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State of Markets – TAS December 2011

01 DEC 2011 • By Phillip Tarrant • 2 min read • Hotspots

Essential information, plus expert insight on what is shaping the national property market...

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TASMANIA

Fast Figures

You’re out of free articles for this month
  • $277,000 – Lutana median house price
  • $263,500 – Lutana median house price
  • 2.45% - 12 month growth in units, Greater Hobart

Cowboy builders have the upper hand
Dispute resolution laws covering renovation projects are skewed in favour of builders and strip investors and home buyers of basic rights, according to a leading Tasmanian lawyer.

Increasing numbers of people are seeking legal advice about problems with builders, despite changes to the payment process made in 2009, Law Society of Tasmania president Frank Moore said.

The Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment system, introduced in 2009 in place of housing indemnity insurance, had skewed dispute resolution in favour of builders, according to Mr Moore.

“That has had a dramatic effect on consumers and their ability to resolve disputes with builders,” he said.

“The most important change has been that a builder is now able to simply serve upon a consumer or homeowner a payment claim and, if there is a dispute about that amount and the consumer doesn't lodge what's called a payment schedule, they can lose all further rights to dispute the claim.”

“Nowhere is the consumer told [that], and the builder can move to have the full amount recovered from them as though it were a debt.”

Mr Moore said the system has resulted in unnecessary issues and costly legal battles for investors and home buyers.

‘Supply housing’, demands lobby group
The Tasmanian Government has pledged to increase affordable home supply to tackle housing stress.

“Since January 2009, the Australian and Tasmanian governments together have built over 700 affordable houses and we’re on track to deliver more than 1,400 by July 2014,” Human Services Minister Cassy O’Connor said.

The push has come in response to figures published by the lobby group Australians for Affordable Housing (AAH).

The AAH found that rent had risen at twice the rate of inflation over the past five years.

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Phillip Tarrant

Phillip Tarrant

AUTHOR

Phillip Tarrant is one of Australia’s leading property commentators, with more than a decade at the forefront of conversations shaping the nation’s property investment market.

As the long-time host of the Smart Property Investment Show and a regular commentator across property, finance and business, Phillip has interviewed thousands of investors, economists, advisers, brokers, agents and industry leaders, giving him a unique perspective on the trends, policies and market forces influencing Australian property.

Beyond property commentary in the media, Phillip is an active property investor himself, with first-hand experience building and managing a diversified property portfolio across multiple markets and cycles. His insights combines this practical investor perspective with deep exposure to the broader property and financial services ecosystem.

Phillip is also CEO and co-founder of Managed, an Australian property payments and technology platform transforming the way property managers, landlords and tenants manage rental payments and property transactions.

Through his writing, podcasts and industry engagements, Phillip focuses on cutting through market noise, challenging conventional thinking and helping investors make more informed, strategic decisions. His commentary regularly explores property markets, lending, taxation, regulation, investment strategy and the changing dynamics of Australia’s housing sector.

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