Current News

This article examines the process and the compensation available when private land is earmarked in planning schemes for future infrastructure projects. As part of the planning process, Government authorities and local councils may designate land as required for open space, national parks, roads, railways hospitals schools and other public purposes listed under section 26(1)(c) of …

Various new conveyancing rules have come into play over the last 3 months: new OSR identity verification rules – now required for Vendors (not just Purchasers) ATO Clearance Certificate required for any property sold over $2,000,000.00 (which isn’t hard to do in Sydney’s hot property market) 4% surcharge on stamp duty for foreign purchasers of …

The risk of an adverse costs order is slight and should not deter landowners from pursuing just compensation. That proposition is illustrated by a recent case, Inglis v State of Queensland (No 3) [2016] QLC 28 The State Government took some land in order to develop a correctional facility.  The valuation evidence was that the …

The Producer Price Index which was released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates that the cost of materials used for residential construction has continued to increase. The strong demand for timber, plaster and glass has reflected the recent surge in home building across Australia. Over the March 2015 quarter, the cost of these home …

Strata living arrangements are becoming an essential part of the way we own property, and, as a result, the NSW Government’s release of two draft bills to modernise the State’s strata laws has been welcomed across the board. NSW is entering into a new development boom creating a need for strata scheme owners and managers …