05 July, 2013
Asian Financed Developers Build Poor Quality Apartment Towers
Our Governments currently cannot stop Asian investors building tall apartment towers in our cities says the head of the Victorian Public Service, Andrew Tongue, even though planning experts say the apartments are often of poor quality.
Marcus Spiller, a well known planner, says that many city apartments often are not very good adding that we are creating housing stock that is pretty ordinary and not very adaptable. One of the reasons is that Asian developers do not need to have their shoddy apartments pre-sold like Australian developers financed by Australian Banks do, because offshore funding is not subject to the same checks and balances that Australian Banks demand.
With around 50% of Melbourne's city apartments sold off to overseas investors ( in Sydney the percentage is nearer 80%)the whole process is handled overseas and is going to leave us with poor housing stock that will require massive maintenance in the future.
So what will happen then when the Body Corporate fees skyrocket to cover these costs and no one wants to rent or buy these shoddy apartments.
It is time that Australia woke up to the problems associated with selling off our cities to overseas investors. And let us not forget the increasing amount of our farmland being sold off to overseas
investors but that's another story. (See the post "Selling off the Farm" below)
Wake up Australia !
04 July, 2013
New Residential Zones Announced
The Minister for Planning announced on Friday 28th June 2013 the new zones including a Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ) that will require new construction to meet neighbourhood character requirements as set by council as well as a mandatory maximum height of 8 metres.
The new NRZ will help to protect our residential areas from unacceptable,opportunistic, multi-storey development in Melbourne's suburbs
Some councils have already carried out their neighbourhood character studies and are ready to proceed in identifying where the different zones will apply in their own municipalities. It will be essential that councils get cracking so the zones will be in place before the next election because the Shadow planning Minister, Brian Tee, is not in favour and intends to push on with the very flawed Melbourne 2030 planning blueprint and no one wants that.
BRAG has lobbied hard to have our residential areas protected and we thank the Minister for Planning, Matthew Guy, for listening to us and making these changes possible.
Refer the attached media release for more information.
The new NRZ will help to protect our residential areas from unacceptable,opportunistic, multi-storey development in Melbourne's suburbs
Some councils have already carried out their neighbourhood character studies and are ready to proceed in identifying where the different zones will apply in their own municipalities. It will be essential that councils get cracking so the zones will be in place before the next election because the Shadow planning Minister, Brian Tee, is not in favour and intends to push on with the very flawed Melbourne 2030 planning blueprint and no one wants that.
BRAG has lobbied hard to have our residential areas protected and we thank the Minister for Planning, Matthew Guy, for listening to us and making these changes possible.
Refer the attached media release for more information.
Reformed Residential Zones for Victoria
The Minister for Planning has introduced new planning zones which will affect all of us. The Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ)will offer protection against opportunistic infill development but the commercial zones will open up opportunities for greater high and medium density development.
The new zones are:-
The new zones are:-
- Activity Centre Zone (ACZ) ( Commercial 1 & 2 zones)
- Comprehensive Development Zone (CDZ)
- Mixed Use Zone (MUZ)
- Residential Growth Zone (RGZ)
- General Residential Zone GRZ)
- Neighbourhood Residential Zone (NRZ)
For many years we have been campaigning for protection for our residential areas from inappropriate/unacceptable development and we believe that that the Minister for Planning is firmly committed to provide such protection through the residential zones, especially the Neighbourhood Residential Zone and the General Residential Zone. It is reasonable to expect that most residents will want to be in the NRZ or the GRZ because they are designed to "respect and preserve neighbourhood character". Councils are responsible to draw up neighbourhood character guidelines so just how accurate these are to the reality will be important (see item below posted on 9th June 2012). We are hoping that more weight will then be placed on neighbourhood character when appeals are heard at VCAT. To date VCAT has not really taken much notice of neighbourhood character when deciding upon residents objections.This attitude to neighborhood character by VCAT must change.
What the new NRZ & the GRZ could provide for is that, if your local area is mainly single storey with some two storey homes on garden blocks, then any new development will have to be sympathetic to that style. Councils will be responsible for identifying the zone boundaries and will be able to set height limits. Third party rights to object and appeal will apply.
We understand the Minister will personally sign off on the Councils' zoning but the interesting point is that, in the past, such planning changes have usually been handled by senior officers in the DPCD under delegation arrangements. Generally the DPCD has pushed for more hardline changes so council officers have tended to lodge applications that they think might be accepted by DPCD resulting in regulations that suit developers but not residents.
