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Australia’s Population Growth Not Slowing Down

Categories:Reading and Research

Compared to developing nations with far stronger population growth rates, Australia is expanding pretty quickly for a developed country.

Last month, Australia’s population officially ticked past the 25 million mark, according to the latest data by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) – 33 years earlier than projected!

Over the last three years, the nation’s population grew by around 400,000 people per year. If this trend continues, the number might reach 26 million in the next two to four years. This is no mean feat considering that the population Down Under was only at the 10 million mark back in 1960.

Back in 1960, the Australian population totalled only 10m. Today, the population number has ticked over the 25 million mark. For a developed nation, Australia's population growth rate is quite incredible!
Back in 1960, the Australian population totalled only 10m. Today, the population number has ticked over the 25 million mark. For a developed nation, Australia’s population growth rate is quite incredible! Source: Supplied & News.com.au

Nett migration has continued to outpace births, with the highest migrant numbers coming from China and India.

Newly elected Minister for Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population, Alan Tudge, in outlining plans for the country’s immigration policy, is not in favour of reducing skilled migrant numbers.

“My view has always been that Australia can be a bigger country. But, ideally, you have a broader distribution rather than very rapid growth in some areas,”he said.

Melbourne and Sydney are expected to grow to the size of New York city by 2050 as migration numbers continue to grow.

To date, Melbourne has the fastest-growing population rate in the country. Naturally, this has something to do with Melbourne’s ranking as the World’s Most Liveable City for seven consecutive years, receiving a perfect score from The Economist for healthcare, education and infrastructure.

“There’s a buzz about the city that keeps bringing the world’s best to enjoy Melbourne,” said the Australian government in a statement.

Victoria has an estimated population of 5.71 million, ranking second in the country with a population density of 25 people per sq km. The state accounts for 25% of the entire Australian population. 

And, for the first time ever, Victoria finally overtook New South Wales as Australia’s strongest economy in CommSec’s latest State of the States report.

Victoria’s high population growth has also supported house prices and rental values in Australia, and is a reason why the Melbourne market has remained strong.

In quarterly data by JLL Australia, apartment price growth for Greater Melbourne (for both new and existing stock) increased 6.6% y-o-y to 1Q2018, which is above the five-year annual average rate of 4.5%. Rental vacancy remains tight in the city.

The recent 2018 Global Real Estate Transparency Index by JLL ranks Australia’s property market as the most transparent in the Asia-Pacific region. This, and the all the things that make Australia such an attraction — good governance, strong healthcare and education systems, etc — are a great draw for property investors and millionaires.

What do you think of Australia’s population growth for the Australian economy and property market as a whole? Leave your comments in the box below! For more details on investing in Australian property, call us at 65-3163 8343 (Singapore), 03-2162 2260 (Malaysia), or email us at info@csiprop.com!

By Noorasikin Ali
Additions & Edits by Vivienne Pal

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Rapid Population Growth Drives Melbourne’s Transportation Expansion, Housing Demand

Categories:Reading and Research

Melbourne’s population is set to keep growing, driving the need for improved and expanded transport-related infrastructure. Opportunities continue to abound for the investor as the city’s planned and ongoing transport expansion leads to jobs creation, driving the demand for more housing.

Melbourne looks set to expand its transportation systems in the air, on land and beneath the ground to keep up with its rapid population growth — so rapid, in fact, that Melbourne is set to surpass Sydney as the largest city in Australia by 2031.

Major infrastructure development plans, totalling to over $60bn, are underway, with most projects set for completion by the 2020s and 2030s. For property investors, this translates as good news. Increased job opportunities and continuous effort to preserve Melbourne’s unprecedented quality of life will ultimately continue to attract home buyers and renters alike. After factoring in the chronic undersupply of houses throughout the city, paired with population and economic growth, investors should arrive at one solid conclusion: Melbourne’s property market is a promising one.

Air: Melbourne Airport Needs A New Runway

Melbourne Airport CEO Lyell Strambi has announced the need for a third airport runway to keep up with booming passenger numbers, following the airport’s celebration of nine consecutive years of passenger growth.

