Brisbane Report

"The Redcliffe peninsula was a stellar performer through the 2003 boom. The pointy end of Brisbane’s northern beaches appeared to be an undiscovered wealth of natural riches that went from obscurity to belle of the ball. Council was gung-ho in getting plenty of capital invested in the area and, on the whole, it has awoken this sleepy centre. The downside is the current and continuing oversupply of new units in the area, particularly in the high rise sector. Local government took on a flexible approach to development submissions where many projects were assessed on an individual basis with such items as public space contributions affecting the allowable density of a site. Much of these large scale attached unit developments also take advantage of water views and a café lifestyle that drives demand in so many other centres. The area saw a rush of investors from all around the country eager to take advantage of this now revealed gem. Unfortunately, oversupply is knocking the wind out of the areas sails (and its sales). Capital growth for new unit buyers has been a touch subdued and it looks to continue in this disappointing vein for a little while yet.

A surprise disappointment has been the multiple tenancy properties in greater Brissy. Multi room student complexes, genuine purpose-built flats buildings and boarding houses haven’t sparked as expected over the past year. The income sure looks good but its fair to say that some steam has escaped the rental market and future income potential is a touch more tarnished than it was 12 months ago. These properties probably have some good potential in the long term as long as you stick with the fundamentals - good location and a ready tenant base.

Infrastructure upgrades are another area that has lowered buyer expectations in locations that deserve a little more respect. Kedron is a good case in point. Almost overnight the Northern Busway turned sections of the suburb into a dust laden construction site – not the thing you necessarily want to wake to each day. The works have caused quite a bit of inconvenience and put off a few purchasers. The upside for those willing to take the plunge and grin and bear it is that, if finished right, these areas will benefit from improved transport access and useable community infrastructure."

HTW October Report