment construction) decline 1.4 per cent.</p><p>BIS Oxford Economics global construction forecasting head Nicholas Fearnley said that decline was down to issues in the industry.</p><p>“The 1.4 per cent fall in house construction activity shows that capacity constraints are hampering activity levels, and points to the elevated backlog of work that has developed over the past two years and that will continue to support construction activity for some time,” Fearnley said.</p><p>Despite the fall in non-residential building activity, Feranley said he did not expect this decline to continue this year.</p><p>“We expect activity to firm over 2023, supported by a sizeable pipeline of public projects including schools, train stations and hospitals,” he said.&nbsp;</p><p>“Sectors hit hard by the border closure and movement restrictions are also expected to rebound while the tailwind behind asset classes that have benefited through the pandemic, including warehouses and data centres, is set to persist.”</p><p>New South Wales and Western Australia recorded increases in building activity with 1.3 per cent and 5 per cent respectively.</p><p>Victorian building activity declined by 2.5 per cent, Queensland was down 1 per cent, South Australian by 8.6 per cent, Tasmanian 3.5 per cent, Northern Territory 6.5 per cent and the Australian Capital Territory’s declined 7.9 per cent.</p><p>However, comparison with the December 2021 quarter tells a different story.</p><p>Building activity in NSW, WA and Victoria has increased compared to the last quarter of 2021, up in 2022 by 1.8 per cent, 6.8 per cent and 3.8 per cent respectively.&nbsp;</p><p>On a year-on-year basis for the quarter, Queensland’s building activity dropped by 3 per cent, South Australia’s was down 5.5 per cent, Tasmania’s declined 2.3 per cent, the Northern Territory down 18.9 per cent and the Australian Capital Territory’s lost 12 per cent.<br><br><strong>Change in building activity</strong></p><table border="0" style="width: 100%; font-family: Panton-Bold, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); border: unset; float: left; height: 584.5px;" class="mce-item-table" data-mce-style="width: 100%; font-family: Panton-Bold, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.87); border: unset; float: left; height: 584.5px;"><tbody><tr style="height: 104.5px;" data-mce-style="height: 104.5px;"><td style="width: 33.1614%; height: 104.5px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.1614%; height: 104.5px;">State or territory</td><td style="width: 33.6715%; height: 104.5px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.6715%; height: 104.5px;">Change in activity from September 2022 to December 2022 (%)</td><td style="width: 33.1672%; height: 104.5px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.1672%; height: 104.5px;">Change in activity from December 2021 to December 2022 (%)</td></tr><tr style="height: 57px;" data-mce-style="height: 57px;"><td style="width: 33.1614%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.1614%; height: 57px;">New South Wales</td><td style="width: 33.6715%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.6715%; height: 57px;">1.3</td><td style="width: 33.1672%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.1672%; height: 57px;">1.8</td></tr><tr style="height: 57px;" data-mce-style="height: 57px;"><td style="width: 33.1614%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.1614%; height: 57px;">Victoria</td><td style="width: 33.6715%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.6715%; height: 57px;">-2.5</td><td style="width: 33.1672%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.1672%; height: 57px;">3.8</td></tr><tr style="height: 57px;" data-mce-style="height: 57px;"><td style="width: 33.1614%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.1614%; height: 57px;">Queensland</td><td style="width: 33.6715%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.6715%; height: 