Over 35 million passengers passed through Melbourne Airport during the 2016/17 financial year, and this number is expected to almost double by 2033. This inevitably makes the establishment of the new runway one of Melbourne’s top priorities. The runway, set to operate by 2022, will not only reduce delays as more arrivals and departures take place, it will also supply numerous jobs during construction and operation.

Melbourne Airport is known to be a major employer in the local region. About 16,000 people are currently employed at the airport, with 67% of these jobs filled by people whose homes are within a 15km radius of the airport. It is predicted that by 2033, the number of jobs directly related to Melbourne Airport’s operations will grow to 23,000. Furthermore, with a burgeoning number of travellers arriving in Melbourne Airport, the tourism industry throughout Victoria will surely provide even more jobs!

Land: New Road Fills The Missing Link

What is also set to improve tremendously is accessibility by car, as plans for three separate roadworks commence throughout the state of Victoria. The North East Link, the largest of the trio and currently, the largest transport infrastructure in Victoria, is a $16.5bn construction that will fix the missing link in Melbourne’s freeway network. The project will shorten travel times between Melbourne’s north and south-east by up to 30 minutes, take 15,000 trucks off local streets daily and deliver kilometres of new walking and cycling paths. During construction (expected to begin by 2020) and early operation, thousands of jobs will be created.

Three feasible options for the North East Link will be designed throughout 2018, alongside specialist studies that will be conducted for planning approval.
Image 1: Three feasible options for the North East Link will be designed throughout 2018, alongside specialist studies that will be conducted for planning approval.

Perhaps the most interesting transport development plan in Melbourne is the $1.3bn rail loop and driverless trains that will connect a proposed $30bn ‘super city’ at East Werribee, known as the Australian Education City. Preliminary works to assess the feasibility of this new heavy rail connection have been done as part of the ongoing proposal.

The multi-billion dollar project would see land at East Werribee become home to 30,000 dwellings in medium to high-storey towers, with universities, schools and a research and development hub. Up to 80,000 residents and 50,000 students are planned for the precinct which would see local and overseas universities collaborate to provide world-class education across several campuses. Global tech leaders, such as Cisco and IBM, are eager to snatch a piece of this colossal project.

The $1.3bn rail loop and driverless trains that will connect a proposed $30bn ‘super city’ at East Werribee, known as the Australian Education City.
The $1.3bn rail loop and driverless trains that will connect a proposed $30bn ‘super city’ at East Werribee, known as the Australian Education City.

Underground: Two New Rail Tunnels Need To Be Constructed By 2035

Melbourne City Council has proposed the idea of adding two new rail tunnels — Melbourne Metro 2 and 3 — under the city by 2035. The rail tunnels will join Melbourne Metro 1, the first stage of this underground transport expansion that has been slated to operate by 2025.

Council documents reveal that, should all go according to plan, the second tunnel that links Newport to Clifton Hill via Fishermans Bend, will operate by 2028 or earlier. This tunnel would quadruple passenger capacity for the Werribee line corridor and boost east-west accessibility. Those from the south-west and north-east, too, will find this line adding considerable convenience to everyday travels.

As described in the council paper, Melbourne Metro 3 could be built by 2035. The project would be the second airport rail line linking to Southern Cross, via Arden Macaulay and Maribyrnong. By 2028, trips to Tullamarine Airport is expected to be equal to that of Heathrow Airport today — three rail lines currently service Heathrow.

Conclusion

The various transportation schemes currently in the works will welcome the rising population in Melbourne. To the savvy investor, the widely cited population and economic growth within this coastal capital reads as a precursor for high housing demand. Those with concerns regarding the environmental impact of these projects can be rest assured that measures taken will be passed through strict approval processes before arriving at the least detrimental conclusion.

“Infrastructure projects – electricity, roads, airports, water systems and telecommunications are the foundations of modern economies. They have a huge multiplier effect (a dollar spent on infrastructure leads to an outcome of greater than two dollars)”*. Astute investors realise the mileage that such multiplier effects bring to the investment dollar. If you’re planning to leverage on that and are looking for fantastic property investment options in Melbourne, hit us at at 03-2162 2260 or info@gmail.com or text us in the comment box below!

