Hopes AI can help provide lifeline for housing crisis
In an effort to tackle a multi-front crisis, a cutting-edge government-backed housing analytics lab will open in Sydney on Monday.
Studying housing data, the interactive lab aims to find solutions to housing affordability, by looking at areas to build social homes and boost the waning development pipeline.
Researchers will use Map AI, an interactive tool that shows housing data, to find which areas are best to be developed, and how to feasibly redevelop already high-density areas.
"Map AI allows you to talk to your map and ask questions like 'show me property here', so it makes it a lot easier for those who are not data scientists to interrogate the data," lead of the lab and UNSW professor Chris Pettit told AAP.
"Traditionally planners try to rezone high-density areas around train stations.
"We will use AI to see what value are those properties are and what is permissible to zone, to break down some of those barriers."
The lab will bring together more than a dozen partners in government and the housing sector, with a focus on NSW, though solutions found can be used across the nation.
State governments in 2023 agreed to begin building a combined 1.2 million homes from mid-2024, with the hope of finishing them over five years.
Less than a year later, the number of approved dwellings is dropping, not rising, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Social housing is also unable to meet demand, a national State of the Housing System report found, and according to new research, one in three homes are priced at more than a million dollars.
NSW is on track to fall short of building its share of 377,000 homes by 2029, with only five of the state's 43 local government areas on track to meet their housing targets, according to Property Council NSW figures.
The state also continues to grapple with a rental crisis as vacancy rates slumped to 1.6 per cent in April, ABS data shows.
"Finding a home to rent in New South Wales is harder today than it has ever been before," NSW Real Estate Institute chief executive Tim McKibbin said.
"As a community, we owe it to everyone in this boat to strive for a better outcome."
The state government has pitched in $1 million towards the new lab, with NSW Premier Chris Minns saying it brings together experts and data for key insights.
"We need universities that can translate research into real-world solutions - exactly what UNSW is doing here."
On Monday, NSW will follow in the footsteps of Victoria, ACT, Queensland and South Australia in banning no-grounds evictions for renters.
Researchers hope talking to maps may help them find the answers needed to solve Australia's housing crisis.
In an effort to tackle a multi-front crisis, a cutting-edge government-backed housing analytics lab will open in Sydney on Monday.
Studying housing data, the interactive lab aims to find solutions to housing affordability, by looking at areas to build social homes and boost the waning development pipeline.
Researchers will use Map AI, an interactive tool that shows housing data, to find which areas are best to be developed, and how to feasibly redevelop already high-density areas.
"Map AI allows you to talk to your map and ask questions like 'show me property here', so it makes it a lot easier for those who are not data scientists to interrogate the data," lead of the lab and UNSW professor Chris Pettit told AAP.
"Traditionally planners try to rezone high-density areas around train stations.
"We will use AI to see what value are those properties are and what is permissible to zone, to break down some of those barriers."
The lab will bring together more than a dozen partners in government and the housing sector, with a focus on NSW, though solutions found can be used across the nation.
State governments in 2023 agreed to begin building a combined 1.2 million homes from mid-2024, with the hope of finishing them over five years.
Less than a year later, the number of approved dwellings is dropping, not rising, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Social housing is also unable to meet demand, a national State of the Housing System report found, and according to new research, one in three homes are priced at more than a million dollars.
NSW is on track to fall short of building its share of 377,000 homes by 2029, with only five of the state's 43 local government areas on track to meet their housing targets, according to Property Council NSW figures.
The state also continues to grapple with a rental crisis as vacancy rates slumped to 1.6 per cent in April, ABS data shows.
"Finding a home to rent in New South Wales is harder today than it has ever been before," NSW Real Estate Institute chief executive Tim McKibbin said.
"As a community, we owe it to everyone in this boat to strive for a better outcome."
The state government has pitched in $1 million towards the new lab, with NSW Premier Chris Minns saying it brings together experts and data for key insights.
"We need universities that can translate research into real-world solutions - exactly what UNSW is doing here."
On Monday, NSW will follow in the footsteps of Victoria, ACT, Queensland and South Australia in banning no-grounds evictions for renters.
Researchers hope talking to maps may help them find the answers needed to solve Australia's housing crisis.
In an effort to tackle a multi-front crisis, a cutting-edge government-backed housing analytics lab will open in Sydney on Monday.
Studying housing data, the interactive lab aims to find solutions to housing affordability, by looking at areas to build social homes and boost the waning development pipeline.
Researchers will use Map AI, an interactive tool that shows housing data, to find which areas are best to be developed, and how to feasibly redevelop already high-density areas.
