THG News and Articles Feed

August In the Know - Build It and They Will Come

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:34 +1000

August In the Know - Build It and They Will Come

Singapore is often referred to as the ‘stopover on the way to somewhere else’. But, as I learnt from my recent trip to the country, it is clear that they are trying to convert this common perception - and they are succeeding, particularly through innovative planning and urban design initiatives.

Read more in THG’s latest In The Know newsletter.

Peter Sippel Awarded UDIA Award for Distinguished Service, 2010

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:21 +1000

Peter Sippel Awarded UDIA Award for Distinguished Service, 2010

Congratulations to THG Director, Peter Sippel, who was presented with the Distinguished Service Award by the UDIA for his contribution to the Development Industry.

Peter has been involved with the Urban Development Institute of Australia for a number of years. He is currently Chair of the State UDIA and member of the National UDIA Environmental Committees.

Will Slow and Steady Win the Race?

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:59 +1000

The RBA have kept the target cash rate at 4.5%.

This marks three consecutive months without a move and illustrates that the hard work done early by the RBA is paying dividends. Inflation is within the Reserve Bank’s target range of 2% - 3% at a quarterly annualised rate of 2.4%, housing appears to be taking a hard earned rest and equities are bouncing along the bottom. Given we are eye-balling a medium to long term forecast for strong economic growth, we are in a fairly envious position.

Read THG’s Interest Rate Release here.

Humanitary, Economy and Culinary: A New York Adventure

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:53 +1000

THG’s Richard Katter has recently returned from a sabbatical in New York City. The following will discuss the Humanity, Economy and Culinary delights of the city that never sleeps.

You can read the latest In The Know here.

Help THG Support the City Care 2Can Appeal

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:49 +1000

In an endeavour to become more involved with our community, THG have been researching avenues in which we could help our local community in the Fortitude Valley. An organisation we have identified to provide assistance to is City Care . City Care is a not-for-profit Charitable Institution which was founded in 1995 to assist marginalised people in Brisbane and is situated about one block from our Brisbane office on Albert Street.

Universal Design Guidelines Promote Liveability for All

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 15:48 +1000

Recently, the Federal Government released the Universal Design Guidelines. Under a voluntary agreement with industry, it is aimed that by 2020 all new homes in Australia will be designed to satisfactorily accommodate all residents irrespective of their specific requirements. In short, the aim is to make all homes liveable for all.

Council Budgets - Moreton Bay Spotlight

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:06 +1000

Moreton Bay Regional Council- 2010 / 2011 Budget Summary

Mayor Allan Sutherland recently delivered the Moreton Bay Regional Council 2010/ 2011 Budget and announced the delivery of one regional rating policy for the region.
Touted as delivering $75 million in savings, the budget coincides with a change of water service provider for the Moreton Bay region to Unity Water. Moreton Bay water customers will receive a two-year subsidy, with the Council pledging a 50% subsidy on any increase in customers’ water and sewerage charges for the 2010/2011 financial year.

Council Budgets - A Scenic Rim Spotlight

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:00 +1000

Scenic Rim Regional Council released its budget for the financial year 2010/2011 in late June. While the budget supports infrastructure and planning across the whole region, its contents emphasise the Scenic Rim’s focus on facilitating the significant growth anticipated for Beaudesert Township. Read Economist Ainsley’s take on the Scenic Rim Council Budget.

Life in the Valley - An Urban Designers' View

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:57 +1000

As an Urban Designer, evaluating spaces and places comes with the job. In THG’s Fortitude Valley offices, our Urban Design team have been noticing plenty of changes, not least the ones in our own front yard. The public notification signs have just gone up for a proposed development that will see the replacement of the Centrelink Building with twin towers of up to 30 storeys supporting residential, commercial and much needed public space. Read our Urban Designer Kerry’s thoughts on the evolution on the Valley in THG’s June In The Know.

