The Canberra Times has worrying news of the visit to chat to developers by “cultural planner” Charles Landry.
Charles has the shattering insight that urban infill is probably a good idea and is sharing it with no doubt gobsmacked groups such as “representatives of the Hindmarsh, Doma and Rock development groups, the Canberra Business Council, Master [...]

Hi,
I’m looking to find a company to provide me with independent investment property  advice.
I’d appreciated any personal experiences people have with Canberra companies, or even better negative experiences so I know who to steer clear from.

The Canberra Times informs us that Kingston’s Bus Depot that wasn’t a bus depot has achieved heritage listing and thus will be spared the untender mercies of property development.
The nine-year battle to conserve Kingston’s Old Bus Depot is over after the ACT’s heritage authority agreed to permanently list the historic structure.
A final decision by the [...]

I’m looking at buying a 100 acres or so near Braidwood where I can pretend I’m a farmer. 
I have a number of criteria that need filling and there’s a lot of bullshit out there so I’m contemplating using a buyers agent just like those shows on Foxtel
Has anyone used a buyers agent?  Was it worth [...]

The Canberra Times explains that the Brumbies are tossing up a move to Mount Stromlo or joining the University of Canberra campus as they proceed with plans to demolish their own current headquarters next year to make way for their real estate speculation.
UC has a ready supply of attractive women who’d like to meet professional [...]

Following up on the Evatt question, does anyone have any experience of living in Narrabundah (the shops side) and is it a good place to raise kids etc?
Is there a lot of crime?
It doesn’t seem to be any better or worse than most suburbs based on the Police Stats but people are cautioning [...]

Construction in the ACT has reached the point where Phillipino visitors to the city make “Tsk Tsk” noises when they walk past our construction sites.
My own unscientific, but reasonably widespread, walking past suggests the eskies are open and the booze is flowing (mostly bacardi breezers) on many construction sites by 10am.
But the ABC Reports the [...]

The Greens’ Amanda Bresnan is getting a bit wide eyed and suggesting that housing costs which can only be serviced by double executive level incomes aren’t really “affordable”.
“The Government has this year referred to prices of $328 000 for a property or $400 per week for student accommodation as ‘affordable housing’, but for many these [...]

I moved to Canberra expecting boulevards, backyards and an easier, cheaper lifestyle, and I’ve found myself in the middle of a housing crisis. And it really is that – a crisis. Most of us simply can’t afford to buy here and so we’re trapped in the rental realm. With such a captive audience, most of [...]

I am trying to buy my first home and am at the mercy of what i
suspect are dodgy real estate agents.
In Canberra if I make an offer, and they say someone has made a higher offer, can I ask them to prove it?
Or, are they bound by any laws to tell the truth [...]

The ABC has the intriguing news that Mawson and Hawker have the cheapest rents in town for two bedroom units.
Considering both suburbs also have better than average local shops it’s worth bearing in mind.

Zed Seselja is asking some interesting questions of the ACT’s monopoly new release land seller, the Land Development Agency:
“There is no shortage of demand for land in the ACT, with prospective buyers camping out to secure a block of land in Canberra’s newest suburbs yet;
– the LDA’s advertising costs have increased almost $700,000 since last [...]

Have a look at this ad for The Apartments in New Acton.
Reminds me a bit of the way Debacle used to have a sign out the front saying IIRC: “If you like Carlton Draft the Civic Pub is just down the road”.

New Acton Apartments Ad
Angers me for it mocks me
Makes me want to [...]

The Unit Title debate of 2008 was a dour, dreadful and confusing thing. Anyone who actually understood all the issues was not the sort of person you’d want to get stuck talking to at a party.
As far as I could tell back then the debate bogged down between the interests of property investors and the [...]

The Canberra Times reports that Ms Anne Moore and the owners corporation of the Kingston Foreshore Gateway Apartments are off to the federal court seeking redress from the Land Development Agency and Bovis Lend Lease over sub-standard construction.
It must be pretty bad to draw this kind of public attention to their very expensive real estate [...]

G’day all
We are looking for a vacant retail space in a suburban shopping centre, Ideally in the Inner South/Woden/ Weston Creek area. does anybody know of any empty shops? We would prefer to be in a small suburban shops as this would suit our business better. We have been in North Lyneham for nearly 3 [...]

[First filed: Sep 28, 2010 @ 11:03]

Some more thoughts on the burning of the Downer Club:
1) In the last few months people well known to me attempted to gain entrance to have a look around. It was bolted up so well they gave up.
2) This means whomever was responsible for the suspicious fire either had [...]

