The populations of Queensland and Western Australia are expected to more than double within the next 50 years.

As the great population debate rages, the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics Yearbook shows the nation’s population is expected to swell to more than 35 million by 2056.

By 2101, the population will have hit 44.7 million.

The predictions point to a much different – and more crowded – Australia compared to 1901, when the country had a population of just 3.7 million.

While NSW will remain the most populous state, its share of the population will decline from 33 per cent in 2007 to 29 per cent in 2056.

In 2007, there were 6.9 million people living in NSW.

By 2056, it is expected there will be 10.2 million people in NSW, of whom almost seven million will be living in Sydney.

But it is the resource-rich states of Queensland and Western Australia where most of the population growth will happen.

In Queensland, the population is expected to grow from 4.2 million in 2007 to 8.8 million by 2056, while Western Australia will go from 2.1 million to 4.3 million over the same period.

While there are more of us, we are also living longer, with male life expectancy having risen from 55.2 years in 1901 to 79 years in 2007.

Women can expect to live a little longer, with their life expectancy having gone from 58.5 years to 83.7 years.

But there is still a wide gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.

In 2007, the life expectancy of indigenous Australians was 67.2 years for men and 72.9 years for women.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has committed to “closing the gap” and has some work to go, with figures showing a difference of 11.5 years for men and 9.7 years for women.

* Article by AAP

By CurtisCooper | 06/06/201

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A large consideration in achieving a premium price is the style and quality of marketing material produced for your property. You will find below a link to a new style of marketing that we have created with key suppliers in the industry. The lifestyle_urban collection ensures property sellers have a clear marketing edge over their competition that is other properties listed for sale with other agents. Property in Brisbane’s inner city is a luxury item. It is sought after by the intelligent investor and most discerning & professional owner occupier. We believe the marketing message must be clearly different for our target market to take notice of, and act upon what they have seen. It must also be driven by the lifestyle benefits that come with living in this chic urban environment. The more quality the marketing material, the more buyer inspection and enquiry which will directly translate to more buyers in competition with each other.

Enjoy the video and photo’s that is the new standard of our inner city lifestyle_urban collection, making property fashionable.

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Address: 205/6 Exford Street, BRISBANE CITY Price: Offers from $463,000 2 2 1

Here are the hard facts:

• 2 Large Bedrooms. Main with walk in robe, and the 2nd bedroom with built in wardrobe
• 2 Modern bathrooms. Ensuite to main bedroom
• 1 Modern kitchen
• 2 Balconies
• 98 square meters
• Rented at $490pw with vacant possession available

Take advantage of the tax man with the big rental returns, huge tax depreciation benefits and the additional advantage that comes with capital growth.

A copy of the Sustainability Declaration for this property is available from the agent.

Outgoings

Body corporate fees: $4,316.40 pa approx
Council rates: $981.89 pa approx

Contact: Joseph Konop – 0403 764 157
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Brisbane has been hit hard by the global financial crisis with Council experiencing sharp falls in revenue from development activity. However due to responsible financial management, and a determination to seek better outcomes for ratepayers, Council has found considerable savings in major infrastructure projects to ease the impacts on Brisbane families.

Unlike other levels of government, Brisbane City Council is in a strong financial position to continue its record investment in transport infrastructure and its unprecedented focus on the environment. In this financial year, Council will begin work on the Northern Link tunnel under Paddington and open the Go Between Bridge at Milton. Once again Council has massive funding for major road projects and local road improvements to ease traffic congestion.

My ‘Can Do’ Team is truly dedicated to a better Brisbane and protecting our unique way of life. That’s why this Budget focuses on delivering for our suburbs and investing in the future of our city.

