Property & Projects - What's News - 19 May 2015

In the media - National

Commonwealth seeks property industry assistance The Commonwealth Department of Environment (DoE) is identifying the amount of investment made for the protection of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). DoE is collating information on private investment activities that contribute to managing the GBR, including those activities undertaken by the property industry (07 May 2015). More...

Mr Fluffy homeowners must warn visitors about possible contamination, asbestos taskforce says Owners who choose to stay in contaminated Mr Fluffy asbestos homes in Canberra will be forced to warn visitors about asbestos contamination (07 May 2015). More...

Reef Trust boost for Great Barrier Reef protection Environment Minister Greg Hunt said new projects worth more than $15 million will strengthen protection and management of the Great Barrier Reef under Phase II of the Federal Government's Reef Trust. Projects include remediating gullies in grazing landscapes to control erosion, a competitive tender to reduce fertiliser run-off from sugar cane farms in the Burdekin region (07 May 2015). More...

Government's swift action on foreign investment welcomed by industry The Property Council of Australia applauds the decisive action taken by the Queensland Government in immediately ruling out new State taxes on foreign investors (06 May 2015). More...

Release of National Performance Report on Urban Water Utilities welcomed The National performance report 2013-14: urban water utilities released today by the Bureau of Meteorology, is the ninth in a series of annual national urban water performance reports (05 May 2015). More...

New taxes target foreign investment Latest figures reveal that foreign investment is accelerating new housing supply and creating jobs in construction, but new taxes and fees jeopardise this growth. The Victorian and Federal governments both announced punitive new taxes and fees on foreign investment in newly constructed housing (05 May 2015). More...

GBCA: New 'Recognised Provider' status to deliver faster Green Star certification The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) is validating companies with significant technical expertise in the Green Star rating system as part of its commitment to continuous improvement. Wood & Grieve Engineers is the first company to be validated for its ability to deliver Green Star points consistently, and is now a Green Star 'Recognised Provider' in energy modelling (06 May 2015). More...

East Coast CBD office demand surges in Q1 East coast CBD office demand reached a four-year high in the March 2015 quarter, but business confidence and consumer sentiment remain subdued, according to the DEXUS 'Australian Real Estate Quarterly Review Q2/2015' (05 May 2015). More...

ACCI: Business calls for a RET compromise Failing to agree on the Renewable Energy Target will continue to block investment in renewable energy generation and in electricity supply according to key business groups. It will also impose significant unnecessary costs on industry that relies on electricity (04 May 2015). More...

Government releases landmark disaster report The Productivity Commission has released its final report on the state of funding for natural disasters in Australia and makes for interesting reading for the insurance industry (04 May 2015). More...

Foreign investment delivers more jobs, new homes The 2013-14 FIRB Annual Report released today shows foreign investment is helping accelerate much needed new housing supply in Australia and creating jobs in construction. Property Council of Australia Chief Executive Ken Morrison said foreign investment is helping combat a decade of housing undersupply in Australia (30 April 2015). More...

Reforms delivering lower electricity bills Consumers will see reductions in electricity prices as a result of Australian Government-led reforms to the energy sector. The AER today handed down price determinations about the amount network businesses can charge for 'poles and wires' over a five year period, which will see customers in NSW, QLD, SA and the ACT pay less for electricity network services (30 April 2015). More...

AER approves 2012-13 and 2013 demand management incentive allowance expenditure for DNSPs The Demand Management Incentive Scheme (DMIS) aims to provide incentives for Distribution Network Service Providers (DNSPs) to conduct research and investigation into innovative techniques for managing demand. It also aims to enhance industry knowledge of practical demand management projects and programs through the publication of annual reports (29 April 2015). More...

Prestigious award for Australian Solar Mapping Tools The Australian PV Institute (APVI) has been awarded the national ENERGY GLOBE Australia Award for its suite of live generated solar photovoltaic (PV) maps and tools which make it easier to track and understand the Australian solar PV market (29 April 2015). More...

ACCC's Carbon Monitoring Report - March Quarter The ACCC's latest carbon monitoring report which shows that significant cost savings from the removal of the carbon tax are being passed on to consumers. The price exploitation provisions with high penalties for non-compliance, combined with transparency requirements to substantiate savings and provide statements to customers, led to the level of compliance observed within the electricity and gas sectors (29 April 2015). More...

CEFC helps unlock energy productivity potential in Darling Downs and surrounds The Clean Energy Finance Corporation's CEO Oliver Yates is meeting with Darling Downs business and community leaders to explore means of cutting energy costs and unlocking energy productivity gains using finance for energy efficient equipment and renewable energy technologies (28 April 2015). More...

Emission 'Reduction' Fund in fact proposes increase in pollution from oil, gas and mining A submission by the Australian Conservation Foundation and Environmental Justice Australia on the Emission Reduction Fund Safeguard Mechanism Consultation Paper says the ERF will make at best only a limited contribution to achieving the 2020 target (28 April 2015). More...

Report claims Climate negligence, inertia risking investor trillions Nearly half of the world's biggest investment funds - including some of Australia's major asset owners - were failing to protect their portfolios from climate change and associated environmental risk, a new report has found (27 April 2015). More...

In the media - Victoria

Metropolitan Planning Levy The Victorian Metropolitan Planning Levy which applies to all planning permit applications that exceed $1m in estimated costs, is due to take effect on 1 July 2015. The levy must be paid before you can make a leviable planning permit application. Even if the planning permit application is refused, the levy will not be refunded. The levy will initially be $1.30 for every $1000 of the estimated cost of the development. More...

Changes to wind farm planning laws The Victorian Government has changed wind farm planning laws that reduce the allowable distance of a wind turbine to a dwelling with the landowner's consent to one kilometre from two kilometres. More...

RET Disappointing For Victorian Jobs The Andrews Labor Government is deeply disappointed with the Abbott Government's announcement that the Renewable Energy Target (RET) will be scaled back to 33,000 gigawatt hours by 2020 (08 May 2015). More...

Funding To Support Regional Strategic Planning Regional leaders and communities across Victoria will benefit from the Andrews Labor Government's $1.5 million investment to support the development of regional strategic...