An Analysis: Amended South East Queensland Koala Conservation State Planning Regulatory Provisions

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 09:51 +1000

Thinking about koala legislation consumed a lot of us for a number of months, with the release of successive versions of policies and regulatory provisions severely restricting the ability of SEQ to accommodate our projected population growth. Unrelenting lobbying by industry groups such as the UDIA and PCA and major developers, and a huge number of individual submissions from land owners and developers, have however resulted in a significant policy change. Read the whole article here.

QLD Building Approvals Decline

Thu, 06 May 2010 14:16 +1000

THG’s Richard Katter comments on building approval data released yesterday, which was met with the SMH headline “Building approvals rocket most in eight years” with a 15% monthly change for Australia.

According to Richard, the news for Queensland, however, is not nearly as bright. THG Economics, Strategy and Research has analysed this data a little more deeply.

Read the full story here.

Sign up to recieve regular updates from Richard here.

An exciting future for Tweed City

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 11:40 +1000

Tweed Heads has for a long time held a strong allure for both day-trippers and sea-changers. Located adjacent to the burgeoning Gold Coast, the once sea-side community, has grown substantially as a result of significant population growth, driven largely by retiring baby-boomers, and tourism. As a result, Tweed Heads has developed as a predominantly service-based economy, with a significant proportion of the population over 65 years of age. Allowing local residents to stay in the Tweed for work, rather than travelling over the border for employment opportunities on a daily basis, has posed another significant challenge for the centre. A joint plan by Tweed Shire Council and the NSW Department of Planning now paints a picture of a revitalised Tweed City Centre, leading investment and development.

Read Ainsley McLaren’s full account of the potential of Tweed here.

Cross River Rail - A Step in the Right Direction?

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 11:38 +1000

The proposed Cross River Rail plan, released last week, (click on the image for a larger view of the plan and it’s proposed catchment areas) is a move in the right direction towards creating a sustainable future for Brisbane, but is it too little, too late?

Check out Kirsten Fry’s account of the new Cross River Rail plan and how it should have been the priority from the start here.

Popping the Housing Bubble Myth

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 11:37 +1000

There has been a lot of talk in the media recently of the existence of a housing bubble in our midst. This is alarmist, to say the least. A housing bubble has been predicted for our market since before Darren Lockyer took over from Allan Langer as Benno’s number one man.

Read Richard Katter’s full account of the housing bubble myth here.

Interest Rates - on the up and up

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:25 +1000

Whilst the RBA caught many economists, including yours truly, napping last month; this month they have been more accommodating of the number one rule in economics, nobody likes surprises. As was expected, rates have risen 0.25% to 4.00%.

Read Richard’s latest Interest Rates release for THG.

THG enters the blogosphere!

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:12 +1000

Check out THG’s new blog, a place for us to document our inspiration, our issues and our ideas.

Please visit!

New York City - Places, Spaces and Road Free

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:38 +1000

“They say that New York City is ‘The City That Never Sleeps’, and 24 hours after I had arrived in the city, I completely understood why this label has stuck.”

Kirsten Fry is the inaugural winner of THG’s Study Tour award, and travelled to New York to see some amazing places. Read her story about how this can relate to us in South East Queensland.

Read New York City - Places, Spaces and Road Free.

New Tweed Heads Local Plan Released

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:36 +1000

Tweed Shire Council has recently released a draft Tweed City Centre Local Environment Plan (LEP) 2009 for public consultation. This plan, which Council prepared in collaboration with the New South Wales’ (NSW) Department of Planning, will guide the development of Tweed Heads, which both agencies are promoting as the capital of the Far North Coast. Further examination will identify what opportunities this new Plan may offer in Tweed Heads.

Read the rest of Ainsley’s summary of the New Tweed Heads Local Plan

Richard's Crystal Ball - the economic year ahead

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:34 +1000

This time last year it was quite easy to take a view on the direction of our economy for 2009…well, the first half any way. Things were hardly rosy, to say the least. Twelve months later Australia has been the beneficiary of some very strategically applied stimulus, both from KRudd and the RBA. Australia has also benefited from its fundamental strengths; its massive mineral resources, its high population growth and its undersupply of housing.

