Loans boost benefits whole community: Satterley

Loans boost benefits whole community: Satterley : The West Australian Newspaper

The First Home Owners Boost has stimulated the retail, trade and finance industries, said the State’s biggest property developer, Nigel Satterley.

Mr Satterley, CEO of Satterley Property Group, said the increase in new home construction had had a positive effect on the building industry and businesses around thriving housing estates.

“At our big estates, like Brighton (in Butler), we have around 900 tradespeople and subcontractors employed at any given time,” he said. “Brighton is the biggest construction site outside of the resources sector and the work there keeps the entire suburb economically viable,” he said.

“Retail, for example, benefits enormously because young families use most of their disposable income on perishables such as fresh food . . . this keeps the local supermarkets and convenience stores busy.”

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Fulham and Wolves coming to WA

Perth Glory are this morning set to confirm a second pre-season friendly game against an English Premier League side with Fulham heading to Member’s Equity Stadium.

Newly-promoted Wolves are already booked in for a trip to Perth and now Mark Schwarzer’s Fulham have signed on the dotted line.

Meanwhile Glory coach David Mitchell has revealed how his recruitment plans came unstuck, sometimes for the most bizarre reasons, with one player scuppering a move to WA because of his wife’s aversion to creepy crawlies.

Mitchell, who expects to apply some star trimmings to his squad in the next month, said signing players from overseas was much more complicated than most people imagined, sometimes because of misconceptions about the Australian lifestyle.

“One player decided not to come here because his wife didn’t like the spiders and snakes in Australia,” Mitchell said of the former English Premier League player who he did not want to name. “And she was a bit worried about the sharks, too.

“Some players think it’s too hot all the time and you get some who want to know what the food is like. Some of the reasons that are put forward are ridiculous.”

Mitchell said the distance from Europe and the high tax rate were also factors that could complicate what appeared to be a straight-forward deal. But the coach expected to have all but finalised his squad by early next month.

“By the start of June, we’ll hopefully have all the signings apart from maybe one,” Mitchell said.

Although Glory are yet to announce any new signings for the 2009-10 campaign, Mitchell has re-signed several players from last season and has made inquiries about a number of overseas-based players.

The club announced last week that defender Brent Griffiths, striker Anthony Skorich and midfielder Howard Fondyke have been signed on senior contracts to take to five the number of last season’s National Youth League team to join the A-League set-up. Defender Scott Neville and midfielder Andrija Jukic are the others.

The West Australian understands the club is close to finalising deals with Socceroos midfielder Jacob Burns, who is playing for Romanian club Unirea Voluntari Urziceni, and Derby County defender Andy Todd.

As well as the two high-profile games, Glory’s pre-season campaign is also expected to include a home match against North Queensland Fury, where former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler is the marquee player, while Gold Coast United are also understood to be interested in a friendly in Perth.

Mitchell was disappointed to be playing the first two games of the season away from home — Glory play Adelaide United on August 7 and Wellington Phoenix on August 16 — before returning to Members Equity for a first home match against Newcastle Jets on August 23.
The West Australian Newspaper Johnathon Cook

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Pensioner fuel cards available

Aged pensioners living in country towns across WA can begin applying for the State Governments $500 fuel card from tomorrow.

Regional Development Minister Brendon Grylls today launched fuel card scheme in Albany which will allow pensioners in country towns to use the credit on the card either to buy fuel or hire a taxi.

The fuel card, which is expected to cost taxpayers $80 million dollars over the next four years, is a National’s election promise under the Royalties for Regions scheme.

The first $500 card will be valid until June 30 next year and all eligible pensioners can apply for the card by filling in a form at regional post offices. Couples are eligible for one card between them.

Card holders must produce a pensioner concession card when buying fuel at any Motorpass affiliated petrol station or hiring a Cabcharge taxi.

Mr Grylls said the card would help with travel costs for country age pensioners who relied on cars or taxis’ because of limited public transport.

“Age pensioners in regional areas generally do not have access to extensive public transport and fuel is usually more expensive than in the metropolitan area. The fuel card will help country age pensioners meet the additional cost of travel using their own vehicles or taxis,” he said.

The fuel card would be available for regional residents who received an age pension from Centrelink or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Age pensioners did not have to own a car or have a driver’s licence to be eligible.

Any credit left on the card for the 2009-10 financial year would be will be forfeited. Fuel cards will be reissued automatically each July over the next four years.
Robert Taylor http://www.thewest.com.au

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WA sale of new homes on the rise

SALES of new homes rose for a third straight month in March – with a 7.3 per cent jump in WA – as government grants and low interest rates enticed buyers into the housing market, a survey shows.

The Housing Industry Association survey found new homes sales increased by 4.2 per cent to 8210 homes following a 7.8 per cent rise in February.

Purchases of detached homes rose by 4.1 per cent to 7474 houses in March, with a quarterly rise of 17 per cent, HIA reported.

HIA chief economist Harley Dale said the project home building market gained a lift from the first-homeowners’ grant (FHOG) and low interest rates during the first quarter of 2009.
The first-home owners’ boost for new dwellings is clearly lifting residential building activity and securing jobs within the Australian economy,” Dr Dale said.

In mid-October, the Federal Governmentdoubled the FHOG to $14,000 for established dwellings and tripled it to $21,000 for newly- built homes.

The Reserve Bank of Australia lowered the cash rate by four percentage points to 3.25 per cent between September and February. Subsequently, on April 7 the RBA cut official interest rates by 25 basis points to three per cent – a 49-year low.

Dr Dale said the Federal Government should consider whether to stop the boost to the FHOG, as originally planned for June 30.

