Prosper’s Director of Research and Policy, Tim Helm, was interviewed by Cameron Murray for the Fresh Economic Thinking podcast on 9 November 2023. Their conversation covered the relationship between the prices of land and housing, how to define and measure...
BLOG: speculation
Speculation, housing supply and prices
A summary of recent research Speculation: it’s a Georgist obsession shared by few others. Landbanking, flipping, vacancy, delayed development, staged releases – how does any of this matter? Speculative behaviour tells of the market at work, allocating capital and...
Is there really a housing supply crisis?
Housing supply is often touted as the one and only solution to unaffordable housing. It is a favourite topic of both the development industry and many government inquiries (including the current Inquiry Into Housing Affordability and Supply).
130th Henry George Commemorative Address
This event was held on Wednesday, September 1, 2021, over Zoom. We all want to know “what’s next?” after the pandemic. The right to a roof over our head (and some land upon which to stand) has been especially highlighted by this global crisis. Who better to make sense...
Housing vacancies continue to increase as land price booms
Vacant Residential Land Tax is ineffective in curtailing property vacancies in Melbourne. Policy must prioritise housing as a human right, not a profit generating tool. Budget housing policy will drive up land prices, countering the need for fairer post-covid housing...
Australia: you’re being ripped off MERCILESSLY!
by Bryan Kavanagh “The more tuned out the general population, the more James can get away with his Game before voters notice.” A full house for the Melbourne book launch by co-author Dr Cameron Murray of the “Game of Mates: How Favours Bleed the Nation” at RMIT’s...
The fragrant vagrant is not a rose by another name
Melbourne City Council is wringing its hands again over developer land vagrancy – prime sites deliberately held vacant or with disused, dangerous buildings to assist developer lobbying of government for rezoning or advantageous building permits. The issue last hit the...
The Metricon Judgement
In March last year, the NSW Supreme Court set aside the NSW Office of State Revenue’s assessment for land tax in 2009-13 on certain lands at Terranora in the Tweed Valley held by Metricon. The developer bought the $60m aggregation to subdivide for residential use. It...
Missing the point on corruption
by Dr Cameron Murray reposted from macrobusiness On Friday 28th April I am appearing and Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission’s Operation Belcarra as an expert witness on relationships between councillors and property developers, and how that leads to...
Should children play with interest-only fireworks?
Investor interest-only loans are a key risk factor threatening to destabilize Australia’s mountain of private debt, according to investment firm Standard Life Investments, a keen observer of interest rates. IO loans are often associated with thin equity buffers, risky...