"Map AI allows you to talk to your map and ask questions like 'show me property here', so it makes it a lot easier for those who are not data scientists to interrogate the data," lead of the lab and UNSW professor Chris Pettit told AAP.
"Traditionally planners try to rezone high-density areas around train stations.
"We will use AI to see what value are those properties are and what is permissible to zone, to break down some of those barriers."
The lab will bring together more than a dozen partners in government and the housing sector, with a focus on NSW, though solutions found can be used across the nation.
State governments in 2023 agreed to begin building a combined 1.2 million homes from mid-2024, with the hope of finishing them over five years.
Less than a year later, the number of approved dwellings is dropping, not rising, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Social housing is also unable to meet demand, a national State of the Housing System report found, and according to new research, one in three homes are priced at more than a million dollars.
NSW is on track to fall short of building its share of 377,000 homes by 2029, with only five of the state's 43 local government areas on track to meet their housing targets, according to Property Council NSW figures.
The state also continues to grapple with a rental crisis as vacancy rates slumped to 1.6 per cent in April, ABS data shows.
"Finding a home to rent in New South Wales is harder today than it has ever been before," NSW Real Estate Institute chief executive Tim McKibbin said.
"As a community, we owe it to everyone in this boat to strive for a better outcome."
The state government has pitched in $1 million towards the new lab, with NSW Premier Chris Minns saying it brings together experts and data for key insights.
"We need universities that can translate research into real-world solutions - exactly what UNSW is doing here."
On Monday, NSW will follow in the footsteps of Victoria, ACT, Queensland and South Australia in banning no-grounds evictions for renters.
Researchers hope talking to maps may help them find the answers needed to solve Australia's housing crisis.
In an effort to tackle a multi-front crisis, a cutting-edge government-backed housing analytics lab will open in Sydney on Monday.
Studying housing data, the interactive lab aims to find solutions to housing affordability, by looking at areas to build social homes and boost the waning development pipeline.
Researchers will use Map AI, an interactive tool that shows housing data, to find which areas are best to be developed, and how to feasibly redevelop already high-density areas.
"Map AI allows you to talk to your map and ask questions like 'show me property here', so it makes it a lot easier for those who are not data scientists to interrogate the data," lead of the lab and UNSW professor Chris Pettit told AAP.
"Traditionally planners try to rezone high-density areas around train stations.
"We will use AI to see what value are those properties are and what is permissible to zone, to break down some of those barriers."
The lab will bring together more than a dozen partners in government and the housing sector, with a focus on NSW, though solutions found can be used across the nation.
State governments in 2023 agreed to begin building a combined 1.2 million homes from mid-2024, with the hope of finishing them over five years.
Less than a year later, the number of approved dwellings is dropping, not rising, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Social housing is also unable to meet demand, a national State of the Housing System report found, and according to new research, one in three homes are priced at more than a million dollars.
NSW is on track to fall short of building its share of 377,000 homes by 2029, with only five of the state's 43 local government areas on track to meet their housing targets, according to Property Council NSW figures.
The state also continues to grapple with a rental crisis as vacancy rates slumped to 1.6 per cent in April, ABS data shows.
"Finding a home to rent in New South Wales is harder today than it has ever been before," NSW Real Estate Institute chief executive Tim McKibbin said.
"As a community, we owe it to everyone in this boat to strive for a better outcome."
The state government has pitched in $1 million towards the new lab, with NSW Premier Chris Minns saying it brings together experts and data for key insights.
"We need universities that can translate research into real-world solutions - exactly what UNSW is doing here."
On Monday, NSW will follow in the footsteps of Victoria, ACT, Queensland and South Australia in banning no-grounds evictions for renters.