57px;">-1.0</td><td style="width: 33.1672%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.1672%; height: 57px;">-3</td></tr><tr style="height: 57px;" data-mce-style="height: 57px;"><td style="width: 33.1614%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.1614%; height: 57px;">South Australia</td><td style="width: 33.6715%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.6715%; height: 57px;">-8.6</td><td style="width: 33.1672%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.1672%; height: 57px;">-5.5</td></tr><tr style="height: 57px;" data-mce-style="height: 57px;"><td style="width: 33.1614%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.1614%; height: 57px;">Western Australia</td><td style="width: 33.6715%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.6715%; height: 57px;">5.0</td><td style="width: 33.1672%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.1672%; height: 57px;">6.8</td></tr><tr style="height: 57px;" data-mce-style="height: 57px;"><td style="width: 33.1614%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.1614%; height: 57px;">Tasmania</td><td style="width: 33.6715%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.6715%; height: 57px;">-3.5</td><td style="width: 33.1672%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.1672%; height: 57px;">-2.3</td></tr><tr style="height: 57px;" data-mce-style="height: 57px;"><td style="width: 33.1614%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.1614%; height: 57px;">Northern Territory</td><td style="width: 33.6715%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.6715%; height: 57px;">-6.5</td><td style="width: 33.1672%; height: 57px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.1672%; height: 57px;">-18.9</td></tr><tr style="height: 81px;" data-mce-style="height: 81px;"><td style="width: 33.1614%; height: 81px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.1614%; height: 81px;">Australian Capital Territory</td><td style="width: 33.6715%; height: 81px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.6715%; height: 81px;">-7.9</td><td style="width: 33.1672%; height: 81px;" data-mce-style="width: 33.1672%; height: 81px;">-12.0</td></tr></tbody></table><p><sub>Source: <em>Construction Work Done, Preliminary Report,</em> February 2023, Australian Bureau of Statistics&nbsp;&nbsp;<br></sub><br><br>Fearnley said it was not expect the changes in demand for housing would show in the data for another few years.</p><p>“Demand for new homes, however, has fallen significantly in response to building costs, delays and credit availability,” he said.</p><p>“This isn’t expected to materially affect the work done numbers until the back end of 2024 and 2025.”</p><p>Engineering activity increased by 1 per cent in the December 2022 quarter driven by increased government investment in infrastructure projects.</p><p>“Activity is forecast to grow over the coming years, supported by a large pipeline of publicly funded transportation projects,” Fearnley said.</p><p>He said pricing would also gradually improve as the market reacted to inflation and other factors.</p><p>“Ultimately, higher prices encourage a supply response, as higher wages attract more workers to the construction sector and stronger material prices encourage suppliers to bring more capacity online,” Fearnley said.</p><p>“The strong demand for construction activity, both domestically and globally, over the coming years ensures that the supply side response to high prices is unlikely to create a ‘whipsaw’ effect, whereby we see a sharp fall in construction costs.”</p><p>Data in the report is collected directly from a survey of organisations and entities within the construction industry, with an average response rate of 85 per cent.&nbsp;</p><p>Recent reports have seen a response rate of 70 per cent according to the ABS, signalling that further corrections to estimates and figures may need to be made.</p>