By Nimue Wafiya
*Balaji Viswanathan

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Hello Melbourne, Move Over Sydney

Categories:Reading and Research
Melbourne could be Australia’s next biggest city by 2031 if growth trends continue (Photo: Leigh Hennigham)

Right now Sydney is Australia’s largest city, but this may no longer be true by 2031 if current growth trends continue.

According to demographer Bernard Salt, if Melbourne maintains its current growth rate, its population will surpass that of Sydney by 2031, well ahead of previous estimates.

Historically, the population of Melbourne once exceeded Sydney’s back in the gold rush-inspired 1850s. By the time of Federation — the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia — both cities were about the same size at half a million people each.

However, at the end of the 20th century, it was Sydney that took the lead with close to 4 million people, higher than Melbourne by about 600,000.

Sydney’s current lead is close to 350,000 but it is losing ground at a rate of 20,000 a year.

The difference in population between Sydney and Melbourne (The Australian)
The difference in population between Sydney and Melbourne (The Australian)

Why is Melbourne attracting more growth than Sydney?

According to Mr Salt, Melbourne offers what Sydney cannot or is inclined not to offer — access to affordable housing on the urban fringes. Where the price for a house and land package on the fringes starts with the number three in Melbourne, Sydney’s more distant equivalent starts with a five.

Mr Salt added that it was the policies — Sydney’s “full” and Melbourne at 2030 — which changed the long-term fortunes of both cities.

Bob Carr, Labour premier and environmentalist, declared Sydney full in 2000. This led his government not to invest enough in infrastructure to accommodate expansion. Melbourne, on the other hand, planned for growth under Jeffrey Kennett’s government in the 90s, forming a plan for 5 million residents by 2030.

This plan opened up the Melbourne’s west region to new development and was the beginning of its transformation. Within a decade, the Gold Coast lost its place as the nation’s fastest-growing region to Melbourne’s west.

In November 2007, census ­results confirmed that Melbourne was closing the gap on Australia’s previously untouchable Emerald City. This trend has continued, and the last figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that Melbourne added a record-breaking 108,000 residents whilst Sydney added just 83,000 — in the year to June 2016.

The housing and jobseeker market most readily gravitates to cities that deliver housing affordability combined with access to a capital city job market. And that is precisely what Melbourne is doing better than Sydney in the 21st century.

Whilst Sydney’s house prices continue to fall, Melbourne’s housing remains in demand. In the year to April 2018 house prices in Sydney have dropped by about 2.1%, whilst Melbourne has managed a healthy 5.3% increase.

The Future of Melbourne

As Melbourne continues to grow, it will reach an estimated 8 million residents by the early 2050s. More development of housing and infrastructure will be needed in order to keep pace with the city’s booming population.

Melbourne City Council has already submitted a proposal for two more underground rail tunnels by 2035 to cope with exploding population growth. The proposal also includes its trams having road and traffic light priority throughout the city – as in Zurich – to cope with the demand. An extra 116,000 people are expected to take trains into the city in the morning peak by 2031, which is almost double the present number.

The two proposed Metro Lines (1 & 2), with Metro 3 - a second airport rail line linking to Southern Cross (The Age)
The two proposed rail tunnels (Metro 1 & 2), with another – Metro 3 – a second airport rail line linking to Southern Cross (The Age)

Property group Stockland has recently announced plans to deliver more than 1,600 homes in the Melbourne suburb of Truganina. The $540 million residential project will be less than 30 kilometres from the CBD, and will span a 138-hectare area, comprising a community activity centre, local parks, town centre, primary school and a 54-hectare conservation zone.

For those that would rather live closer to the city, and have less need for a house and land package, Melbourne’s prime CBD zone is where it’s at. There have been several new luxury apartment developments in the CBD, one of them being the strategically-located Palladium Tower, which achieved an amazing 98 out of 100 walk score!

With a full host of amenities and a Woolworths supermarket on the ground floor, it offers luxury living right within reach of everything Melbourne has to offer. The Crown Casino is right opposite, and 2 tram lines on both sides lead into the CBD near the Free Tram Zone. The development is fully FIRB approved, and commands a high rental yield with an average of around 5.2%.