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News.com.au
4 hours ago
- News.com.au
Relief in sight for homeowners as RBA poised for interest rate cut
The Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to announce its third cut in interest rates, after holding its rate in July despite the ongoing ease in inflation. According to a new Finder survey, 91 per cent of economists believe the RBA will cut the cash rate following its two-day meeting, which begins on Monday, with a 25 basis point cut bringing the cash rate down from 3.85 per cent to 3.60 per cent. The cash rate was held firm last month, with RBA governor Michele Bullock explaining the decision was about 'timing rather than direction', and was waiting on more data to confirm the decreasing inflation. At the end of July, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) published its quarterly inflation figures, which fell from 2.4 per cent to 2.1 per cent between March and June. Trimmed inflation, also known as underlying inflation, also dropped from 2.9 per cent to 2.7 per cent. Both headlining and underlying inflation rates are now within the RBA's 2-3 per cent target band, indicating inflation is low enough for the RBA to move forward. Mortgage holders are likely to be the biggest winners if the official cash rate is reduced on Tuesday. A homeowner with a $500,000 mortgage are set to save $2884 per year if the cash rate is passed on in full. Fnder head of consumer research Garahm Cooke said the RBA's failure to cut rates lash month was a disappointment for mortgage holders. 'If the RBA doesn't cut next week, they are risking an all-out attack on their legitimacy in the eyes of many homeowners,' he said. 'Last month's decision to hold shocked the market, and we are now seeing a 90 per cent plus certainty of a cut. With inflation well within the target range, there is no reason to hold. 'Banks will be under intense scrutiny to pass on a cut in full,' he said. Despite the overwhelming majority of economists predicting the fall in interest rates, University of Sydney's Stella Huangfu suggested the RBA should hold out for two reasons. 'First, June quarter trimmed mean annual CPI inflation is still 2.7 per cent, which is high within the 2–3 percentage target band and slightly above the RBA's forecast of 2.6 per cent,' she said.
The Advertiser
9 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Titans respond as captain Tino prepares to test market
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"We will have a look around (on November 1), but that's because we don't really know what's going on at the club at the moment," Mammino said. "Tino would probably prefer to stay. We just want to see some decisions made that the club is stable."He has got time to make a decision, so hopefully they will resolve where the club is at with the coaching situation for 2027. "That's not to say he doesn't want Des there. He gets on well with Des. It's also about where the club is heading with the re-signing of a couple of players."It gives us time to look at what the club is doing. I have got confidence in the chairman Dennis Watt, (CEO) Steve Mitchell and the owner Rebecca Frizelle. "It's just a recheck clause that we put in there to see where the club is at and where he is at and what options are there to consider." Watt said the Titans had stability on the coaching front and wanted Fa'asuamaleaui to stay. "The owners put out a statement recently saying Des is here for 2026," Watt told AAP. 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"Mal was the Australian coach and has a fair aura about him. He was there to improve the culture at the Titans, and the words Mal had with Tino and his family gave him confidence the club was rebuilding and heading in the right direction. "Tino was a key figure in that and was confident to go to the Titans with Mal there." Gold Coast captain Tino Fa'asuamaleaui will speak with the Perth Bears in the off-season as he prepares to test the market. Fa'asuamaleaui has a clause in his contract that allows him to speak to other clubs from November 1 for the 2027 season. Titans chairman Dennis Watt has told AAP the club is determined to keep the inspirational Test and Queensland prop. The 25-year-old's manager Simon Mammino told AAP that ideally he wants to stay at the Titans and help take the club to a premiership, but the uncertainty over the coaching future of Des Hasler and overall club direction has led to him deciding to explore other options. Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga, formerly the Titans' head of performance and culture, was a major factor in the 2020 premiership winner joining the club from Melbourne in 2021. Former Titans recruitment boss Ezra Howe, now in the same role at Perth, was also influential. "We will have a look around (on November 1), but that's because we don't really know what's going on at the club at the moment," Mammino said. "Tino would probably prefer to stay. We just want to see some decisions made that the club is stable."He has got time to make a decision, so hopefully they will resolve where the club is at with the coaching situation for 2027. "That's not to say he doesn't want Des there. He gets on well with Des. It's also about where the club is heading with the re-signing of a couple of players."It gives us time to look at what the club is doing. I have got confidence in the chairman Dennis Watt, (CEO) Steve Mitchell and the owner Rebecca Frizelle. "It's just a recheck clause that we put in there to see where the club is at and where he is at and what options are there to consider." Watt said the Titans had stability on the coaching front and wanted Fa'asuamaleaui to stay. "The owners put out a statement recently saying Des is here for 2026," Watt told AAP. "Tino is very much part of our future plans. He is an inspiring leader and we want to keep him here." Fa'asuamaleaui's parents live in Gympie and his in-laws live on the Gold Coast, so he is settled off-field, but the Meninga factor at Perth has them in prime position to make him an offer for their 2027 entry. "With Perth it is about being part of a new franchise that has history with the North Sydney Bears, which is attractive