In the media – National
Powering homes with integrated pumped hydro and
solar
The Turnbull Government, through the Australian Renewable
Energy Agency (ARENA), is providing up to
$5 million in funding to Genex Power Limited for the
development of an integrated pumped hydro and solar project which
will deliver power to over 140,000 homes (17 November 2017).
More...
Sustainable property industry calls for urgent action on
mid-tier buildings
Reduce commercial building disclosure below 1,000 square
metres and expand it to other sectors; provide a 50 per cent tax
deduction on building upgrade costs; make governments commit to net
zero operation in buildings by 2030 (17 November 2017).
More...
Energy crisis becomes biggest issue for Australians and
small business
The energy crisis is now considered the single biggest
issue facing Australia, according to new Roy Morgan research (16
November 2017).
More...
Residential vacancy rates drop as population growth
fuels demand
The national residential vacancy rate for October has
recorded a drop from September and overall a decline of 6,587
properties from a year ago as strong population growth in
Australia's biggest cities drives demand for residential rental
accommodation (15 November 2017).
More...
Local Commonwealth Environmental Water engagement
officers appointed
The Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder has announced
the appointment of six permanent local engagement officers to work
with communities to protect rivers and wetlands across the Murray
Darling Basin (08 November 2017).
More...
Investor Lending Falls to Lowest Level in 2 Years
First home buyers continue to increase their presence in
the housing market as investors depart, according to seasonally
adjusted figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Investors are being pushed out of Australia's housing market
with lending to investors taking its biggest monthly fall in more
than two years. The value of home loans to investors fell by 6.2
per cent in September (09 November 2017).
More...
Improving the integrity of GST on property
transactions
The Government has released a exposure draft bill which
amends the GST law so that from 1 July 2018, purchasers will
withhold the GST on the purchase price of new residential premises
and new residential subdivisions, and remit the GST directly to the
Australian Taxation Office (ATO) as part of
settlement (07 November 2017).
More...
Global Commercial Real Estate on healthy road to
2018
It will be difficult for the global investment market to
meet the robust levels of the last few years, with investment
volumes across the globe likely to be 5-10 per cent lower than in
2017. Investors will find new ways of accessing real estate,
focusing less on single asset acquisitions and more on
multi-channels entity level deals, recapitalisation or debt
refinancing (12 November 2017).
More...
Australasia Strongest Performing World Region for Luxury
Real Estate
Australasia was the strongest performing region across
the globe according to Knight Frank's Prime Global Cities Index
— climbing 4.2 per cent in the year to September 2017. The
index tracks the movement of luxury residential prices across 41
cities world-wide. Melbourne was in ninth place, with annual growth
of 10.4 per cent, and quarterly growth of 2.8 per cent (09 November
2017).
More...
Large-format retail reforms adopted by NSW
government
The NSW government has agreed to adopt planning reforms
for large-format retail recommended by the Retail Expert Advisory
Committee (REAC), in a big win for the sector. In
contrast, Victoria adopted reforms to simplify and deregulate
planning zones to drive competition and investment in the retail
sector four years ago (08 November 2017).
More...
In the media – Victoria
Gurner's Spanish Club Gets the Green Light
After two years of council rejection and litigation,
Melbourne rich-lister Tim Gurner has been given the green light to
redevelop the Spanish Club in Fitzroy. The Spanish Club and Gurner
originally agreed to a $35 million development deal in 2015 to
transform the club's headquarters into apartments with the club
remaining on the ground floor, but the plans were rejected by Yarra
council (16 November 2017).
More...
New Commissioner to recognise Aboriginal Water
Values
The Andrews Labor Government has appointed the first
Aboriginal Water Commissioner to the Victorian Environmental Water
Holder (VEWH). Mr Berg will provide VEWH with an
understanding of Aboriginal traditional ecological knowledge and
values associated with environmental water (16 November 2017).
More...
In the media – New South Wales
Major overhaul for NSW planning system
The Bill to change the Environmental Planning and
Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act) that will
see the biggest overhaul of the NSW planning system since the
legislation's inception almost 40 years ago, has passed through
Parliament (15 November 2017).
More...
In Practice and Courts
Commonwealth
Settlement Notices to be replaced with Priority Notices
from 1 January 2018
The Registrar of Titles has advised that from 1 January
2018, Settlement Notices can no longer be deposited in the Titles
Registry. The current Queensland Settlement Notice mechanism will
be replaced by a Priority Notice mechanism as part of a move toward
national consistency in a range of titling processes to support
national electronic conveyancing in Australia. There will be no
transitional period.
More...
Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and
Cities - Current Inquiries
Inquiry into the Australian Government's role in the
development of cities
Announcements, Draft Policies and Plans released 2017
Victoria
Waste and Resource Recovery
Have you say on how we manage and recover waste in
Victoria, including plastic bags and e-waste. Consultation is from
18 October 2017 to 25 January 2018. More...
Fishermans Bend Draft Framework Plan Consultation
Draft Planning Scheme Amendment GC81 to the Melbourne and
Port Phillip Planning Schemes has been prepared to implement the
vision for Fishermans Bend through a suite of permanent controls
and a new Fishermans Bend Framework Plan. Submissions can be made
until December 2017. A Directions Hearing will be held on 20
December 2017. A Public Hearing will be held the week commencing 12
February 2018. More...
Cases
Queensland
Staythenight Pty Ltd as Trustee for the Jensen Family Trust v
Camillo Rao and Fina Rao as Trustee for the Maryland Investment
Trust [2017] QCAT
374
LANDLORD AND TENANT – RETAIL AND COMMERCIAL
TENANCIES LEGISLATION – OTHER MATTERS – whether lessor
wrongly failed to consent to the assignment of the lease –
whether the lessor unreasonably refused to consent to assignment
– whether lessee entitled to damages for loss – whether
lessee entitled to terminate – whether the lessors'
conduct was unconscionable.
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