Article by Ian Choong
  • https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/bettercities/melbourne-set-to-become-nations-most-populous-city-by-2030s/news-story/59ab02029829655b7be9e894a0133cbc?nk=122e6921473baa0added54bc530e46f3-1524031882
  • https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/stockland-to-develop-540m-residential-project-in-melbourne
  • https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/sydney-melbourne-property-prices-continue-to-slide-20180403-p4z7i2.html
  • https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/melbourne-needs-two-new-rail-tunnels-by-2035-council-says-20180419-p4zalf.html
  • http://www.afr.com/real-estate/sydney-house-prices-fall-21pc-in-the-year-to-march-20180402-h0y91k
  • https://csiprop.com/changing-face-of-melbourne/
  • https://csiprop.com/properties/palladium-tower/

CSI Prop proudly promotes international investment property with high yields at low risk. Our portfolio comprises residential and purpose-built student property in cities across the United Kingdom (London, Luton, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, York, Glasgow, Scotland; Sheffield, etc); Australia (Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane) and Thailand (Bangkok). Our projects are concentrated in high-growth areas with great educational, infrastructural and job growth potentials. We aspire to make a difference in the lives of our clients by helping them achieve their investment goals through strong market research backed by third party experts. 

Disclaimer: CSI Prop does not provide tax & legal advice and accepts no liability. Readers are encouraged to consult a qualified tax or legal advisor for a thorough review.

Need advice or clarification? Call us for more information and/or to find out about our projects! Hotline: 03-2162 2260

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Australia has the Happiest Migrants in the World

Categories:Reading and Research
Australia is ranked within the top 10 happiest countries in the world, holds the number 6 spot for the happiness of foreign-born migrants and is the seventh most accepting country of migrants.

Australia is a good place to settle for both natives and immigrants alike. And why not? The country has a sound economy and banking sector, good governance and some of the best education systems in the world. It is home to not one, but three, of the World’s Most Liveable Cities.

How happy are you in your own country? More specifically, if you now permanently reside in a country that is not your own, how happy are you living where you are now?

Well, if you live in Australia, chances are that you’re a happy camper!

A recent study revealed that Australians — both its native citizens and migrants — are among the world’s happiest people.


Australia’s Top Scores for Happiness

The World Happiness Report 2018, which takes a deep look at how immigration affects the happiness of societies, ranks Australia as the top 10 happiest countries in the world. The report, also ranks Australia as number 6 for the happiness of foreign-born migrants and the seventh most accepting country of migrants in the world. This is especially interesting, given that most of the world’s happiest countries have a high proportion of migrants. In Australia, half the population were either born overseas or has one or both parents born overseas.

Clearly, Australia is a good place to settle for both natives and immigrants alike. And why not? The country has a sound economy and banking sector, good governance and is one of the best education systems in the world. It is home to not one, but three, of the World’s Most Liveable Cities, with Melbourne holding the record of the most liveable city for 7 consecutive years!

Little wonder that Australia’s population growth has been on an uptrend, increasing by another 1.6% to 24.7m in the 12 months to end Sept 2017. That’s one person added every 1 minute and 26 seconds! As expected, the state of Victoria experienced the highest growth in the country, charting a rate of 2.4%.

Is there any surprise, then, to the ever-growing  property market within Australia’s largest cities like Melbourne, and Sydney and Brisbane?,

A recent article on the spiraling growth of Melbourne CBD illustrates the population expansion of the city in detail, and how the city is expected to hit 266,455 residents by 2037 due, largely, to births and immigration, thus driving demand for homes.

But, back to the subject of happiness. The World Happiness Report 2018 says that a factor determining immigrants’ happiness is how accepting the people of the host country are. It also notes that among the 10 happiest countries of the world, Australia has the highest percentage of migrants at 28% of its population.

Perhaps Australia is the most successful multicultural society in the world after all.

Spread the happiness around. Let us know how happy you are wherever you are in the comment box below!

