CoreLogic’s daily dwelling values index shows that Sydney and Melbourne home values are now falling, down 0.1% and 0.2% over the last 28 days, respectively. SQM Research released data on the number of for-sale listings, which revealed that Sydney (+12.7%) and Melbourne (+12.1%) have experienced the sharpest rise in listings out of the major capital
Local Reads: Raygun retires from breaking after Olympic backlash – BBC ‘Ecosystems are collapsing’: one of Australia’s longest rivers has lost more than half its water in one section, research shows – The Guardian Scientists confirm “disgusting” composition of mysterious tar balls that surfaced on Sydney beaches – ABC Australians who think inequality is high
Asian stock markets are taking a pause after the mid week volatility from the US election as all eyes are on Chinese authorities as the National People’s Congress winds up. Australian stocks finally put on some solid gains while the Australian dollar is still in recovery mode at just below the 67 cent level post
The November Statement of Monetary Policy (SoMP) from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) included the following chart showing so-called “administered price inflation” with utilities removed, which are those prices that are (at least partly) regulated or relate to items for which the public sector is a significant provider. These prices are largely unaffected by
The Victorian government has embarked on an authoritarian plan to seize control of planning from local governments and create 50 activity zones earmarked for high-density apartments. These activity zones will include wealthy areas, such as Brighton, Armadale, Glenferrie, Glen Iris, Malvern, and Toorak. They will be rezoned to allow the building of high-rise apartment complexes
A great piece from Domain today. Presidential emergency powers are broader, kicking in once an “emergency” is declared. What that might be, though, falls under a wide scope. “By definition, an emergency is something you really can’t pin down and define in advance,” says Tribe, an emeritus professor of constitutional law at Harvard University. Hence,
Professor McKibbin has contracted Trump derangement syndrome: As the Reserve Bank conceded the incoming US president’s debt-fuelled policies would put upward pressure on global interest rates, former bank board member Warwick McKibbin likened the impact of Trump’s plans on Australia to being in the middle of a line of fireworks as they exploded on New
US bonds have been getting a flogging. This is overdone is overdone in my book. The Fed cut again last night and is on track for more. It will pause once Trump’s tariffs hit, but then resume in 2026. The 10-year has priced enough: The backup has been driven by robots which are almost done
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released its cost-of-living indices for the September quarter. The data showed the nation’s cost-of-living crisis has hit employee households the hardest. As illustrated in the following chart from the ABS, the cost-of-living for households headed by an employee rose by 4.7% in the year to September 2024, well above
This has reached the point of absurdity: Australia’s ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd, has scrubbed comments critical of incoming president Donald Trump from his online record, as the Albanese government rushes to avoid offending the nation’s most important security partner. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has insisted that Rudd will remain as Australia’s top