Budget Overview:

Keeping Brisbane Moving

• $204.5m on public transport including 125 new buses & 2 new CityCat ferries
• $981.5m on road upgrades and congestion hot spots
• $26.6m for new and upgraded footpaths
• Linking existing bike-ways

A Cleaner Greener City

• New options for recycling – green waste bins for grass clippings & second recycling bin
• Council will buy all of its electricity from renewable sources in 2010-2011
• $6.05m for citywide litter prevention
• $125m to improve & maintain parks

Supporting Our Community

• More than $3.3m for community festivals
• $52.36m for local libraries
• $69.8m to save iconic City Hall

Strong Financial Management

• Infrastructure investment of $1.016b
• Average rates increase of just $14.18 per quarter per household
• Pensioner remission increase to $785 for full pensioners and $365 for part pensioners
• $67.75m in efficiency savings

For more details on this year’s Council Budget, click here to download the Budget Speech.

To view more budget news, click here.

I just thought I’d share with you a Media Release on property predictions by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on 8th June, 2010.

The number of households in Australia is projected to increase by up to 4 million over the next 25 years, according to projections released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). This is an increase from 7.8 million households in 2006 to up to 11.8 million in 2031.

Family households are projected to show the largest increase and to remain the most common household type in Australia. The number of family households is projected to increase by as many as 2.4 million households, from 5.6 million in 2006 to up to 8.0 million in 2031.

Couple only families are projected to increase the most rapidly of all types of families over the next 25 years. If recent trends continue, couple only families will overtake the number of couple families with children, in either 2013 or 2014. This is mainly related to the ageing of the population, with baby boomers becoming ‘empty nesters’.

The number of Australians living alone is projected to have the most rapid increase of all household types, increasing by up to 91% over the next 25 years to 3.6 million by 2031. The rapid increase of people living alone is mainly related to the ageing of the population.

More details, including an explanation behind the assumptions used, and data for states and territories, are available in Household and Family Projections, Australia, 2006 to 2031 (cat. no. 3236.0).

Media note:

These projections are based on three alternative assumptions about changes in people’s future living arrangements which are applied to a projected population. Australia’s population is assumed to reach 28.8 million people by 2031.

How accurate do you think these projections are?  Where do you fit in?

This weekend, 739 out of a reported 875 auctions resulted in a sale, producing another high clearance rate of 84 per cent.

Though it’s usually the weakest quarter, the first three months of 2010 were at their strongest since 2003, according to the REIV.

Melbourne’s median house price dropped just 2 per cent to $524,500, while unit and apartment prices grew by 2 per cent to a record $450,000.

The median price of houses sold at auction rose by 4.4 per cent to $720,000 and apartments increased by 3.5 per cent, putting more stress on buyers.

REIV chief executive Enzo Raimondo said the most demand and the greatest price increases were being felt in some of the most expensive suburbs.

“The largest increases in median prices were recorded in Malvern East, Brighton, Frankston South, Footscray West, Ascot Vale, Glen Iris, Kew, Camberwell, Surrey Hills and Blackburn – six of which have a median in excess of a million.”

This weekend, almost 100 properties sold for more than $1 million, with another 10 selling for more than $2 million. Two subdivided blocks of land in Toorak at 4 Trawalla Avenue fetched more than $5 million each at auction.

There were seven bidders for 5 Ross Street, Kew, which went under the hammer for $2.26 million, $260,000 above its reserve.

Noel Jones group chairman Adrian Jones said the house was going to be demolished; part of an increasing trend towards viewing inner suburban property ”purely in terms of land value”.

Ruth Roberts, of Woodards, said one of their properties at 21 Manchester Grove in Glen Huntly was on the market for private sale for three weeks without getting an offer.

It was then put to auction and attracted six bidders, selling for $917,000, above its $860,000 reserve.

JPP Buyer Advocate Catherine Cashmore said the only way to cool the market was to increase supply, and this would take time.

Malcolm’s Real Estate chief executive Frank Hellier said 1 Maude Street, Cheltenham, had five competitive bidders, who pushed the price to $778,500, past a $630,000 reserve.

”I think if the interest rates continue to increase, it might take the edge off the market in the next six months,” he said.