By Marzatul Ruslan

Source:

CSI Prop proudly promotes international investment property with high yields at low risk. Our portfolio comprises residential and purpose-built student property in cities across the United Kingdom (London, Luton, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, York, Glasgow, Scotland; Sheffield, etc); Australia (Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane) and Thailand (Bangkok). Our projects are concentrated in high-growth areas with great educational, infrastructural and job growth potentials. We aspire to make a difference in the lives of our clients by helping them achieve their investment goals through strong market research backed by third party experts.

Disclaimer: CSI Prop does not provide tax & legal advice and accepts no liability. Readers are encouraged to consult a qualified tax or legal advisor for a thorough review.

Need advice or clarification? Call us for more information and/or to find out about our projects! Hotline: 03-2162 2260

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Australia Faces Major Housing Undersupply

Categories:Reading and Research
Experts are predicting that Melbourne is heading for a housing undersupply due to the increase in population.

Not enough houses being built to tackle Australian housing undersupply

Just this week, data released from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) illuminated the dire undersupply of housing currently besetting the nation. New figures show an unsettling lack of houses, especially where they are needed most — cities such as Melbourne (specifically Melbourne CBD), Sydney, Brisbane and Hobart, all home to impressive population growth rates, are expected to depend greatly on new residential constructions to meet high demand.

The ABS figures showed a 3.3 per cent decline in residential construction in trend terms, with the last quarter of 2017 recording a 0.7 per cent decline — such trends still occur despite population growth, immigration and interstate migration which continue to push Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Hobart well into a more populous future!

AMP Capital’s Shane Oliver told The New Daily said that, for the most part, Australia was near equality in construction versus population growth, but that the last decade of construction had failed to keep up with Australia’s record population growth.

Housing Undersupply in the face of population growth

“If you look at Melbourne there’s 120,000 people moving to it per annum, but only 75,000 houses being built,” said Commsec Senior Economist Ryan Felsman, echoing Oliver’s observation.

The same concerns about Melbourne, specifically Melbourne CBD, have been heard before, the Urban Development Institute of Australia warned last year that the city could have a shortfall of 50,000 houses by 2020.

New-build apartments like the upcoming Palladium Tower in Southbank, are being constructed to address the severe lack of housing in Melbourne. Palladium Tower is strategically located in the Melbourne CBD area, right next to Fishermans Bend, Australia’s largest urban renewal project covering 485 hectares in the heart of Melbourne. By 2050, the area is expected to provide housing for up to 80,000 people, and employment for 40,000.

And yet, experts from BIS Oxford Economics who had gone on record to reverse its initial predictions about the surplus of apartments in the city centre, are stating that Melbourne is headed for an undersupply based on the increase in population.

If we zoom in on Melbourne’s astounding population growth, the shortage of houses will begin to hold even more weight. As of 2016, the estimated residential population in the municipality of the City of Melbourne was 151,176. This figure, when added to the colossal 903,000 people who were recorded to have travelled to or be present in the municipality on an average weekday, produces a whopping 7-digit figure the housing market is not currently prepared for.

Even more surprising is the population growth in Melbourne CBD. The district, which spans only 6.2 km^2, is expected to have a population of 76,982 in 2037, 44% higher than the population in 2017 — this growth forms 29% of the total projected population growth of the City of Melbourne within the same time frame!

To illustrate the critical undersupply in Melbourne, is a recent story of regarding a property developer, Tim Gurner, whose launch of rental apartments at 74 Eastern Road , South Melbourne, amassed a queue of people who snaked around the block to inspect the 47 newly completed units.  

The Australian Financial Review Rich Lister said his 74 Eastern Road apartment development attracted more than 500 inquiries and 150 rental applications without a single advertisement. All the apartments were subsequently leased within a few hours.

“We have been absolutely blown away by the response to the first inspection, which we only advertised with a single sign board on the front facade. Half an hour before the inspection time we already had a line out the door and around the corner,” Mr Gurner told The Australian Financial Review.

Gurner closes his account by declaring that operations that further restrict housing supply, such as increasing taxes on new constructions, will only exacerbate the issue for the house-hunting population.

As expected, high demand for houses will continue to propel Australia’s property market forward. Melbourne, especially, Melbourne CBD, is expected to take the brunt of this undersupply following its high population growth rate.

