Australia’s new homes market has not only driven stronger-than-expected GDP growth but propelled the country’s largest construction companies up the rankings in this year’s Top 500 Private Companies. While Sydney developer Meriton held fifth position – and that of the top-ranked property company – as revenue ticked 0.4 per cent higher to $2.78 billion, and…
Google – what will house prices do this year? The first reading of ANZ Research’s new Google Trends-based housing index suggests that housing prices will stop falling nationally by year-end. Even though the decline in home values sped up to 2 per cent in the year to August, data showing an increase in housing-related internet…
The Liberal Party’s Victorian arm has put the home of its state headquarters on the block – an art deco gem that could fetch as much as $30 million – as it prepares to fight a state election in late November. The long-anticipated decision to divest 104 Exhibition Street comes after the party’s state president Michael Kroger pursued a bitterly…
When the Andrews government delivered its bombshell last week, it has set off an enormous discussion across multiple platforms. Will the Suburban Rail Loop (SRL) be automated? How big will the train fleet be? Is $50 billion too much to pay? What about other priorities for public transport? All those questions, and more, I’ve seen…
Independent think tank the Grattan Institute says regional Victorian towns need to keep current residents before trying to attract new ones, if they are going to survive in an increasingly city-centric economy. A report from economic consultants SGS has found regional Victoria contributes less per hour of labour to the nation’s economy than any other…
PHOTO: This 57-square-metre home in the Geelong suburb of Norlane is on a 160-square-metre block. (Supplied: Sally Wills) Registered builder Sally Wills says when it comes to housing, there is no such thing as too small. “If you can address your actual living needs, I think potentially 10 or 15 square metres is a very…
As the only Australian town home to two former mental asylums, Ararat in western Victoria has a unique and dark history, and the local council plans to use that to its advantage to tap into the so-called dark tourism market. Dark tourism involves travel to sites that are marked by death, suffering or trauma. Ararat…
The Premier last night, through his facebook page, gave a media alert of sorts for a big announcement to happen at 7am this morning and sure enough it was right. For so long orbital connections in Melbourne have been all about freeways – take the North East Link, it’s the final piece of our primary…
PHOTO: A team of archaeologists on the site of excavations for the Melbourne Metro Tunnel. (Supplied: Metro Tunnel) An unprecedented archaeological dig is underway beneath Melbourne’s CBD. In order to make way for the Metro Tunnel — a rail network that will include five new stations — a team of more than 100 archaeologists, students…
The ALP Andrews Government has rolled out another November election commitment, pledging to duplicate the Cranbourne line and commitment to start the planning process which will see the line extended to Clyde. The Coalition opposition unveiled plans to extend the Cranbourne line a few weeks ago, however in their election commitment duplication of the Cranbourne line…