Infrastructure projects seemingly took over in the fourth quarter of 2022, as the latest ABS data shows a drop in national building activity...


The largest 100 residential builders created 80 per cent of new houses last year, with the Metricon Homes named as the top home builder for the sixth consecutive year.

<div class="row" data-reactroot=""><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p>The largest 100 residential builders created 80 per cent of new houses last year, with the top company taking home bragging rights for the sixth consecutive year.</p><p>Metricon Homes took top honours for the 2021 financial year with 6052 new home starts, up from 4534 the previous year, in the HIA-Colourbond Steel Housing 100 Report.</p><p>Moving up from fourth position and becoming the second most active builder was ABN Group with 5345 starts, followed by MJH Group with 4548 starts.</p><p>Revenue for the top 100 builders also increased 31.4 per cent to $31.7 billion, spurred on by increased demand through the HomeBuilder grants.</p><p>This pushed the total number of new homes up 27 per cent, however, there was great disparity in the market.</p><p>Detached house starts increased by 49.1 per cent, while units fell by 20.7 per cent. </p><p><strong>Top home builders for 2021</strong></p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><table><thead><tr><th>Rank 2021</th><th>Rank 2020</th><th>Company</th><th>Starts 2021</th><th>Starts 2020</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>1</th><th>1</th><th>Metricon Homes</th><th>6052 </th><th>4534</th></tr><tr><th>2</th><th>4</th><th>ABN Group</th><th>5345 </th><th>3247</th></tr><tr><th>3</th><th>5</th><th>MJH Group</th><th>4548</th><th>2761</th></tr><tr><th>4</th><th>7</th><th>BGC Housing Group </th><th>4205 </th><th>2332</th></tr><tr><th>5</th><th>2</th><th>Hutchies </th><th>3015</th><th>3820</th></tr><tr><th>6</th><th>6</th><th>Simonds Group</th><th>2719</th><th>2395</th></tr><tr><th>7</th><th>14</th><th>AHB Group</th><th>2688</th><th>1397</th></tr><tr><th>8</th><th>9</th><th>GJ Gardner Homes (and franchise)</th><th>2611 </th><th>1913</th></tr><tr><th>9</th><th>10</th><th>Henley Properties </th><th>2129</th><th>1817</th></tr><tr><th>10</th><th>17</th><th>Silvestro Building Group (SBG) Pty Ltd </th><th>2055</th><th>1251</th></tr><tr><th>11</th><th>15</th><th>Hickinbotham Group of Companies</th><th>1976 </th><th>1349</th></tr><tr><th>12</th><th>-</th><th>Redink Homes Pty Ltd / 101 Residential Pty Ltd / B1 Homes Pty Ltd</th><th>1803</th><th>741</th></tr><tr><th>13</th><th>12</th><th>Porter Davis Homes </th><th>1734</th><th>1493</th></tr><tr><th>14</th><th>11</th><th>Carlisle Homes Pty Ltd</th><th>1734</th><th>1495</th></tr><tr><th>15</th><th>18</th><th>Burbank Group </th><th>1604</th><th>1114</th></tr><tr><th>16</th><th>-</th><th>Mirvac Group</th><th>1560 </th><th>290</th></tr><tr><th>17</th><th>-</th><th>Clarendon Residential Group</th><th>1500</th><th>954</th></tr><tr><th>18</th><th>16</th><th>Creation Homes Group </th><th>1474</th><th> 1259</th></tr><tr><th>19</th><th>-</th><th>Meriton Apartments</th><th>1412 </th><th>962</th></tr><tr><th>20</th><th>19</th><th>Coral Homes</th><th>1359</th><th>1098</th></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><sup><sub>^Source: HIA Economics, ranked by number of starts</sub></sup></p><p>HIA chief economist Tim Reardon said it was a remarkable year, impacted by the building boom and a lack of overseas migration.</p><p>“The majority of builders increased their number of dwelling starts in 2020-21 compared to the previous year. Those that didn’t were more likely to be in the multi-unit market,” he said.</p><p>“In this market, it is not surprising that detached home builders have dominated the list of the most active home builders in Australia.</p><p>“The largest apartment builder in this year’s report was Hutchies, who ranked as the fifth most active builder overall.</p><p>“They are one of only three apartment builders in the top 20 this year.”</p><p>The top builder for 2021 started on 5820 detached houses and 232 semi-detached dwellings. The biggest market growth for Metricon was seen in Queensland up 95 per cent from 604 starts to 1177 starts.</p><p>Metricon chief executive Mario Biasin said they recognise our fortunate position in an economic climate that has been challenging for so many others.</p><p>“The Federal government’s HomeBuilder scheme, lower interest rates, and increased consumer desire to live in new homes, many away from high-density areas, have facilitated a huge surge in demand for new detached homes,” Biasin said.</p><p>“Our site starts increased by 33 per cent year on year, that represents another 1518 families building a new home with us this year or an additional 29 each week.”</p></div></div></div></div></div>

The largest 100 residential builders created 80 per cent of new houses last year, with Metricon Homes named HIA's top builder of 2021... 