By Nimue Wafiya

Sources:

https://csiprop.com/the-spiraling-growth-of-melbourne-cbd/

http://melbournepopulation.geografia.com.au/

http://www.afr.com/real-estate/residential/lack-of-apartments-to-rent-will-hurt-in-18-months-says-tim-gurner-20180131-h0r401

https://thenewdaily.com.au/money/property/2018/02/24/australia-not-building-enough-future/

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CSI Prop proudly promotes international investment property with high yields at low risk. Our portfolio comprises residential and commercial property including student accommodation and carehomes, in cities across the United Kingdom (London, Luton, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, York, Glasgow, Scotland; Sheffield, etc) and Australia (Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane). Our projects are concentrated in high-growth areas with great educational, infrastructural and job growth potentials. We aspire to make a difference in the lives of our clients by helping them achieve their investment goals through strong market research backed by third party experts. 

Disclaimer: CSI Prop does not provide tax & legal advice and accepts no liability. Readers are encouraged to consult a qualified tax or legal advisor for a thorough review.

Need advice or clarification? Call us for more information and/or to find out about our projects! Hotline: 03-2162 2260

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The Spiraling Growth of Melbourne CBD

Categories:Reading and Research

Housing is a necessity in Melbourne. As the population continues to swell, so must housing supply.

Perhaps the easiest measure of how deserving Melbourne is of the World’s Most Liveable City title for the 7th consecutive year, is its increasing population growth. That, and the fact that it is perhaps the most populated state capital city in Australia, with 75% of the population of the entire state of Victoria living in Melbourne city alone.

In 2016, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reported Melbourne as having the most epic population growth of any Australian city, making up almost a third of Australia’s population growth. The contrast is quite significant, with 2.4% in Melbourne compared to 1.2% in the rest of Australia.

Australia’s population growth is faster than many OECD countries including Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and the UK. Image source & credit: ABS

Australia’s population growth is faster than many OECD countries including Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and the UK. Image source & credit: ABS(For the record, Australia’s population growth is faster than many OECD countries including Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and the UK. This is an interesting fact because a developed nation’s growth is typically slower than that of a developing nation, hence property prices should grow faster in a developing nation. Australia, however, is the exception.)

In ABS’ latest report, Melbourne (Victoria) continues to headline the country’s population growth of 388,100 people, with an increase of 2.3% year-on-year.

But first, a short lesson in geography: Melbourne, with its population of approximately 4.8 million people, comprises the broader metropolitan area (also known as Greater Melbourne) as well as the city centre. Altogether, it consists of 31 municipalities.

However, this article specifically refers to the city of Melbourne which encompasses the Melbourne CBD, Southbank, Docklands and many of the suburbs in Melbourne’s inner city.

As of 2016, the estimated  residential population in the municipality of the City of Melbourne was 151,176. A whopping approximate of 903,000 people people were recorded as having travelled to, or were present in the municipality on an average weekday in that same year, an increase of 6% from 2014.

Statistics in the City of Melbourne’s Daily Population Estimates and Forecasts reveal that expansion in the city will continue, and is expected to hit 266,455 residents by 2037 due, largely, to births and immigration.  According to projection estimates, there will be over 1 million people in the city on an average weekday within the next 5 years, and 1.4 million by 2036.

By 2037, the population of Melbourne (CBD) is expected to reach 76,982. This is 44.68% higher than the population in 2017. Credit & source: http://bit.ly/2rYxoi3
By 2037, the population of Melbourne (CBD) is expected to reach 76,982. This is 44.68% higher than the population in 2017. Image redit & source: http://bit.ly/2rYxoi3

Recently, BIS Oxford Economics predicted that Melbourne is headed for an undersupply in housing. What makes this especially noteworthy is the fact that it was a complete reversal of its earlier prediction that the city would suffer a surplus of apartments! The consultancy has based its forecast on census figures that show Melbourne had 109,000 more people than previously expected.

“We thought it would get to a 20,000 excess (of apartments) in Victoria by 2018. We’re now saying in 2018, the market has still got an undersupply of about 2000 dwellings. We’re talking a 20,000 turnaround,” said BIS managing director Robert Mellor.