Full Article

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/property/melbourne-still-soaring-with-84-clearance-20100418-smlb.html

Brisbanetimes.com.au

NATALIE PUCHALSKI

April 19, 2010

A COMBINATION of bigger loans and rising interest rates is likely to make first home owners vulnerable to mortgage stress.

With some of the nation’s biggest home lenders – Commonwealth Bank and Westpac – expected to slow the pace of their lending growth, after their exposure to residential housing hit record highs, buyers hoping to break into the market are likely to find it harder to secure a loan.

Over the past 18 months, first home owners have flooded the market, enticed by government grants and low mortgage rates. But a comprehensive snapshot of the mortgage market by brokerage JPMorgan and Fujitsu Consulting has shown first home owners are borrowing on average about $280,000. Remarkably, this is the same as established borrowers, who tend to earn more.

First home owners are borrowing a higher proportion of the cost of the house, at a higher multiple of their income. But with official cash rates on the rise, first home owners are finding it tougher to service their mortgages.

”The higher gearing tolerance of first owners results in greater sensitivity to rising interest rates,” says JPMorgan analyst Scott Manning.

If mortgage rates approach the level before the financial crisis, Mr Manning calculates first home owners will be committing about half their post-tax income to interest servicing. Other borrowers will see their servicing of a mortgage rise to only 33 per cent of their post-tax income.

Bank chiefs insist there will not be a first home owners’ time bomb and note that Australian mortgages are traditionally among the lowest-risk class of lending for banks.

A key factor in the case of a default is that the lender has recourse to the mortgage holder’s other assets. In many states of the US, lenders have recourse only to the property that has been bought using the loan.

Even during the peak of the global financial crisis, the big Australian banks reported only a slight increase in lending losses on mortgages and the signs are this figure has started to stabilise.

”It’s an asset class we understand very well and there’s robust risk-management practices around that,” says Westpac chief executive Gail Kelly.

Fujitsu Consulting managing director Martin North expects that even if interest rates move another 2 or 3 percentage points higher, the broader economy would absorb this and house prices would stay resilient. ”But a small proportion of home owners would fall off their perch because they’ll be so severely stressed, and it will be among young families and first home buyers.”

With rates at reasonable levels the past three years, the big four banks have raised their share of the mortgage market to about 80 per cent. But with their exposure to housing at a record high, analysts believe banks are losing their appetite for more mortgage growth.

For full article

Article By 

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/first-home-owners-charge-into-market-drives-loan-stress-20100422-tfw7.html

ERIC JOHNSTON April 23, 2010

Brisbanetimes.com.au

BrisbaneDevelopment.com posted yesterday:

Action Group Australia which is a private holdings company for Middle East investment funds is proposing to build a 27 level hotel tower, managed by the Novotel group.

When complete, this will be Brisbane’s third Novotel hotel after the recent completion of Novotel’s Brisbane Airport hotel.

The site is situated on Elizabeth street and also boarders on George street. The tower has originally undergone three different designs prior to this latest design and will preserve the current heritage listed facades on Elizabeth street which will also be illuminated at night by LED lighting. The building will utilise it’s position on the skyline by adding Novotel signage on the top level of the tower, while the north-eastern facing elevation of the building will feature pixilated urban artwork.

The tower is expected to achieve a 4-star hotel rating and supplying much needed hotel space to Brisbane’s CBD. All day dining as well as a bar and meeting room facilities will be provided.

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Rio Tinto Tower taking shape in Brisbane. The buliding is 38,500m2 and Rio Tinto will occupy 25,000m2″

Brisbanedevelopments.com says:

The building’s core can now be seen from far away areas of the city with the floor level at around 12 storeys high. The completion of the 34 floor tower is expected at the end of the year.

Dexus property group aims to make 123 Albert a 6 star Green Star office tower with a strong emphasis on the large open ‘column free’ floor space. The tower will also bring new life into the intersection of Albert and Charlotte Streets.

Images from skyscraperlife.com