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<p>The Federal Labor government has announced a $9.6-billion infrastructure spend across Australia as part of its first Budget.</p><p>The record funding encompasses rail and road projects and makes good on promise by now-Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the run-up to the May election.</p><p>Albanese said that “sound and planned infrastructure investment in Australia creates jobs, builds opportunity and unlocks economic growth and productivity for our cities and our regions”.</p><p>“It’s about making journeys quicker, but also making sure people can get home to their families safely,” he said during the announcement on Sunday.</p><p>“Through our first Budget, my team is getting on with the job of delivering projects in consultation with Infrastructure Australia and all levels of government to make a real difference to the lives of Australians.”</p><p>Topping the spend for Victoria, the $3.6-billion Melbourne Intermodal Terminal Package will receive $3.1 billion in new commitments in the Budget.</p><p>Also in that state, $2.2 billion has been allocated to the Suburban Railway Loop, a 90km rail line that will link every major rail line from the Frankston Line to the Werribee Line <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/melbourne-airport-rail-link-revealed" data-mce-href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/melbourne-airport-rail-link-revealed">via Melbourne Airport</a>.</p><p>It has been criticised by the state auditor-general, who said a full business case for the project had not been provided and that the government had not “demonstrated the economic rationale for the entire project”.</p><p>In Queensland, two sections of east coast rail links have been funded with $1.6 billion for the Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast (Beerwah—Maroochydore) rail extension, and $1.1 billion for the Brisbane to the Gold Coast (Kuraby—Beenleigh) faster rail upgrade.</p><p>Similarly, in NSW, $1 billion has been put up for the Sydney to Newcastle (Tuggerah—Wyong) faster rail upgrade.</p><div id="36Gh18fNuRWn3pWMc4NtYP"><picture><img src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1c90sIgmguitB095RM2BNO/ba85e255d2fa8a2ba7c962a135e7a4e7/Mid_article_resizes__1_.jpg" alt="A render of the Monash station, part of the Melbourne Rail Loop project." data-mce-src="//images.ctfassets.net/8pr762qjocl3/1c90sIgmguitB095RM2BNO/ba85e255d2fa8a2ba7c962a135e7a4e7/Mid_article_resizes__1_.jpg"></picture><div><span style="opacity: 0.8;" data-mce-style="opacity: 0.8;">▲ A render of the Monash station, part of the Melbourne Rail Loop project.<br><br></span></div></div><p>Also in NSW, $77.5 million has been put forward for the development of a Final Business Case and early property acquisitions for an extension of the Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport line from Bradfield to Glenfield via Leppington.</p><p>In the Queensland capital, $150 million has been allocated to help deliver a new metro station at Woolloongabba, home to the main stadium for the city’s Olympic Games.</p><p>Across WA, the NT and Queensland, $678 million will be spent on the Outback Way road link.</p><p>In Tasmania, $336 million has been allocated to the Tasmanian Roads Package—Northern Roads Package Stage 2, and in SA $200 million for the Marion Road—Anzac Highway to Cross Road.</p><p>The announcement also includes a $145 million spend for the Thomas Road—Dual Carriageway—South Western Highway to Tonkin Highway and interchange at Tonkin Highway in WA, $132 million for Central Australian Tourism Roads in the NT, and $46.7 million towards the Athllon Drive Duplication in the ACT.</p><p>The announcement has been met with criticism that Coalition government states, including NSW, have been “dudded’ by the announcements with that state’s infrastructure minister, Rob Stokes, and transport minister, David Elliott, saying the federal government had “short-changed” their state.</p><p>Stokes said the budget announcements included twice as much funding to Victoria and the NT as NSW, while WA Liberal senator Michaelia Cash pointed out her state was receiving less than Tasmania.</p>

Infrastructure projects across Australia will received a $9.6-billion investment under the Federal government’s first Budget…

Inside Hobart's 20-Year Plan to Double Density Glenorchy 

<div class="row" data-reactroot=""><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p>In this TUD+ Briefing, Glenorchy City Council mayor Kristie Johnston and senior advisor Jennifer Lawley reveal a bold new vision for Hobart, known as the <a href="https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/greater-hobart-glenorchy-plan-doubles-dwelling-density">Greater Glenorchy Plan</a>. </p><p>The 20-year plan, part of the Hobart City Deal inked between three levels of government in 2019, will result in a doubling of housing density in three existing CBDs: Glenorchy, Moonah and Claremont.</p><p><strong>This TUD+ Briefing covers:</strong></p><p>—the vision for the greater Glenorchy precinct</p><p>—rezoned precincts and transport corridors</p><p>—council&#x27;s appetite for new development</p><p>—process for developers to submit new applications</p><p>—Hobart&#x27;s population growth and demographic changes.</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><iframe sandbox="allow-forms allow-scripts allow-pointer-lock allow-same-origin allow-top-navigation allow-presentation" class="embed-responsive-item" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" style="max-width:574px" width="100%" height="323" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/G-q2g45oiW0"></iframe></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><hr/></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><strong>You are currently experiencing </strong><strong><em>The Urban Developer </em></strong><strong>Plus</strong><strong><em> </em></strong><strong>(TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals. </strong></p><p><strong>From $29 per month, you will receive access to exclusive news, analysis, features and video content designed to help you make more informed property decisions.</strong></p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p style="text-align:center"><a href="https://theurbandeveloper.com/tud-plus-eoi"><strong>Click here</strong> to register interest for early access</a></p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><div><picture><img src="https://tud-prod-tudmedia-oj9w2zshuo0o.s3.amazonaws.com/raw/images/4fb872c4-2507-449c-af93-4c928c2ed849.png" width="800"/></picture><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>

In this TUD+ Briefing, Glenorchy City Council mayor Kristie Johnston and senior advisor Jennifer Lawley reveal a new vision for development in Hobart.