It is now up to our new councillors to complete the Neighbourhood Character Study quickly so we can gain some protection before it is too late................... STOP PRESS Refer attached media release announcing the new zones
18 May, 2013
Record Population Growth 23 Million & Counting
Our record population growth is putting real pressure on our infrastructure which is one of the side affects of our immigration policies.
Victoria's economic dependence on building and construction to fuel economic growth relies on bringing in more and more migrants. This is in reality nothing more than a massive Ponzi scheme with Melbourne the fastest growing city bursting at the seams and with overloaded infrastructure.
Both the federal and state governments are having trouble balancing their budgets and cannot raise enough money to build new roads, new railways or upgrade our overall infrastructure to meet our current needs let alone what will be required when our population is doubled within the next 30 to 40 years.
Kevin Rudd was an advocate of a "BIG AUSTRALIA" and it was one of the issues that went against him continuing in office. One of the first announcements by Julia Gillard was to appoint a Minister for Population saying "Australia should not hurtle down the track towards a big population" but nothing has changed.
For the full story see the attachment above.
Victoria's economic dependence on building and construction to fuel economic growth relies on bringing in more and more migrants. This is in reality nothing more than a massive Ponzi scheme with Melbourne the fastest growing city bursting at the seams and with overloaded infrastructure.
Both the federal and state governments are having trouble balancing their budgets and cannot raise enough money to build new roads, new railways or upgrade our overall infrastructure to meet our current needs let alone what will be required when our population is doubled within the next 30 to 40 years.
Kevin Rudd was an advocate of a "BIG AUSTRALIA" and it was one of the issues that went against him continuing in office. One of the first announcements by Julia Gillard was to appoint a Minister for Population saying "Australia should not hurtle down the track towards a big population" but nothing has changed.
For the full story see the attachment above.
08 May, 2013
BRAG's Activity Centres Submission to Boroondara Council
A copy of BRAG's submission to Boroondara Council on it's Activity Centres Strategy is attached- see above.
Residents who live some distance from the identified Activity Centres may consider the Strategy proposals may not affect them but those who live nearby to one of the Centres should take note of the points raised in the submission about the 400 metre convention.
They could face the prospect of a multi-storey apartment block being built next door.
Residents who live some distance from the identified Activity Centres may consider the Strategy proposals may not affect them but those who live nearby to one of the Centres should take note of the points raised in the submission about the 400 metre convention.
They could face the prospect of a multi-storey apartment block being built next door.
09 April, 2013
Boroondara Council's Activity Centres Strategy
The attachment above is BRAG's original submission to Council and we have not changed our view on this issue.
Note: Council did accede to our recommendation to remove the Local Centres from their Strategy but nothing else has been changed. There are still 31 of our local shopping centres targeted as Activity Centres.
We urge you to make up your own mind and send in a submission on Council's current plan.
Remember, the current Coalition Government has scrapped Melbourne 2030. Unfortunately while it is dead we are yet to bury it. So help us to do so.
Note: Council did accede to our recommendation to remove the Local Centres from their Strategy but nothing else has been changed. There are still 31 of our local shopping centres targeted as Activity Centres.
We urge you to make up your own mind and send in a submission on Council's current plan.
Remember, the current Coalition Government has scrapped Melbourne 2030. Unfortunately while it is dead we are yet to bury it. So help us to do so.
04 February, 2013
SELLING OFF THE FARM
The degree of foreign ownership of our rural land has doubled over the last 25 years from 5.9% up to 11.3% according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural & Resource Economics & Sciences. Forty five million hectares of our agricultural land has some level of foreign ownership and this number continues to increase.
Should we be worried?
On the eve of Australia Day 2013, our largest farming property, Cubbie Station, passed into majority ownership by a Chinese textile maker, Shandong RuYi along with massive water rights from the Culgoa River and the Murray Darling Basin.
More than half of our milk processing is in foreign hands. Half our wheat export industry is controlled by foreign companies. Three foreign milling groups account for nearly 60% of our raw sugar production - including a subsidiary of the Chinese state owned COFCO Corporation - and 40% of our beef & lamb is processed by foreign firms. Nearly 10% of our irrigation water licenses are owned by foreigners.
This is just a sample of what is going on, we could keep listing examples but suffice to say the trends are very worrying. It is incongruous that we substantially increased scrutiny of overseas investment in residential real estate in 2010, with all foreign purchases of residential real estate being subject to FIRB scrutiny, yet when it comes to rural land the level of scrutiny is not so stringent with only purchases in excess of $244 million looked at (which relates to a single purchase while multiple purchases that collectively exceed that amount are ignored).
