Q. Thinking about housing prices, do you think increases in the cost of housing are good or bad for the following?
|
Total good |
Total bad |
Very good |
Good |
Neither good nor bad |
Bad |
Very bad |
Don’t know |
||
|
Home owners |
49% |
21% |
13% |
36% |
24% |
14% |
7% |
5% |
|
|
Investors |
46% |
22% |
14% |
32% |
24% |
15% |
7% |
8% |
|
|
You personally |
25% |
36% |
7% |
18% |
34% |
17% |
19% |
5% |
|
|
The economy |
23% |
36% |
2% |
21% |
31% |
24% |
12% |
9% |
|
|
The average Australian |
13% |
57% |
2% |
11% |
25% |
36% |
21% |
5% |
|
|
First home buyers |
9% |
74% |
2% |
7% |
13% |
32% |
42% |
5% |
Nearly half think that increases in the cost of housing are good for home owners (49%) and investors (46%).
74% think increases are bad for first home buyers and more than half (57%) think they are bad for the average Australian.
Respondents were divided over whether increases in housing costs are good or bad for the economy – but are somewhat more likely to think they are bad (36%) or neither (31%).
Only 25% see increases as being good for themselves personally.
23 July 2013, 230713, health system, Housing, Important election issues, Interest rates, management of the economy, quality education, water supply
Q. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election?
|
Total 23 Jul 13 |
|
Total 17 Jun 13 |
11 Feb 13 |
19 Nov 12 |
30 Jul 12 |
5 Dec 11 |
6 June 11 |
25 Jan 10 |
|
| Management of the economy |
45% |
47% |
62% |
66% |
64% |
62% |
61% |
63% |
|
| Ensuring a quality education for all children |
25% |
25% |
29% |
35% |
26% |
22% |
26% |
23% |
|
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system |
42% |
45% |
52% |
57% |
47% |
47% |
49% |
48% |
|
| Protecting the environment |
12% |
13% |
14% |
14% |
11% |
13% |
15% |
16% |
|
| A fair industrial relations system |
10% |
10% |
12% |
8% |
12% |
11% |
8% |
na |
|
| Political leadership |
21% |
22% |
14% |
15% |
25% |
18% |
17% |
23% |
|
| Addressing climate change |
11% |
11% |
9% |
9% |
9% |
10% |
15% |
16% |
|
| Controlling interest rates |
13% |
11% |
9% |
11% |
9% |
11% |
13% |
15% |
|
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries |
39% |
34% |
40% |
32% |
41% |
36% |
32% |
33% |
|
| Ensuring a quality water supply |
3% |
5% |
4% |
5% |
3% |
4% |
5% |
12% |
|
| Housing affordability |
17% |
14% |
11% |
14% |
13% |
13% |
16% |
14% |
|
| Ensuring a fair taxation system |
20% |
19% |
21% |
17% |
18% |
16% |
17% |
14% |
|
| Security and the war on terrorism |
8% |
8% |
6% |
5% |
5% |
4% |
8% |
9% |
|
| Treatment of asylum seekers |
14% |
11% |
6% |
6% |
10% |
8% |
5% |
na |
|
| Managing population growth |
9% |
11% |
9% |
7% |
8% |
8% |
12% |
na |
45% of people surveyed rated management of the economy as one of their three most important issues, followed by 42% ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system, 39% Australian jobs and protection of local industries and 25% ensuring a quality education for all children.
There has been little change since this question was asked last month – Australian jobs and protection of local industries is up 5 points to 39% and treatment of asylum seekers is up 3 points (and up 8 points since February) to 14%.
05 February 2013, 050213, clothing, cost of living, Education, electricity, food, Housing, insurance, petrol, Water
Q. Compared to two or three years ago is your household paying more or less for the following –
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Paying a lot more |
|||
|
Paying a lot more |
Paying a little more |
Paying about the same |
Paying a little less |
Paying a lot less |
Don’t know |
Own home outright |
Own home with mortgage |
Renting |
|
| Petrol |
50% |
33% |
11% |
2% |
1% |
4% |
44% |
49% |
55% |
| Fresh food – fruit, vegetables, meat |
36% |
43% |
16% |
4% |
* |
2% |
33% |
35% |
41% |
| Packaged food |
28% |
39% |
24% |
4% |
* |
4% |
26% |
27% |
33% |
| Electricity and gas |
70% |
22% |
4% |
1% |
1% |
2% |
69% |
73% |
71% |
| Housing – mortgage or rent |
24% |
22% |
29% |
10% |
3% |
12% |
10% |
21% |
40% |
| Insurance |
43% |
36% |
14% |
1% |
1% |
5% |
48% |
47% |
35% |
| Water |
47% |
32% |
14% |
1% |
1% |
6% |
48% |
54% |
38% |
| Clothing |
21% |
30% |
37% |
9% |
1% |
2% |
17% |
21% |
25% |
| Education |
24% |
20% |
27% |
3% |
3% |
23% |
15% |
28% |
26% |
| Medical, dental |
33% |
33% |
27% |
2% |
* |
3% |
33% |
35% |
34% |
Items which respondents said they were “paying a lot more” for were electricity and gas (70%), petrol (50%), water (47%) and insurance (43%).
