Safe Work NSW Conducting Surprise Safety Inspections on Newcastle Building Sites This Week

BY ISABEL EVERETT

"Be prepared for unannounced site visits."

That's the message from, Craig Jennion, the Hunter Executive Director of the Housing Industry Association (HIA).

SafeWork NSW inspectors will be conducting surprise inspections on Newcastle building sites this week, aimed at clamping down on high-risk harms on construction sites.

Inspectors are focusing on work from heights, electrical safety, falling objects, amenities, work plans and the prevention of respiratory diseases such as silicosis, asbestosis, and mesothelioma.

They will also be checking worksites have appropriate COVID-19 safe practices in place for all workers.

Inspectors have the power to issue on the spot fines of up to $3600 for corporations and $720 for individuals.

The HIA is warning that inspectors will use these powers where businesses are not protecting their workers.

“HIA urges the construction sector to be observant of requirements relating to COVID-19. HIA has supported the sector with a suite of up-to-date COVID safe operational guidelines, available on our website”.

“All of HIA’s Making Space on Site Guidelines, site signs and the COVID-19 QR Code site induction are freely available to assist ensure business employees and subcontractors are working to remain COVID safe on-site and in the office."

“If you are a person conducting a business or undertaking work on a construction site, the work health and safety laws require you to manage the risks to health and safety associated with activity that is reasonably likely to cause injury”

HIA urges industry to visit the HIA and SafeWork NSW websites to ensure compliance and avoid a potential fine.

“While the Newcastle region is the focus of the SafeWork NSW campaign those operating anywhere in NSW need to be vigilant”, concluded Mr Jennion.

Image Credit: Irish Times

Special Infrastructure Contribution Risks Pressure for Hunter Home Buyers

BY JORDYN RANKIN AND MADELAINE MCNEILL

The recently announced Hunter Region Special Infrastructure Contribution is concerning news for local homebuilders, according to the Housing Industry Association (HIA).

The HIA says the new home building industry is one of the most heavily taxed sectors in the Australian economy, and added costs implied in the draft Hunter Region SIC will further reduce housing affordability for Hunter families.

Association Executive Director Craig Jennion believes these extra costs will impact homeowners greatly, as levies paid by developers often go straight onto the price of a new home.

The NSW Government has recognised vital infrastructure is required for future development of the Hunter, but the HIA warns the government needs to consider the cost of the proposed new funding model.

HIA Executive Director Craig Jennion says charges relating to the development of an asset that will be used by the whole community should be met by the broader community and not passed onto home buyers.

"Any proposal that brings on new infrastructure is really good for the community as well as the industry to allow more housing to occur," said Mr Jennion.

"Unfortunately, the NSW government' new Hunter Region Special Infrastructure Contribution plan is putting more costs onto homeowners."

The Hunter Business Chamber welcomed the draft SIC, but CEO Bob Hawes says there is a lot of work to do to assess the proposed model and is encouraging residents to view the plan and offer feedback.

"It will not only impact the potential feasibility of development but ultimately the price at which developers are able to offer blocks of land or particular industrial and residential developments for sale," said Mr Hawes.

"And that has a very broad impact on the community, given the amount of new subdivision that's ahead of this region in times to come."

The draft Hunter Region SIC can be viewed here and submissions can be made online until February 25th.

Newcastle remains king in housing approvals

BY JARROD MELMETH

The Housing Industry Association says the Hunter is still riding the housing approval wave with 4,476 dwellings approved in the region over the past year.

According to the latest HIA Scorecard report, Newcastle leads the Hunter in the number of approvals with 1,419 followed by Lake Macquarie with 1,149 and Maitland 907.

Meanwhile, Singleton experienced the largest increase in new dwelling approvals up 173 percent followed by Dungog up 79 percent and Gloucester 58 percent.

HIA Hunter Executive Director Craig Jennion says he expects the Hunter to continue to ride the wave well into 2018.

"The really good news is that we are starting to see some of the middle ring councils in the Hunter - by that I mean Singleton, Dungog and Gloucester - in that particular order they have had the largest increase in the last 12 months, off very low base.

"That is starting to show that confidence in what is a mining area, which has been on a downward spiral for a number of years is starting to pick up.

"We are continuing to build on the peak that we have seen for the past few years. It is a bit unexpected for the Hunter, we did start to expect to come off the boil a little bit, but at the moment our numbers are - both in detached dwellings and in unit approvals - elevated over recent highs in the past five or six years," Mr Jennion said.

HIA Hunter Executive Director Craig Jennion.