There are currently 25,321 private dwellings in Melbourne (CBD). By 2037, this is expected to increase to 56,838. Image source & credit: http://bit.ly/2rYxoi3
There are currently 25,321 private dwellings in Melbourne (CBD). By 2037, this is expected to increase to 56,838. Image source & credit: http://bit.ly/2rYxoi3

Spiralling Growth in the CBD

Figures by the ABS show that between 1991 and 2016, the population living within 10km of the CBD grew by 40%, from 743,000 to 1,042,000.

Melbourne’s CBD has also seen spectacular growth; with its population swelling from 1611 in 1911 to 15,249 in 2006 and 35,447 in 2016.

The increase in population is reflected by a sharply-tightened vacancy rate of 1.7% and 1.4% for apartment units and houses at as recent as Q3 2017.

According to Mellor, census figures show that the proportion of students rose to 27% demand for inner city apartments in 2016, from 20% in 2011. Students comprise a key demographic occupying apartments in the CBD, where Melbourne’s high-rise supply has been concentrated.

The increase in population is reflected by a sharply-tightened vacancy rate of 1.7% and 1.4% for apartment units and houses in Melbourne at as recent as Q3 2017. Image source & credit: Domain.com.au
The increase in population is reflected by a sharply-tightened vacancy rate of 1.7% and 1.4% for apartment units and houses in Melbourne at as recent as Q3 2017. Image source & credit: Domain.com.au

According to SQM managing director Louis Christopher, the last time the figure slipped as low as 1.7% was in June 2007.

“This is quite remarkable — despite predictions of looming apartment oversupply in inner-city Melbourne, we are seeing vacancies fall rather than rise,” he said.

“Even in the Docklands the vacancy rate tumbled to just 2.4% (as at July 2017), down from a high of 6% in December.”

The tight vacancy rate is good news for landlords, especially if seen from the perspective of future population growth.

By 2037, the CBD’s population is expected to reach 76,982, 44% higher than the population in 2017. Interestingly, this growth forms 29% of the total projected population growth of the City of Melbourne within the same time frame — a significant percentage, particularly if you consider that the CBD spans an area of about only 6.2km2!

In terms of age, the CBD population will be dominated by the 25- to 34-year-olds, followed by the 35- to 44-year-olds by 2037. Logically and based on current property prices, the 25- to 34-year-olds represent the demographic that is most likely to rent a property.  Image credit & source: http://bit.ly/2rYxoi3
In terms of age, the CBD population will be dominated by the 25- to 34-year-olds, followed by the 35- to 44-year-olds by 2037. Logically and based on current property prices, the 25- to 34-year-olds represent the demographic that is most likely to rent a property.  Image credit & source: http://bit.ly/2rYxoi3

In terms of age, the CBD population will be dominated by the 25- to 34-year-olds, followed by the 35- to 44-year-olds by 2037. Logically and based on current property prices, the 25- to 34-year-olds represent the demographic that is most likely to rent a property.  

Meanwhile, housing looks set to increase too, with the number of private dwellings projected to grow to 56,838 in 2037, compared to 25,321 dwellings in 2017.

Back in the day, the CBD was probably last on a laundry list of choice residential areas, but this trend is changing. While the CBD may not be the cheapest area to live in Melbourne, there is a growing community of residents.

What will continue to draw the crowd and keep the CBD alive, are its industries and jobs, and its proximity to universities, festivals and the arts, food and beverage, services and retail.

Article by Vivienne Pal

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CSI Prop proudly promotes international investment property with high yields at low risk. Our portfolio comprises residential property in cities across the United Kingdom (London, Luton, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, York, Glasgow, Scotland; Sheffield, etc) and Australia (Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane). Our projects are concentrated in high-growth areas with great educational, infrastructural and job growth potentials. We aspire to make a difference in the lives of our clients by helping them achieve their investment goals through strong market research backed by third party experts. 

Disclaimer: CSI Prop does not provide tax & legal advice and accepts no liability. Readers are encouraged to consult a qualified tax or legal advisor for a thorough review.

Need advice or clarification? Call us for more information and/or to find out about our projects! Hotline: 03-2162 2260