Homeowners had similar responses to the total sample, but the main things renters were paying a lot more for were electricity and gas (71%), petrol (55%), fresh food (41%) and housing (40%).
13 June 2012, 130612, Aged Care, ageing population, Housing, information, Ken Morrison, outdoor spaces, PCA, Property Council of Australia, Security, transport, universal design standards
Ken Morrison says our cities need to be transformed for our ageing population – and it’s not solely about nursing homes.
By 2050 Australia will have a population of 35 million – almost a quarter of whom will be over 65. And while we are ageing, our cities are growing. It’s not just aged care facilities and health care which will be under pressure but our cities as a whole — transport, outdoor spaces, housing, information access and security.
The Property Council’s Ken Morrison tells 3Q the problem is not isolated to the lack of nursing home places. With a declining tax base and a burgeoning number of elderly, the pressures on all tiers of government will be immense which is why making cities function now is more important than ever.
Read his blog about age friendly cities.
As the Government promotes its policy of the elderly staying in their homes for longer, the Property Council is part of an organisation lobbying for all new homes to be built to universal design standards by 2020.
Read about the partnership between the Property Council, government and other organisations.
By building a house to last its occupants’ lifetimes, despite illness or disability, we will all be able to live independently for longer. Universal design ideas are already being implemented in Japan, Britain, Canada and Norway.
Australians for Affordable Housing, Housing, Ross Gittins
I’ll bet this happens to every person at least, say, once a week: you read something in the newspaper (that’s the thing that you actually hold in your hand and leaf through–I’m just practicing an explanation I’ll need to use with young people in ten years) but it bears no relation to what you see happening in YOUR real life. If you are aching for that feeling, you only need read most coverage of economics–as in a column today in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Ross Gittins, who I hasten to say is relatively sane compared to the free market, knuckle-draggers who write about economics and business over at The Australian and The Fin, muses about housing prices today. Here are his two key points:
FOR years when people at dinner parties worried about houses becoming too expensive for the younger generation to afford, I used to tell them not to worry: it was logically impossible for prices to rise to a level no one could afford. Why do I remind you of this? Because it’s starting to look like I was right.
And, then, at the end:
I take the present small falls in house prices as a sign the limits to affordability have been reached, and won’t be exceeded.
As a matter of supply and demand, Gittins might be right: prices may not be going dramatically higher. But, c’mon, “limits to affordability”? You got to be kiddin?
The real world is explained by our friends at the Australians for Affordable Housing. To wit:
- Almost one in ten households is in housing stress
- On any given night over 105,000 people in Australia are homeless
- Both house prices and rents have risen well above inflation. For people on low incomes this means that housing costs are eating up more of their income and leaving less for the other essentials in life. [emphasis added]
So, my problem with Gittins’ column is really context. It’s a bit misleading to wax on and on about how terrific it is that housing prices aren’t skyrocketing without balancing that with an insight into the real life people face trying to actually find housing, whether buying or renting.
Context, context, context!!!
asylum seekers, Australian jobs, climate change, economy, Education, Election, environment, Health, Housing, Interest rates, leadership, population, tax
Q. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election?
| First | Second | Third | Total | Total
10 May 10 |
Difference | |
| Management of the economy | 38% | 18% | 7% | 63% | 62% | +1% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 16% | 20% | 19% | 55% | 50% | +5% |
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 7% | 8% | 9% | 24% | 29% | -5% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 4% | 11% | 9% | 24% | 19% | +5% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 4% | 6% | 8% | 18% | 22% | -4% |
| Protecting the environment | 5% | 5% | 5% | 15% | 13% | +2% |
| Political leadership | 6% | 3% | 4% | 13% | 12% | +1% |
| Housing affordability | 4% | 4% | 5% | 13% | 17% | -4% |
| Addressing climate change | 4% | 4% | 4% | 12% | 12% | – |
| Controlling interest rates | 3% | 5% | 4% | 12% | 16% | -4% |
| Managing population growth | 1% | 4% | 7% | 12% | 14% | -2% |
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 4% | 3% | 4% | 11% | * | |
| A fair industrial relations system | 2% | 4% | 5% | 11% | 9% | +2% |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 1% | 2% | 5% | 8% | 7% | +1% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 1% | 1% | 4% | 6% | 7% | -1% |
*Not asked in May 2010 poll
The most important election issues were management of the economy, the quality of the health system, jobs and local industry and a quality education for all children.