Loans to first-home buyers posted a record 26.9 per cent of housing approvals in February, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Sales of units rose by 4.7 per cent to 736 in March, yet sales in the sector were down by 14 per cent in the first quarter of 2009.
The first-home owners’ boost for new dwellings is clearly lifting residential building activity and securing jobs within the Australian economy,” Dr Dale said.

In mid-October, the Federal Governmentdoubled the FHOG to $14,000 for established dwellings and tripled it to $21,000 for newly- built homes.

The Reserve Bank of Australia lowered the cash rate by four percentage points to 3.25 per cent between September and February. Subsequently, on April 7 the RBA cut official interest rates by 25 basis points to three per cent – a 49-year low.

Dr Dale said the Federal Government should consider whether to stop the boost to the FHOG, as originally planned for June 30.

Loans to first-home buyers posted a record 26.9 per cent of housing approvals in February, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Sales of units rose by 4.7 per cent to 736 in March, yet sales in the sector were down by 14 per cent in the first quarter of 2009.
The first-home owners’ boost for new dwellings is clearly lifting residential building activity and securing jobs within the Australian economy,” Dr Dale said.

In mid-October, the Federal Governmentdoubled the FHOG to $14,000 for established dwellings and tripled it to $21,000 for newly- built homes.

The Reserve Bank of Australia lowered the cash rate by four percentage points to 3.25 per cent between September and February. Subsequently, on April 7 the RBA cut official interest rates by 25 basis points to three per cent – a 49-year low.

Dr Dale said the Federal Government should consider whether to stop the boost to the FHOG, as originally planned for June 30.

Loans to first-home buyers posted a record 26.9 per cent of housing approvals in February, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Sales of units rose by 4.7 per cent to 736 in March, yet sales in the sector were down by 14 per cent in the first quarter of 2009.
New home sales rose by 15.2 per cent in New South Wales in March, with Victoria up 14.6 per cent and WA 7.3 per cent higher.

South Australia had a 4.6 per cent fall in new homes sales during March, with Queensland down 16.9 per cent following a 26.2 per cent rise in February.

CommSec economist Savanth Sebastian said the lower mortgage rates and the June 30 first home buyers deadline is likely to boost demand for property in coming months, but prices will be held back to a large extent by worries about job prospects.

CommSec is forecasting unemployment to rise to 6.5 per cent over the next year. The national jobless rate is now at 4.9 per cent.

Loans to first homebuyers posted a record 26.9 per cent of housing approvals in February, Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data showed.

“While the rate of growth in sales reflects to an extent the low base from which a recovery is emerging.

“There is no doubt that the previously mentioned triple boost from low interest rates, stimulus to first-home buyers, and builder discounts have injected some life into a previously moribund new home building market,” the HIA reported.
http://www.inmycommunity.com.au/property/

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$20 Million House Sale

PERTH’S property market still has legs with its record house price soaring to $20 million with the settlement of a Dalkeith property last month.

Bought by prominent Perth QC Malcom McCusker and his wife, Tonya, in December 2008, the riverside property far surpasses Perth’s previous $16 million price tag.

The architect-designed six-bedroom, four-bathroom sprawling mansion described as “remarkable” is on a 2302sq m block with magnificent and completely uninterrupted river views.

Prominent agent William Porteous sold the property in 2006 for $12.25 million and again to Mr McCusker.

This would suggest the property has risen by more than 63 per cent in three years, despite Perth’s falling property market.

Mr Porteous could not be contacted but local agent Mack Hall said he was “staggered” to hear it sold for $20 million.

“I cannot believe they paid that price,” he said.

“We are now back to prices of 2006, so if they tried to sell it now, they would not get their money back.

“It is a really fun and quite a spectacular pad but I am staggered at that price.”

The late John Roberts’ daughter Denby Macgregor also had deep pockets this year buying a $10 million property at 10 Hill Tce, Mosman Park.

Propell National Valuers valuations manager Travis Coleman said these types of sales showed strength in the WA market.

“It shows that there is a market for unique, highly specialised properties in Perth,” he said.

“These types of properties not only attract local buyers, but international buyers as well.”
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story

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$800 Million Marina for Ocean Reef

AN $800 million marina for Ocean Reef was last night approved by the Joondalup City Council and will be released for public comment tomorrow.

The Ocean Reef Marina would become a world-class development featuring residential, commercial and recreational facilities.

The project, which has been debated for more than 30 years, would feature an artificial reef and two internal beaches.

The site for the environmentally sustainable marina is on the coast at Ocean Reef, and extends from just north of Swanson Way to North of Resolute Way. 

www.news.com.au/perthnow/

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Lottery in Perth

Have a look on this website to find out all you need to know about the Lottery in Perth.

www.lotterywest.com.au

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Jobs and Careers

EPRA is currently in the midst of an exciting period in the revitalisation of some of Perth’s inner city areas.

 jobs@epra.wa.gov.au.

Further Information / Advice for Applicants

• Am I eligible to apply for a position with the WA Government?

Anyone can apply for vacancies advertised on http://www.jobs.wa.gov.au unless stated otherwise in the advertisement. Australian Citizenship or permanent residency is an essential requirement for permanent positions in the public sector. Non-permanent residents who have an appropriate visa are eligible for fixed term appointments.

Expressions of Interest

If you would like to register your interest in working at EPRA, please download the Expression of Interest for and return it, along with your CV, marked ‘Private and Confidential’ to the HR Office, Locked Bag 8, Perth Business Centre, WA, 6849. Alternatively, email to jobs@epra.wa.gov.au.

Complete the Expression of Interest Form.

 http://www.epra.wa.gov.au/About-Us/Careers/

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