Atrium apartments under construction in Hamilton.
 Image: Jarrod Melmeth

The Empty City

BY TYLER FARDELL

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

Executive Director of the Housing Industry Association in the Hunter, Craig Jennion says not only is he against a tax against vacant properties, but the figures gathered in the census can not be taken as completely accurate.

"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".

Now could be the time to buy your first house

BY JESSICA ROUSE

First home buyers in the Hunter now have more incentive to buy a house under the state government's new housing affordability package.

Announced last week by Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald, the reforms will see stamp duty abolished for first home buyers on properties up to $650,000 and a discount on properties up to $800,000.

However, Executive Director of the Housing Industry Association in the Hunter Craig Jennion says in some aspects of the package, the government may giveth what they may taketh away.

"The intention to, in the next couple of years, increase the cost of infrastructure back to the developer taking away from subsidies the state government had been providing, our concerns are that the state government is handing out to first home buyers in one level and giving them a discount, but in a couple of years time that discount maybe actually removed because of the increase in infrastructure costs," in the form of an infrastructure levy.

Scot MacDonald believes the government has found a 'sweet spot' for the Hunter where housing is available at a lower price and the package could really be of benefit. Savings could reach more than $20,000 and he says it just makes buying a house all that more attractive.

"Ontop of that we will also be abolishing the insurance duty on lenders, mortgage insurance. This is aimed fairly and squarely right at people trying to get into the housing market for the first time," said Scot MacDonald.

"We acknowledge that is a step in the right direction particularly for regional locations like the hunter where we do have a great diversity and price points for first home buyers so in most cases first home buyers should very easily be able to purchase a home and pay no stamp duty," said Craig Jennion.

A report has found we'd rather renovate than move.

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Rather than move to a bigger house, Hunter residents are choosing to renovate their existing properties according to the latest Housing Industry Association (HIA) report.

The latest report found the region recorded the second largest volume of renovation approvals, totalling more than $63 million dollars, of any area across NSW during 2015/2016.

"Things like interest rates, growth in prices of dwellings in the area, consumer confidence - are they going to be able to get a job in the next coming years to pay off the loan that they may have taken out and of course how easily they can get finances," said HIA Executive Director Craig Jennion.

The appetite for renovations is spurred on by the substantial rise in house prices with residents more willing to renovate and less willing to pack up and move to new home.

Craig Jennion says it's not only looking good for the Hunter in the short term but the long term as well.

"We're expecting here in the Hunter to see continued growth particularly in the renovation market and around that 10 per cent mark which will be fantastic for the local industry and in our new dwelling areas we're still expecting to continue to see considerable growth in the short term until we start to see what happens with interest rates."

Housing Industry Association hits back at developer ban

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) in the Hunter is hitting back after the state opposition called for a ban on real estate agents and developers from running in local council elections.

The legislation would aim to avoid another electoral donations scandal like that in the Hunter in 2011, and the opposition maintains allowing real estate agents and developers to make decisions about property and planning matters creates a major conflict of interest.

HIA Executive Director Craig Jennion disagrees, and believes it is really short sighted to say people in these professions shouldn't be involved just because of the occupation they work in.

"From the simple matters like what is a small or medium business and often they also handle very complex strategic plans and projects, they're involved with intricate financial matters, they have to market projects to the general public - these are skill sets and experiences which are highly desirable to local government," said Craig Jennion.

Measures like checks and balances are already in place to avoid any conflict of interest influencing decisions on council, and HIA believe that should be enough.

"The view that individual councillors have the capacity to influence a council vote on matters that will benefit them commercially is completely ignoring many of the checks and balances that are being developed in our system planning proposals where conflicts of interest exist have to be declared," said Craig Jennion. 

Port Stephens house wins Hunter Home of the Year

A Salamnader Bay home has won this year's Hunter Home of the Year at Housing Industry Association awards night.

Port Stephen's company, Sean Richards Building, constructed the house which is said to have "exceptional workmanship and out of the box design".

 

The house also won awards for 'Custom Built Home over $1 million' and 'Custom Built Home of the Year'.

 

Hunter HIA Deputy Executive Director, Craig Jennion, said that there were a few newcomers who did well and Nadin West Joinery won 'Kitchen Project of the Year' for the fourth year running.

The awards acknowledge the residential industry across the Hunter, the overall winners of major categories will go on to represent the Hunter at the Australian Housing Awards.

Mr Jennion said the Hunter often does very well on a national level.

"For a small region we've done very well [at the Australian Housing Awards]" said Mr Jennion, "multiple times the overall home of the year has come out of the Hunter".