Since this issue was last polled in May, health and education have increased in importance (both +5%) and Australian jobs and protection of local industry declined 5%. Comments »
asylum seekers, Australian jobs, climate change, economy, Education, Election Issues, environment, Health, Housing, Industrial Relations, Interest rates, leadership, population, Security, tax, Terrorism, Water
Q. And which party would you trust most to handle the following issues?
| Labor | Liberal | Greens | Don’t know | |
| A fair industrial relations system | 45% | 24% | 5% | 26% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 41% | 25% | 4% | 29% |
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 42% | 28% | 3% | 27% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 38% | 27% | 4% | 31% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 36% | 28% | 4% | 32% |
| Housing affordability | 30% | 24% | 4% | 41% |
| Political leadership | 33% | 30% | 5% | 33% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 23% | 23% | 22% | 32% |
| Managing population growth | 24% | 27% | 9% | 40% |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 25% | 30% | 3% | 42% |
| Management of the economy | 32% | 38% | 3% | 27% |
| Treatment of asylum seekers | 23% | 29% | 11% | 37% |
| Controlling interest rates | 28% | 35% | 2% | 35% |
| Addressing climate change | 18% | 16% | 36% | 29% |
| Protecting the environment | 17% | 13% | 47% | 23% |
Labor have a substantial lead over the Liberal Party as the best party to handle a fair industrial relations system (+21%), quality education for all (+16%), Australian jobs and protection of industries (+14%) and ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system (+11%).
The Liberal Party’s main strengths were controlling interest rates (+7%), treatment of asylum seekers (+6%) and management of the economy (+6%).
The Greens were thought to be the best party for protecting the environment (47%) and addressing climate change (36%). Comments »
Australian jobs, climate change, economy, Education, Election, employment, environment, Health, Housing, immigration, Industrial Relations, Interest rates, population, Security, Terrorism, Voting intention, Water
Q8. Which are the three most important issues in deciding how you would vote at a Federal election? (Number from 1 to 3 where 1 is the most important, 2 the second most important, etc)
| One | Two | Three | Total | Total
25 Jan 10 |
Difference | |
| Management of the economy | 34% | 18% | 10% | 62% | 63% | -1% |
| Ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system | 14% | 20% | 16% | 50% | 48% | +2% |
| Australian jobs and protection of local industries | 8% | 10% | 11% | 29% | 33% | -4% |
| Ensuring a fair taxation system | 5% | 8% | 9% | 22% | 18% | +4% |
| Ensuring a quality education for all children | 3% | 7% | 9% | 19% | 23% | -4% |
| Housing affordability | 6% | 5% | 6% | 17% | 14% | +3% |
| Controlling interest rates | 5% | 5% | 6% | 16% | 15% | +1% |
| Managing population growth | 3% | 4% | 7% | 14% | * | |
| Protecting the environment | 3% | 5% | 5% | 13% | 16% | -3% |
| Political leadership | 5% | 3% | 4% | 12% | 23% | -11% |
| Addressing climate change | 4% | 4% | 4% | 12% | 16% | -4% |
| Fair immigration policies | 3% | 4% | 3% | 10% | * | |
| A fair industrial relations system | 2% | 4% | 3% | 9% | 10% | -1% |
| Ensuring a quality water supply | 2% | 2% | 3% | 7% | 12% | -5% |
| Security and the war on terrorism | 2% | 2% | 3% | 7% | 9% | -2% |
*Not asked in January 2010 poll
62% of people surveyed rate management of the economy is one of their three most important issues, followed by 50% that rate ensuring the quality of Australia’s health system and 29% that rate Australian jobs and protection of local industries as one of their three most important issues.
Only 9% rate a fair industrial relations system as one of their three most important issues and 7% rate security and the war on terrorism and ensuring a quality water supply.
The major change since the previous survey in January, was a drop in the importance of political leadership from 23% to 12%. Ensuring a fairer tax system has risen slightly from 18% to 22%. Comments »