Hotel brands Movenpick

<div class="row" data-reactroot=""><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p>The hotel sector is pegging its hopes on a full recovery with highly-anticipated brands ready to debut in Australia.</p><p>These brands will play a major role in generating revenue for the <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/new-sydney-hotel-market">record number of new hotel</a> developments set to open in the next three years.</p><p>Australia was one of the highest-performing countries in the first half of 2021, revenue per available room hit 74 per cent of 2019 levels in May before the Delta outbreak hit Sydney, according to hotel data provider STR.</p><p>While domestic and Trans-Tasman travel are keeping the sector afloat developers are looking further ahead, anticipating the return of international travellers.</p><p>From lifestyle to luxury, to selling a story or a service—as well as the selection of white label, independent or major operators—there are many considerations when it comes to selecting a hotel brand.</p><p><em>The Urban Developer</em> has uncovered the big players, mergers, new entries and unexpected hotel brands entering the Australian market.</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><hr/></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><h2><strong>Ace Hotels</strong></h2></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><div><picture><img src="https://tud-prod-tudmedia-oj9w2zshuo0o.s3.amazonaws.com/raw/images/91c3ca97-cbf9-4c5c-9e28-50b727412354.jpg" width="800"/></picture><div><span style="align-content:center;opacity:0.8">▲ The Sydney plans designed by Bates Smart alongside interiors from Ace Hotel Portland. The interior styling for Australia is yet to be unveiled. </span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><h2></h2><p></p><p>The US-based hotel operator presents a young, lifestyle-driven image. </p><p>The brick, heritage-listed Tyne House warehouse on the site will be <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/golden-age-secures-ace-hotel-in-surry-hills">incorporated </a>into a Bates-Smart-designed, 18-storey development.</p><p>The boutique brand takes inspiration from art, music and local culture for styling the rooms and common areas. </p><p>The new development will have 264 rooms and a lobby bar as well as a rooftop restaurant and bar.</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><strong>Operator: </strong>Ace Hotel Group<br><strong>Developer: </strong>Golden Age <br><strong>Location: </strong>47-53 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney <br><strong>Completion:</strong> Late-2021</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><hr/></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><h2><strong>The Standard </strong></h2></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><div><picture><img src="https://tud-prod-tudmedia-oj9w2zshuo0o.s3.amazonaws.com/raw/images/f7e88e8c-31c5-490d-9ae7-b5ad4c4c94df.jpg" width="960"/></picture><div><span style="align-content:center;opacity:0.8">▲ The Standard Hotel building was designed by Woods Bagot in central Melbourne.</span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><h2></h2><p></p><p>Standard International’s <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/the-standard-hotels-fitzroy-dealcorp">first </a>Australian offering will be within Fitzroy’s creative community. </p><p>The 127-room hotel will be serviced by the company’s “unique” style of hospitality, culinary and cultural experiences created to complement the surrounding culture of arts, supporting young professionals. </p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><strong>Operator: </strong>Standard International <br><strong>Developer:</strong> DealCorp <br><strong>Location: </strong>Corner of Rose and Fitzroy streets, Melbourne <br><strong>Completion:</strong> Opening 2023</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><hr/></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><h2><strong>Kimpton Hotels </strong></h2></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><div><picture><img src="https://tud-prod-tudmedia-oj9w2zshuo0o.s3.amazonaws.com/raw/images/d5302f9a-bc10-49ef-a5f9-262834b84a0a.jpg" width="960"/></picture><div><span style="align-content:center;opacity:0.8">▲ The Primus Hotel was acquired by Pro-invest Group in February 2021.</span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p></p><p>IHG are also working on multiple hotel conversions in Sydney and Brisbane with Pro-invest Group. </p><p>The companies are <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/greenland-offloads-5-star-sydney-hotel">repositioning </a>Sydney Primus Hotel as Kimpton Sydney. The perk-driven offering includes pet-friendly suites, free coffee, wine hours and bicycles. </p><p>They are also rebranding the Mecure Brisbane and Ibis Brisbane to its Voco brand.