Schools brace for surge in enrolments

Original article by Bethany Hiatt
The West Australian – Page: 11 : 8-Oct-14

Schools in Perth are expected to face a sharp increase in student numbers in coming years due to rising population levels in inner-city suburbs. Development of new housing in established suburbs is driving much of the growth, and Western Australia’s Department of Education has begun to examine ways to address the growing demand for places at the state’s schools

CORPORATES
WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF PLANNING, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. PLANNING COMMISSION

Investors return to golden safe haven

Original article by Jared Lynch
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 16 : 3-Oct-14

The Perth Mint and the US Mint have reported a strong rise in demand for gold coins in September 2014. This coincided with a 6.1 per cent fall in the gold price during the month. The Perth Mint’s gold bars are also in demand, with sales rising by 37 per cent in September. The mint’s Bron Suchecki notes that demand from China in particular has improved in the wake of the fall in the gold price

CORPORATES
PERTH MINT, UNITED STATES MINT, GUARDIAN VAULTS PTY LTD, RESERVE BANK OF AUSTRALIA

Landlords hit by glut of apartments

Original article by Michael Bleby,Samantha Hutchinson
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 5 : 21-Aug-14

The growth of the apartment market in Sydney and Melbourne has prompted a sharp downturn in rental income for landlords. RP Data notes that there has been a 6.4 per cent fall in weekly advertised rents for apartments in Melbourne’s Southbank precinct in the last year, and a 3.6 per cent fall in the Docklands. Property consultant Margaret Lomas says demand for apartments in Melbourne is significantly outpacing supply

CORPORATES
RP DATA LIMITED,CORELOGIC AUSTRALIA PTY LTD,DESTINY PROPERTIES PTY LTD,VICTORIA. DEPT OF TRANSPORT, PLANNING AND LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE

High vacancies hit office floors

Original article by Mercedes Ruehl
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 7-Aug-14

New data shows that the office vacancy rate across Australia has risen to 10.7 per cent, which is its highest level in 17 years. Melbourne and Sydney were the only capital cities in which the vacancy rate fell in the first half of 2014. David Harrison of Charter Hall expects the difficult market conditions to continue, noting that landlords have increased their incentives and new stock is coming onto the market in every major city

CORPORATES
CHARTER HALL GROUP – ASX CHC, PROPERTY COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, DEXUS PROPERTY GROUP – ASX DXS, JONES LANG LASALLE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, CADIGAL OFFICE LEASING PTY LTD

Academics plead to save course

Original article by Ben Potter
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 4 : 7-Aug-14

Concern has been expressed about La Trobe University’s plan to downgrade the status of economics in its curriculum. The university proposes to abolish its stand-alone economics degree and integrate it into the Bachelor of Commerce, while academic staff will be slashed. Economics professors at rival universities are among those who want La Trobe to back down. Falling demand for economics courses has prompted the decision

CORPORATES
LA TROBE UNIVERSITY, THE AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT LIMITED, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE, DELOITTE ACCESS ECONOMICS PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN FAIR PAY COMMISSION, MONASH UNIVERSITY, ECONOMICS SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA, THE GROUP OF EIGHT LIMITED, AUSTRALIA POST, LINFOX PTY LTD, ACTU, INCITEC PIVOT LIMITED – ASX IPL, WESTPAC BANKING CORPORATION – ASX WBC, JC FLOWERS AND COMPANY LLC

Apartments drive new home sales

Original article by Rebecca Thistleton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 10 : 30-Jul-14

Data from the Housing Industry Association shows that there was a two increase in sales of new dwellings in Australia during the June 2014 quarter. Sales of detached houses increased by 4.1 per cent in Victoria during the quarter, and by just 0.4 per cent in New South Wales. Meanwhile, sales of new dwellings rose by 1.2 per cent overall in the month of June. However, sales of new apartments were nearly 16 per cent higher, while sales of detached homes fell by one per cent

CORPORATES
HOUSING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LIMITED, INVESTA PROPERTY GROUP, MORGAN STANLEY REAL ESTATE, KNIGHT FRANK AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, STOCKLAND – ASX SGP, FIVE SQUARED PROPERTY GROUP PTY LTD

Mirvac banks on housing under-supply

Original article by Samantha Hutchinson|Rebecca Thistleton
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 34 : 25-Jul-14

Some 176,000 new dwellings were added to Australia’s housing market in the last year, but the Housing Industry Association estimates that annual demand is about 190,000. Mirvac CEO Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz expects supply to remain well below demand in the Sydney market, while Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore says affordable housing and transport infrastructure are priorities for the council

CORPORATES
HOUSING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION LIMITED, MIRVAC GROUP – ASX MGR, SYDNEY CITY COUNCIL, CITY OF SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF TRANSPORT AND INFRASTRUCTURE