Census data has revealed almost 20 percent of homes in Newcastle's East are vacant, equating to around 1000 empty homes.
The shocking number is almost double the state average at 10 percent, and the census data showed there was almost 100,000 vacant properties across NSW and Victoria.
The vacant hot-spot was in the Newcastle postcode of 2300, which includes suburbs like Cooks hill and Bar Beach.
Following these figures, there are calls for the NSW state government to follow both the Federal and Victorian governments and introduce a tax for vacant properties.
However, that idea has been criticised by members of the housing industry, saying it has the potential to dry up the supply and increase house prices and rental costs in Newcastle.
 |
| Craig Jennion |
"The way they gather information about whether a home is vacant or not cannot be counted as reliable", he said. "On the day they collect information, if you're not home for any reason including holiday or just out for lunch, the property is counted as vacant".
"Any additional taxes would slow down on supply which is something we don't need in the Hunter", he said.
"Our housing affordability in the Hunter has been a strong point and I would hate to see that change".