</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><strong>Operator:</strong> IHG, Pro-invest <br><strong>Location: </strong>339 Pitt Street, Sydney <br><strong>Completion: </strong>Opening October 2021</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><hr/></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><h2><strong>Club Maison </strong></h2></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><div><picture><img src="https://tud-prod-tudmedia-oj9w2zshuo0o.s3.amazonaws.com/raw/images/f6cc5aa8-4bf4-44cf-81f9-8be91244bc8c.jpg" width="960"/></picture><div><span style="align-content:center;opacity:0.8">▲ The St Kilda hotel is the first of 20 hotels planned for the brand.</span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><br>Melbourne-based developer Tim Gurner <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/gurners-club-maison-boutique-hotel-st-kilda">announced </a>plans to own and operate a boutique brand when he launched Club Maison in January, 2021. </p><p>The luxury offering is based on the business model of Soho House in London and New York—an exclusive membership model—and will be an in-house operation. </p><p>The developer plans to launch two to three Club Maison hotels each year, however, hotel in Johnston Street, <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/gurner-moves-into-hotels-">Collingwood </a>and at <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/gurner-dives-into-hotel-developments">Port Douglas</a> will not be included in this brand. </p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><strong>Operator: </strong>Gurner <br><strong>Developer:</strong> Gurner <br><strong>Locations: </strong>99 Fitzroy Street, Melbourne and 145-151 High Street, Prahan<br><strong>Completion: </strong>Opening 2022</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><hr/></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><h2><strong>Mondrian</strong></h2></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><div><picture><img src="https://tud-prod-tudmedia-oj9w2zshuo0o.s3.amazonaws.com/raw/images/57c23ce7-86ac-4b02-8850-f255ec1cc65c.jpg" width="720"/></picture><div><span style="align-content:center;opacity:0.8">▲ Nielson Properties lodged its development application in October 2019.</span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><h2></h2><p>The Mondrian is positioned as a lifestyle, premium international brand with oversized <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/nielson-pointcorp-lodge-plans-the-esplanade-burleigh-heads">elements </a>and “spectacular” staircases. </p><p>The Gold Coast hotel is the latest offering in the brand alongside one in Singapore. </p><p>The Mondrian brand was part of SBE Group’s hotel assets, which were purchased by Accor in November, 2020. </p><p>Accor is also launching its first Fairmont brand in Australia—at Port Douglas’ Chiodo Corporations $300-million <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/chiodo-lodges-300m-port-douglas-hotel-plans">development</a>.</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><strong>Operator:</strong> Accor <br><strong>Developer:</strong> Vitale Projects<br><strong>Location:</strong> 50 The Esplanade, Gold Coast <br><strong>Completion:</strong> Early-2023</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><hr/></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><h2><strong>NH Collection</strong></h2></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><div><picture><img src="https://tud-prod-tudmedia-oj9w2zshuo0o.s3.amazonaws.com/raw/images/2a50541c-4449-4f8a-9e4f-50ac36792eed.jpg" width="960"/></picture><div><span style="align-content:center;opacity:0.8">▲ Artists impression of the NH Collection hotel in Sydney.</span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><h2></h2><p>This hotel will have an “upscale” positioning as part of NH Hotel Group’s offering with similar hotels in Europe and Latin America. </p><p>The hotel development was approved in May, 2021 and will have 254 rooms, gym, business facilities and a restaurant. </p><p>The hotel is aimed at leisure and corporate travellers. </p><p>There are also plans for an NH Hotel on Burelli Street, Wollongong in the group’s upscale and midscale brand.</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><strong>Operator: </strong>Minor Hotels <br><strong>Developer: </strong>59 Wentworth Ave Developments Pty Ltd<br><strong>Location:</strong> 55-59 Wentworth Avenue, Sydney <br><strong>Completion: </strong>Early 2024</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><hr/></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><h2><strong>Moxy</strong></h2></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><div><picture><img src="https://tud-prod-tudmedia-oj9w2zshuo0o.s3.amazonaws.com/raw/images/6e03b077-60d8-4657-8dee-cac3bd41e12e.jpg" width="960"/></picture><div><span style="align-content:center;opacity:0.8">▲ Moxy South Yarra was designed by Rothelowman on the site of an old office block.