See Richards further predictions at Richard’s Crystal Ball.

Ban the Banners - the death of the covenant

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:32 +1000

As of 1 January 2010 the Building and Other Amendments Act 2009 came into effect which means that any covenants, community management statements and body corporate by-laws that restrict individuals in the use of sustainable or affordable design features can no longer be imposed. This means that the types of building materials, colours and finishes used to construct a home can no longer be restricted. The amendments also prevent developers from requiring the purchaser to have the landscaping, fencing and driveways constructed prior to the occupation of the dwelling.

Finance Sector Inhibits Flow of Property Development

THG’s Richard Katter prepared a report for the UDIA, The Finance Sector’s Viscosity is Inhibiting the Flow of Property Development, which emphasises the importance of the property sector’s influence on Queensland’s GDP. Mr Katter said, “This report is especially timely considering the very recent withdrawal of ALDI from their two proposed sites at Pimpama and Coomera due to exorbitant infrastructure charges. In an increasingly marginal development climate we will start to see more big projects of this nature failing to proceed with the major cause being infrastructure charges.”

Housing Affordability and Research: Why 'build it and they will come' is no longer a successful strategy

The property market has fundamentally changed over the last year and housing affordability is now not only an issue for those in the lower socio-economic brackets. All Australians, particularly those with interests in the stock market, are feeling the pinch. This article by THG’s Urban Economist, Richard Katter, explains how research is the developers’ best weapon to make sure their stock is still in high demand.

Inflation Still on the Rise

Australia experienced its highest rate of inflation for 15 years in 2007; predominantly as a result of international increases in oil and other commodity prices; but also as a result of domestic growth and demand. Latest figures released by the Reserve Bank of Australia indicate that after an increase of 1.5 per cent for the June quarter, inflation has continued on this upward trend to increase to 4.5 per cent for the 2007/08 financial year.

Gold Coast Broadhectare Study

On July 17, the Queensland Government’s Planning Information & Forecasting Unit (PIFU) presented the findings of the 2008 (sixth edition) Gold Coast City Broadhectare Study, which essentially involves measuring the capacity of the future residential land supply to accommodate the City’s anticipated population growth.

The presentation focussed firstly on population and demographic projections for the Gold Coast and then on the results of the Broadhectare Study.

Integrating Constructed Wetlands

Constructed wetlands for the treatment of stormwater and wastewater form an important part in WaterSensitive Urban Design (WSUD). With careful planning and implementation, a wetland will achieve the desired outcomes for water quality improvement, as well as socio-economic and biodiversity goals.

Fish Kill Events and Habitat Losses of the Richmond River, NSW Australia: An Overview

Early February 2001, the Richmond River, Northern NSWAustralia, suffered an immense fish kill, affecting over 35 kilometres of riverine and estuarine habitat, and the surrounding coastal ecosystem. A flood, combined with summer heat, pasture grasses, drainage channels, and sediment, triggered a chain reaction that left the coastal river devoid of oxygen and life.

The Northern Economic Triangle

A look at the factors that will shape the economic future of Northern Queensland.

Valuation of Land Amendment Act 2008: Value Definition Re-defined

The recently passed Valuation of Land Amendment Act (2008) in Queensland has significant implications for developers since the basis on which unimproved land is valued has changed.

Economic Needs Analysis – An Increasing Requirement for Supporting Development Applications in Queensland and Eastern Australia

This article looks at the growing trend of assessing bodies requiring Economic Needs Analysis to support Development Applications.

The Ecology and Inter-Relationship Between Housing and Health Outcomes

Living conditions are widely acknowledged as a major contributor to the health and well being of particular population groups, with strong relationships existing between environment and human physical condition. The evidence suggests poor health is directly linked to poor housing and housing infrastructure. People with unmet housing needs tend to be socio-economically disadvantaged, experience higher death rates, poor health, and are more likely to have serious chronic illnesses.