Property

PERTH property industry pundits are expecting a steady year for the residential property market in 2005 and a consolidation of last year’s market posit

AN independent panel has been formed to assess the economic and social impacts of the State Government’s wetlands policy before it goes to parliament.

WESTFIELD’S purchase of a half-share in Whitford City Shopping Centre for $192.5 million ranks as the largest property sale in Western Australia for 2004.

BUOYED by Western Australia’s thriving economy, the commercial property market performed better than expected in 2004.

AUTOMOTIVE parts manufacturers Coventry Group has sold its 4.7-hectare Morley site for $16 million to Malaysian-owned SBSK Pty Ltd.

OWNER-OCCUPIERS and inves-tors are increasingly looking to the commercial sector as the capital growth in the residential market begins to plateau.

DORIC Constructions and LandCorp have entered a joint venture agreement to build a residential complex in LandCorp’s Mandurah Ocean Marina development.

THE High Court has overturned a decision by Western Australia’s Full Supreme Court in relation to statutory compensation for property affected by plann

THE Department of Land Information (DLI) was recently awarded an $11.3 million contract with a Swedish joint venture partner to provide land administra

WHILE increasing median house and land values are widely seen as positive, particularly by those already in the market, home affordability is rapidly becoming a sensitive issue in Western Australia.

A LEGISLATIVE loophole allowing buyers of off-the-plan apartments to later rescind their contracts has been amended, providing greater certainty for de

THE property rights issue was firmly on the political agenda last week in Western Australia and across the country.

THE owners of several prominent Perth buildings have made modifications to incorporate sustainable principles ahead of the release by the Green Building Council of Australia of its sustainability guidelines.

THE ability to specialise in a range of areas that combine to form a targeted business plan has served Julian Walter well throughout his career. 

DESPITE a heated construction market, cost increases in labour and materials are eroding profits for some builders, particularly in the residential sec

The State’s principal real estate statutory body has reaffirmed its support for the industry’s current regulatory system after a Bunbury-based agency gained accreditation under a new, private system advocating ethics in real estate.

Opposition leader Colin Barnett says a Liberal State government will look to establish a State-City of Perth planning authority to deal with planning in the city.

Tony Fini is renowned for his role in establishing one of Western Australia’s most successful property developers, the Fini Group. Now he’s turning his attention to a tourism project in Gingin as Julie-anne Sprague reports.

A decision last week by the High Court in relation to valuation of commercial premises has highlighted the need for valuers to take into account future developments in the propert

Vodafone management last week moved in to new offices at 76 Kings Park Road, West Perth.

Submissions for the State Government’s Bush Forever closed last week amid attacks from industry groups claiming the proposal is an attack on private property rights.

Despite the ongoing speculation about the viability of Perth’s apartment market, growth is being maintained in the luxury apartment sector as new products hit the market.

Perth’s CBD office leasing market is emerging from the slumber of recent years as tenants rush to take advantage of low rents and incentives.

Critics of the State Government’s recent use of planning legislation to acquire land have argued that last week’s response by Government to a parliamentary report into voluntary acquisition of land fails to address the real issue confronting land holders.

The City of Perth is seeking urgent discussions with the Department of Culture and Arts to lobby for a site near the Perth Concert Hall as its preferred location of a planned $30 million theatre development.

Cambridge Street Projects Pty Ltd director Greg Pearce hopes to start building a four-tier $14 million retail development in West Leederville next year.

The announcement of several prestigious new tenants for St Martins Arcade is seen by many as a sign of positive things to come for Perth’s shopping malls.

The lag time between the signing of construction contracts and the start of work is having a negative effect on many builders, who say cost increases in labour and materials over that period are cutting into their profit margins.

The Office of State Revenue has issued a number of developers with retrospective land tax assessments for subdivided land previously considered exempt.

DEVELOPER Luke Saraceni says a building on the recently purchased Raine Square site will probably go no higher than eight to 10 storeys due to the size of the site.

The area around the intersection of Wellington and William streets will receive a much needed injection of life if a series of proposed developments in the area become more feasible as a result of pedestrian traffic generated by the William Street Station