Why is it essential to scrutinise the purchase of a Gold Coast apartment but not the purchase of a large area of rural farmland?
What is worse, our farmers are being squeezed on two fronts, foreign land buyouts and the price war between the major food retailers which in turn are being pressured by the foreign competitors Aldi and Costco, leading to cost cutting resulting in the farmers being pressured to take less for their produce.
Consider this : If someone asked you whether Mildura Fruit Co was an Australian company you might say yes. It packs and sells fruit grown in the Mildura region It has three directors who are Australian and one born in New Zealand(as of 16 July 2012). It is owned by Sunbeam Foods Group Ltd based in Mildura which has the same directors and secretary as the Mildura Fruit Co so it looks very Australian. However, Food Holdings P/L trading as Manasson Foods Group Ltd, owns 100% of Sunbeam Foods which owns 100% of Mildura Fruit Co. Last November Manasson Foods Group was acquired by Bright Foods Holdings P/L. The shareholders of Bright Foods Holdings are Bright Food ( Australia) Co. Ltd. and Geoffrey Erby.
Now Bright Food (Australia) Co. Ltd. sounds Australian enough but it is in fact a Chinese company based in Hong Kong. Its ultimate owner is Bright Food ( Group) Co. Ltd. which is 50% owned by the Shanghai Municipal Government and the remaining 50% by other Shanghai Government owned companies.
What a tangled web they weave.
In a rather week response to all these shenanigans The Australian Federal Government released a "National Food Plan Green Paper" which outlines options for our food policy. It is seeking feedback with submissions to be lodged by 30th September - go to the link http://www.daff.gov.au/nationalfoodplan/national-food plan or just "Google" National Food Plan.
(The above is largely a condensation from a speech made to Independent Retirees on July 2012 by Kelvin Thomson MP, Member for Wills).
Should we be worried?
On the eve of Australia Day 2013, our largest farming property, Cubbie Station, passed into majority ownership by a Chinese textile maker, Shandong RuYi along with massive water rights from the Culgoa River and the Murray Darling Basin.
More than half of our milk processing is in foreign hands. Half our wheat export industry is controlled by foreign companies. Three foreign milling groups account for nearly 60% of our raw sugar production - including a subsidiary of the Chinese state owned COFCO Corporation - and 40% of our beef & lamb is processed by foreign firms. Nearly 10% of our irrigation water licenses are owned by foreigners.
This is just a sample of what is going on, we could keep listing examples but suffice to say the trends are very worrying. It is incongruous that we substantially increased scrutiny of overseas investment in residential real estate in 2010, with all foreign purchases of residential real estate being subject to FIRB scrutiny, yet when it comes to rural land the level of scrutiny is not so stringent with only purchases in excess of $244 million looked at (which relates to a single purchase while multiple purchases that collectively exceed that amount are ignored).
Why is it essential to scrutinise the purchase of a Gold Coast apartment but not the purchase of a large area of rural farmland?
What is worse, our farmers are being squeezed on two fronts, foreign land buyouts and the price war between the major food retailers which in turn are being pressured by the foreign competitors Aldi and Costco, leading to cost cutting resulting in the farmers being pressured to take less for their produce.
Consider this : If someone asked you whether Mildura Fruit Co was an Australian company you might say yes. It packs and sells fruit grown in the Mildura region It has three directors who are Australian and one born in New Zealand(as of 16 July 2012). It is owned by Sunbeam Foods Group Ltd based in Mildura which has the same directors and secretary as the Mildura Fruit Co so it looks very Australian. However, Food Holdings P/L trading as Manasson Foods Group Ltd, owns 100% of Sunbeam Foods which owns 100% of Mildura Fruit Co. Last November Manasson Foods Group was acquired by Bright Foods Holdings P/L. The shareholders of Bright Foods Holdings are Bright Food ( Australia) Co. Ltd. and Geoffrey Erby.
Now Bright Food (Australia) Co. Ltd. sounds Australian enough but it is in fact a Chinese company based in Hong Kong. Its ultimate owner is Bright Food ( Group) Co. Ltd. which is 50% owned by the Shanghai Municipal Government and the remaining 50% by other Shanghai Government owned companies.
What a tangled web they weave.
In a rather week response to all these shenanigans The Australian Federal Government released a "National Food Plan Green Paper" which outlines options for our food policy. It is seeking feedback with submissions to be lodged by 30th September - go to the link http://www.daff.gov.au/nationalfoodplan/national-food plan or just "Google" National Food Plan.
(The above is largely a condensation from a speech made to Independent Retirees on July 2012 by Kelvin Thomson MP, Member for Wills).
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