TARYN PARISTUE 19 JAN 21

Analysts at the Reserve Bank have projected house prices could increase by 30 per cent over the next three years if low interest rates prevail.

An RBA report released under a Freedom of Information request on Friday examined the effect of ongoing low interest rates on asset values. The central bank has cut the cash rate by 1.4 percentage points over the past 18 months and it is now at an all-time low of 0.1 per cent.

The report shows that low interest rates will increase asset prices, which will have a ripple effect on wealth and household spending, bucking the house price trends predicted last year.

RENEE MCKEOWNTUE 15 DEC 20

The remarkable lift in the residential sector is set to continue as buyers and sellers make up for lost time.

Property prices are on the upswing after what was one of the smaller downturns in history according to Corelogic's Quarterly Economic Review.

Following this slump there was a record increase at 14.5 per cent in the amount of finance secured for properties, driven by owner-occupiers.

The Corelogic report shows nationally, housing market values did not see the large decline anticipated at the start of the Covid.

AUGUST 20, 2020 3:03 PM AEST

Up to 6000 jobs will be created at one of Queensland’s largest industrial projects.

City of Logan Mayor Darren Power, Pointcorp Director Chris Vitale and Deputy Mayor Jon Raven.

The $1.5 billion Crestmead Logistics Estate will be developed over the next five years by Queensland developer Pointcorp and will deliver 650,000 sqm of warehousing, business, logistics and manufacturing space.

Stage one of the project will be completed in December. The 36-hectare parcel was purchased by Singapore’s Mapletree

Investments for $90 million. It will develop a $440 million logistics park spanning 200,000 sqm.

City of Logan Mayor Darren Power visited the site today with Queensland Treasurer and Member for Woodridge Cameron Dick. Cr Power said the nine-stage project was a “game-changer” for South East Queensland.

Northbound congestion on the Pacific Highway in the Wyong Town Centre

NOVEMBER 18, 2020
Sue Murray

The Pacific Highway upgrade through Wyong Town Centre will get $4.3M in the NSW 2020-21 Budget announced on Tuesday, November 17.

This funding will go towards finalising detailed designs and to commence early works for the project.

Other major projects in the northern suburbs to get funding in the Budget include:

• 
  $1.5M to continue planning for the $387M duplication of the Central Coast Highway between Bateau Bay and Wamberal;
  $34M for design, planning approval and construction of an accessibility upgrade, including lifts, at Tuggerah Station;
  $15M for the construction of the new 500-student Porters Creek Public School on Warnervale Rd;
  $111.1M for construction work on the redevelopment of Wyong Hospital; and,
  $793,000 to construct new and upgrade existing social and affordable housing for Aboriginal communities in Killarney Vale, as part of $17M for maintenance and upgrades of social and affordable housing across the Central Coast.

https://coastcommunitynews.com.au/central-coast/news/2020/11/nsw-2020-21-budget-infrastructure-spend-for-central-coast/

Terry Ryder EXPERT OBSERVER

Dec 9,2020

Regional NSW is showing nation-leading strength, with a record number of towns and suburbs recording growth in their sales activity in our new quarterly survey. A total of 116 locations have rising markets, easily the highest number in the six years that the quarterly surveys have been conducted. The previous best were 70 growth locations in a mid-2018 survey and 77 late in 2019.

The results show evidence of the Exodus to Affordable Lifestyle trend which is sweeping the nation, with growth markets right across the state but most noticeably in locations close to Sydney.

The No.1 market, by a considerable margin, is the NSW Central Coast. As the closest sea change market to Sydney, this market is getting significant uplift from the Exodus trend. There are 17 suburbs with rising sales activity and we expect strong price growth in the near future.

Lake Macquarie has six growth suburbs, while Hunter Valley LGAs like Maitland, Cessnock, Singleton and Muswellbrook jointly have seven growth locations – with the Maitland LGA the standout.

DECEMBER 8, 2020 12:34 PM AEDT

A defence and aerospace technology park that will create up to 4300 jobs and service and maintain Australian fighter jets is one step closer to reality.

Stage one of the Astra Aerolab precinct is now complete thanks to $11.7 million from the NSW Government’s Growing Local Economies fund.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro was joined by Newcastle Airport CEO Dr Peter Cock to announce construction of vital infrastructure is now complete, including an access road, power, water, gas, sewer and data connections.

Mr Barilaro said the essential infrastructure will kick-start the site’s development, driving innovation and collaboration in the Hunter and benefitting the local community through the creation of thousands of jobs.

“I turned the first sod on this project 18 months ago, and this site has already been transformed to pave the way for a world-leading defence and aerospace technology park,” Mr Barilaro said.

JOEL ROBINSON | 20 NOVEMBER 2020

NAB are the latest bank forced to backflip on their dire house price forecasts.

Nationally NAB expect rises of around five per cent over 2021 and six per cent over 2022, with house price growth likely to be stronger than the apartment sector.
The best gains are expected in Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart, all predicted to rise 7.4 per cent, followed by Perth at five per cent.

They are expecting weaker returns from Australia's two biggest housing markets in 2021 compared to the rest of the nation's capitals.

Flashback to the community campaign calling on the Berejiklian Government to install lifts at Tuggerah Station

NOVEMBER 18, 2020
Sue Murray

A $34M upgrade at Tuggerah railway station was announced in the 2020-21 NSW Budget on Tuesday, November 17.

The funding will go towards design work, planning approval and construction of accessibility improvements, including lifts.

A new commuter car park of up to 220 spaces at Tuggerah Station is also in the planning stage.

“Over the life of this project, about 50 jobs will be on offer across the fields of engineering, design, construction and administration,”

Bianca Dabu 05 November 2020

After over three decades of continuous economic growth, 2020 saw Australia’s national economy weaken as the country deals with the effects of the pandemic.

Still, home owners and investors alike have retained their enthusiasm for the brick and mortar, according to a recent report by McGrath Estate Agents, who described the phenomenon as having “converted homes and investment temporarily from gold mines to safe houses, providing flexibility to help owners navigate a tough economy ahead”.

According to McGrath, since the onset of the virus, some owners such as Generation X have been refinancing to withdraw equity, taking advantage of the lowest interest rates in history to renovate their homes and upgrade their lifestyles.

Jodie Richter | November 4, 2020

  Image: Defence

Defence Industry aircraft maintenance company TAE Aerospace, in Ipswich, has welcomed servicing of Rolls-Royce engines to the fold. Rolls-Royce engines power the RAAF’s fleet of 33 BAE Systems Hawk aircraft.

TAE Aerospace has signed an agreement with Rolls-Royce to provide in-country maintenance support services on the Adour Mk871 engine that powers the Royal Australian Air Force’s Hawk Lead In Fighter.