Certification needs builders’ cooperation
State and federal politics, WA’s housing shortage and house prices were among the issues to attract responses on our website: www.wabusinessnews.com.au
With regard to the article: ‘Property leaders call for council reform’...
LOCAL government is not the barrier to the supply of new housing. If a builder has a block of land and brings a certified application to the Local Government Authority, then all that’s needed is the issue of a permit.
But if an uncertified application is submitted, then the LGA has to go through the process of certifying the application before issuing a permit. This certification process cannot occur if the builder does not provide sufficient information.
The provision of new blocks of land is not at the discretion of local government; the Western Australian Planning Commission is the decisionmaking agency in this instance.
As for the builders’ complaints about the new building act, all I can say is they got what they asked for. During the new act’s preparation process, it was industry that wanted to change to a private certification process. But now it complains about having to comply with the new higher level of documentation.
Geoff A
WA
Beach vision
With regard to the article: MRA takes charge at Scarborough' ...
ABOUT time. Finally Scarborough will have the facelift it so rightfully deserves; I wonder if the recent media reports in which the mayor of Stirling said the town might need to consider paid parking if the state government didn’t chip in for the project had anything to do with it?
Fair play Stirling, given the hundreds of thousands of tourist this beach attracts each year, and now hopefully more families too.
Monte Cavanagh
Scarborough
Expectations too high
With regard to the article: 'Rapid house price growth sparks call for reform’ ...
EVERY time the 'median house price’ is mentioned, the argument is made that it is impossible for our young to get into a house; it is assumed they can’t afford a median-priced house ... and that is probably true for many young people.
However, the fact is that the median house price represents the mid-point of house prices. If the average time a family owns a house is, say, 40 years, the median of that would be 20 years. So the expectation of owning a median-priced house would be after 20 years of home ownership, not your first house.
A recent search of Realestate.com showed 7,791 houses and apartments in WA under $350,000, way below the median house price.
There is affordable housing for those prepared to live where the affordable houses are. Many young people expect too much in their first home.
Remember, 60 or 70 years ago, Subiaco was an undesirable working class area and Floreat Park was a fringe suburb with no houses or roads between it and the ocean. As a city expands, fringe suburbs grow in desirability and hence in value.
If young homebuyers lower their initial expectations, housing is available.
Brian Stinson
Trigg
Focus on issues
With regard to the article:'Australia to go to the polls on Sept 14...
AS a former American, I hope this early election announcement does not presage a shift to US-style campaigns with the media blitz and $1,000/plate dinners that are a core element of multi-billion dollar tilts at the top job.
Rich Krasnoff
Perth
