Property

House prices in Perth have dropped more than 3 per cent in the March quarter, suggesting activity in the housing sector may not be as strong as anecdotal evidence implies, economists say.

The Financial Planning Association has recommended a fee-for-service remuneration model for financial planners, a back flip on its previous advice.

THE first stage of the transition of Fremantle storage facility Fort Knox into warehouse apartments is taking shape, with major upgrades of the facility recently finalised.

LAST year's boost to the first home owners grant and cuts to interest rates have given rise to a two-tiered property market, with the first home buyer and sub-$500,000 market firing while the middle to upper end of the market languishes.

CRYSTAL Printing Solutions has become the first printing firm in the state to obtain international Forest Stewardship Council accreditation.

THE rural townsite of Gidgegannup to the north east of Perth is perched for significant expansion if the master plan from property developer, Port Bouvard, lodged last week with the City of Swan and the Western Australian Planning Commission, receives app

EARLY analysis of the property market for 2009 is showing signs of revival, as the effects of the increased first homeowners grant, lower interest rates and stamp duty concessions for first homebuyers start filtering through.

Property players believe the time is ripe for a visionary state planning strategy. Janelle Macri reports.

Acquisitive national facilities manager Spotless Group has completed the acquisition of the business assets of Riley Shelley, a company founded through a joint venture of a Perth and Brisbane-based painting businesses.

Port Bouvard has lodged its master plan for the Gidgegannup townsite with the City of Swan and the Western Australian Planning Commission following 18 months of planning and environmental investigations.

Two major Perth CBD commercial sales in recent weeks have given early indications of where values could be headed, after months without a major commercial office sale.

THE size of Western Australia's legal practices has fluctuated only mildly during the past 12 months despite the sector's changing dynamics as a result of the economic slowdown.

THE property industry has called on the government to offer further tax relief to stimulate the market, despite forecasts of a decline in property tax revenue as a result of the housing market downturn.

AFTER causing a stir in the 1990s with his ANREPS business, real estate veteran Tony Wiles is aiming to shake up the industry again with a new venture, online auction site geewhizauctions.

Osborne Park-based Cell Aquaculture has entered a joint venture deal to establish a $20 million land-based seafood production facility in South Africa.

Property taxes remain one of the biggest revenue earners for government, with the state and local governments in Western Australia raking in more than $4 billion from property taxes last financial year.

Stockland has secured Shell Development Australia, a subsidiary of global energy company Royal Dutch Shell, as a major tenant at its new 2 Victoria Avenue office building in Perth.

QUESTIONS are being raised within the housing industry about the federal government's ability to meet its commitment to supply 3,000 new social housing dwellings in Western Australia through its housing stimulus package.

FOR more than 30 years, Habitat for Humanity has operated internationally as a non-denominational Christian community organisation with a charter to build simple, affordable and sustainable entry-level housing in partnership with low-income families.

RETAILERS have taken the whip hand in negotiations for tenancies, with rental growth expected to stabilise and even drop in some precincts.

THE state government is progressing with its plan to relocate social housing stock from high-end Perth suburbs into lower-cost suburbs In October, Treasurer Troy Buswell announced a review into Homeswest housing in wealthier suburbs, ordering the Departme

WESTERN Australia hopes to snare a larger portion of funding in round two of the federal government's National Rental Affordability Scheme after receiving 401 homes in round one, which was announced in March.

THE state's second largest residential builder has called on the federal government to extend the boost to the first homeowners grant until the end of the year and extend the grant to second and third homeowners to stimulate the industry.

Shares in Carnegie Corporation jumped after the wave power hopeful signed a $250 million project financing deal with banking giant Investec.

An estimated $2 billion will be invested by the private sector into the Northbridge Link as the state Planning Minister John Day marks the start of the final planning stage for the 13.5 hectare site.

The state government has appointed former Court Government Minister Monty House as the new chair of the LandCorp board and also appointed five other new members.

HENDERSON-BASED shipbuilder Austal this month secured $220 million worth of contracts, one for the construction of the largest catamaran ferry in the company's history.

MORE than 300 new accommodation rooms will have opened in Broome in time for the start of this year's peak season, with a number of new developments coming online over the next three months.

Developers take control as construction costs become more competitive.

EXPANDING from one office to three in the past two years has helped cement Northbridge-based town planners Greg Rowe and Associates as one of the largest firms of its kind in the state.

One of the state's largest suppliers of commercial cleaning services, Arrix, has agreed to join national facilities manager Spotless Group.

Western Australia has topped a survey of businesses intending to pursue acquisitions in the next three years as the global downturn lowers the price of competitors.