Anyone who operates at all in the public sphere has to put up single issue nuts, blinkered and monomaniacal looking to do, without conscious thought, great evil in pursuit of some small narrow good of interest to them.
On September 23 The Minister for Planning Andrew Barr had a private little vent on his Facebook page, [...]

[First filed: Sep 27, 2010 @ 12:14]

The dereliction of the beautiful observatory buildings in the old Downer Club has long been a tragedy. This morning it burned as recorded in these postings from the ESA:
5:33am Monday 27 September 2010 – Fire in Dickson The ACT Fire Brigade is responding to a fire inside an old [...]

[First filed: Sep 25, 2010 @ 15:59]

Owen has sent this in with the following note:
Like some bombed out German City, the City Gateway Motel is half demolished to make way for apartments. Just seems like yesterday it was built. It was pricey accommodation out from the city center, guess that was part of its problem. [...]

Long story short, We are FHOB and we’re currently building a house in the Gungahlin area, the building started in Feb, however only the brick is up and the roof is still pending. The building contract said max 30 weeks to complete a single level house, which will be this November 2010. At this stage [...]

Last season the Brumbies certainly looked like a team more intent on real estate deals than playing rugby.
Today the Canberra Times reports that the team’s plans to redevelop their training oval have been knocked back.
Apparently they now need to find a new headquarters, although whether that’s for training or redevelopment purposes remains unclear.

There’s been plenty of previous discussion on RA around issues for renters in Canberra. There are plenty of stories of tenants who are kept in the dark about their rights, or treated by their landlords or property managers as second class citizens. 
On the other side there’s plenty of times when a landlord either has issues [...]

The Chronicle’s strange Facebook presence brings word of opposition from the Tuggers, Woden and Weston Creek community councils against Draft Variation 303 which opens the way for more urban infill.
Vice chair of the Woden Valley Community Council, Dr Jenny Stewart, said the council had requested the draft variation be withdrawn.
“The variations have huge consequences for [...]

The unseemly haste at the demolition of McGregor Hall continues to amaze.
Photos have emerged on Facebook of the destruction of community property (fully functioning kitchen, the crockery including the Pensioners Club mugs, light shades, solid old office desks, tables and chairs, rotary awards…) as the Government and ANU attempt to eradicate all memory of its [...]

It has been said in recent times that if the Brumbies put as much effort into rugby as they do into real estate they’d win a lot more games.
The Canberra Times today brings word that the club’s grand plans to turn their training oval into apartments has hit opposition from pretty much everyone who matters:
A [...]

House prices in Canberra have sky-rocketed over the last few years.
When working for the ACT government some years ago, I remember the discussion about the “live in Canberra” campaign and how to attract people here. One of the big selling points here has always been that housing was more affordable. So, [...]

Hi Everyone
We’re moving our young family over from Perth and are thinking of buying in Kambah.
I hear good things and then REALLY bad things.
Are some parts better than others? Are the Kambah Village shops ok? 
If you had to choose between Wanniassa and Kambah which would it be?
Opinions much appreciated.

Mr Stanhope has released the review of the Heritage Act 2004 and promised to let us know what he thinks of the 111 recommendations early next year.
The take home from the executive summary appears to be this bit:
Having operated for five years, it is apparent there are many issues which should be addressed. [...]

[ 14 September, 2010; 7:00 pm; ] Important Planning Issues for South Canberra
Public Meeting – All Welcome

Presented by Inner South Canberra Community Council (ISCCC)
At Eastlake Football Club Tues 7pm 14 Sept 2010
Speakers invited from ACTPLA & NCA

ISSUES:
• What is the optimum population level for the ACT and how does the Government sees its role in facilitating residential growth to [...]

Earlier in the month Andrew Barr was asking you to get your submissions in on proposed changes to the Territory Plan to improve solar access to new single occupancy developments (rendering them more expensive) while at the same time making it easier to infill multi-occupancy developments.
Yesterday (a Sunday) Mr Barr announced he was extending the [...]

With major redevelopment in Civic now finalising something’s going to need to be done to keep the concrete pumpers rolling in Canberra.
Fortunately Andrew Barr has leapt into action announcing draft master plans for Dickson and Kingston:
To ensure Dickson and Kingston continue to develop sustainably and that these communities have better access to supermarkets, retail, [...]