to any player," Mammino said."Mal being part of a new franchise is attractive like it was to players going to the Dolphins (under Wayne Bennett). "It's not all about money, but at some stage in the off-season we will speak to Perth, who will have a full salary cap to spend. The Dolphins targeted Tino, but he stayed at the Titans after (former coach) Justin Holbrook was sacked." Meninga was previously a magnet for Fa'asuamaleaui. "Mal and Ezra are the two that got him there to the Titans," Mammino said. "Mal was the Australian coach and has a fair aura about him. He was there to improve the culture at the Titans, and the words Mal had with Tino and his family gave him confidence the club was rebuilding and heading in the right direction. "Tino was a key figure in that and was confident to go to the Titans with Mal there." Gold Coast captain Tino Fa'asuamaleaui will speak with the Perth Bears in the off-season as he prepares to test the market. Fa'asuamaleaui has a clause in his contract that allows him to speak to other clubs from November 1 for the 2027 season. Titans chairman Dennis Watt has told AAP the club is determined to keep the inspirational Test and Queensland prop. The 25-year-old's manager Simon Mammino told AAP that ideally he wants to stay at the Titans and help take the club to a premiership, but the uncertainty over the coaching future of Des Hasler and overall club direction has led to him deciding to explore other options. Perth Bears coach Mal Meninga, formerly the Titans' head of performance and culture, was a major factor in the 2020 premiership winner joining the club from Melbourne in 2021. Former Titans recruitment boss Ezra Howe, now in the same role at Perth, was also influential. "We will have a look around (on November 1), but that's because we don't really know what's going on at the club at the moment," Mammino said. "Tino would probably prefer to stay. We just want to see some decisions made that the club is stable."He has got time to make a decision, so hopefully they will resolve where the club is at with the coaching situation for 2027. "That's not to say he doesn't want Des there. He gets on well with Des. It's also about where the club is heading with the re-signing of a couple of players."It gives us time to look at what the club is doing. I have got confidence in the chairman Dennis Watt, (CEO) Steve Mitchell and the owner Rebecca Frizelle. "It's just a recheck clause that we put in there to see where the club is at and where he is at and what options are there to consider." Watt said the Titans had stability on the coaching front and wanted Fa'asuamaleaui to stay. "The owners put out a statement recently saying Des is here for 2026," Watt told AAP. "Tino is very much part of our future plans. He is an inspiring leader and we want to keep him here." 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He was there to improve the culture at the Titans, and the words Mal had with Tino and his family gave him confidence the club was rebuilding and heading in the right direction. "Tino was a key figure in that and was confident to go to the Titans with Mal there."
7NEWS
14 hours ago
- 7NEWS
Australia and NZ enter new era of alliance amid rising global instability
Australia and New Zealand are entering a new era of co-operation as leaders from both nations embrace shared values in an increasingly turbulent world. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is in Queenstown for a two-day meeting with his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon, marking his second time crossing the Tasman as leader after last visiting in 2023. In a show of the bond between the two nations, Luxon warmly embraced the Australian prime minister as they met on Saturday for leadership talks. The first day centred on unity between the two nations and how they can co-operate on various issues, including safeguarding security and prosperity in an increasingly uncertain geo-strategic environment. This included committing to further integrating the two nations' economies in the 'most unpredictable and dangerous' strategic environment in decades. Foreign policy challenges relating to dealing with China, the United States and China's encroachment in the South Pacific region would be agenda-topping issues during the talks, University of Otago politics researcher Nicholas Khoo said. Both leaders agreed that competition between the world's superpowers, China and the US, needed to be managed, and continued dialogue was important to reduce risks of misunderstanding, miscalculation, escalation and conflict in the Pacific region. China was the main topic on everyone's lips, with the pair discussing their grave concerns over its increasingly 'dangerous and provocative' behaviour in the South China Sea. Luxon said the Asian superpower was a significant player in the world and a permanent feature of global affairs. 'We have an approach which is about co-operating where we can ... We disagree where we must. We have different systems, different values,' he said, which Albanese echoed. Both leaders praised work to strengthen military co-operation, which Prof Khoo said was appropriate given the increasing uncertainty in international politics. 'It's an area where we could legitimately expect to see very real progress,' he told AAP. Prof Khoo said this meeting showed the two neighbours' 'steady build-up' of co-operation, which he said didn't exist until two years ago. ''This is, in some aspects, a new era of co-operation, which is a positive development for both sides,' he said. Prof Khoo said New Zealand only had one alliance partner in Australia, and this summit showed its investment in that relationship. 'In these very turbulent times, this is one of the linchpins of regional security that deserves the attention,' he said. The Australian and New Zealand standards bodies have also announced a new agreement to renew joint standards arrangements, which will streamline regulations for certain sectors, including construction, healthcare and manufacturing, to boost economic growth. In a sign of closer ties, Albanese joked about going for a 'cuddle' as both leaders sauntered off after the media conference arm-in-arm, laughing.