</span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><h2></h2><p>Marriott’s Moxy brand has grown from 12 to 71 hotels globally since its launch in 2014, including a new development in Auckland. </p><p>The Australian <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/melbourne-to-debut-marriotts-moxy-hotel-brand">new-build</a> in Melbourne will target staycations to a younger clientele with a “playful”, affordable offering. </p><p>The Melbourne development boasts 180 rooms and fast wi-fi. The brand will also have a presence in Western Australia with a new development planned for 195 Hay Street in East Perth. </p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><strong>Operator: </strong>Marriott <br><strong>Developer: </strong>Hector Ktori and Peter Arvanitis <br><strong>Location: </strong>30-32 Claremont Street, Melbourne <br><strong>Completion: </strong>Early 2022</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><hr/></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><h2><strong>Mövenpick Hotels &amp; Resorts</strong></h2></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><div><picture><img src="https://tud-prod-tudmedia-oj9w2zshuo0o.s3.amazonaws.com/raw/images/7a33e4bf-a37e-4699-9135-4b7381e095c8.jpg" width="960"/></picture><div><span style="align-content:center;opacity:0.8">▲ Movenpick Melbourne will have 172 rooms and suites on the first six floors of Melbourne&#x27;s Premier Tower.</span></div></div></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><h2></h2><p>This culinary-based hotel offering has a Swiss heritage and opened its first Australia property in 2021. </p><p>While being a relatively new brand in Australia, Movenpick manages 20,000-plus rooms in more than 82 hotels globally. </p><p>In January, 2021 a Hobart Mövenpick <a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/the-standard-hotels-fitzroy-dealcorp">opened </a>with Singaporean-based global hospitality group Global Premium Hotels.</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><strong>Operator: </strong>Accor<br><strong>Developer: </strong>Fragrance Group <br><strong>Location: </strong>160 Spencer Street, Melbourne<br><strong>Completion:</strong> Mid-2021</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><hr/></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><h2><strong>Developers find new hotel niche</strong></h2><p>New brands are opening in the hotel sector with storytelling, niche clientele and location playing a large part in hotel selection.</p><p>Boutique brands have taken the interest of global companies looking to reinforce their market share in an environment of cheap and plentiful capital.</p><p>In recent years, Accor gained Mantra along with the smaller Art Series, Marriott bought Starwood and Hyatt took Two Roads on board.</p><p>These companies are also bringing international brands to the Australian market for the first time, where lifestyle or luxury offerings are on the upswing and more unusual, independent brands are entering the scene.</p><p>Minett Prime Square managing director Arnaud Millécamps said developers needed to look at the location and positioning of the hotel as well as the demand in the area, competition and potential for return on investment.</p><p>“There are now many hotel brands covering every segment of the market from economy to luxury, from limited service to full and indulgent service,” Millécamps said.</p><p>“Obtaining the right brand and operator fit for a hotel is crucial, especially as most hotel management agreements are long-term.”</p><p>Resort Brokers managing director Trudy Crooks said ultimately it was about what the brand brought to the developer or buyer and how it attracted customers.</p><p>“Lots of people, when selecting a brand, are also looking, not just at the brand above the door and what that means to them, but what the booking system is and the loyalty program,” Crooks said.</p><p>“It’s more about what operating model they want—are they looking for a hotel management agreement, a lease, a group that want to own and operate—because that will underlie the financial viability if it’s a new development.</p><p>“If it’s an established hotel it’s very much down to the type of accommodation, the market drivers and what you’re looking for in a brand.”</p><p>Crooks said while big companies were introducing new brands all the time there was also a trend towards white label operators.</p><p>“Which means that you might have a really great hotel that’s been run by a family, that’s got a name and brand of its own but they want all the hotel booking systems and access to their loyalty platforms,” Crooks said.</p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><hr/></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><p><strong>You are currently experiencing </strong><em><strong>The Urban Developer</strong></em><strong> Plus (TUD+), our premium membership for property professionals. </strong><a href="https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/membership-plans"><u><strong>Click here</strong></u><strong> to learn more.</strong></a><strong></strong></p><p></p></div></div></div><div class="row ci"><div class="cell cs12 cx12"><div class="ci cl"><div><picture><img src="https://tud-prod-tudmedia-oj9w2zshuo0o.s3.amazonaws.com/raw/images/4fb872c4-2507-449c-af93-4c928c2ed849.png" width="800"/></picture><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>

The hotel sector is pegging its hopes on a full recovery with highly anticipated brands ready to debut in Australia...

TASMANIA