Articles about property

Greetings from Sydney

7/01/2013 11:34:12 AM

This article was originally published as 'Greetings from Sydney' in http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/ on 29 December 2012. Image taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Luna_Park-Sydney-Australia.JPG

Greetings from Sydney, where I am staying with my three children on a dad-inspired visit, while Sandra takes a well earned break with her sister and mother in a much more relaxed and tropical location. This visit is reminiscent of trips my mother took me and my siblings on – to Brisbane.

The Grand

16/11/2012 9:37:16 AM

This article was originally published as 'The Grand' in http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/ on 16 June 2012.

Passers-by will notice that the Grand Hotel and the house next to it has been demolished, with only Legacy house still standing. The combined land parcel comprises more than 1,700 square metres of prime commercial land, snugly situated between City Centre Plaza, The Edge and the new Empire apartment hotel (to be started in January).

Productivity

12/03/2012 2:25:39 PM

This article was originally published as 'Productivity' in The Morning Bulletinon 03 March 2012.

Economists have not been good at explaining productivity, and consequently most people think it involves closing factories and cutting heads. That can happen, but more powerful sources of productivity improvements do exist. While employing better machinery and other equipment is obvious, it is the legion of small things that interests me most.

Rockhampton It's The Vibe

14/06/2011 9:58:11 AM

This article was first published in The Morning Bulletin Titled (The Show) dated 11 June 2011.

The show has moved with the times, but not so our region. These initiatives were all driven by individuals who want to achieve something. None relied on Government, and consequently avoided the squabbling and do-nothing mentality that we are saddled with. After more than 10 years back here, the problem is clear. There is simply too much politics – bring back Brophy.

The Splendour of isolation

17/02/2011 11:21:54 AM

This article was first publihed in The Morning Bulletin dated 07th January 2011. Titled 'Splendid Isolation'

The plight of people badly affected, and the efforts of those involved in helping maintain the community deserves respect, but it’s pretty important that our community leaders speak frankly about the resilience and importance of the town. That includes not making misleading statements that 40 per cent of the city is underwater, or that we are isolated, when we never were - you only had to call the Royal Oak Hotel at Yaamba and look on the RACQ website to discover that (that’s what I did anyhow). Perhaps one sensible suggestion is a river height gauge at Pink Lily Highbanks. The grief really only starts when the river breaches those banks.

Will She Be Right Mate?

29/11/2010 12:21:05 PM

This article was first published in The Morning Bulletin under the heading Will she be right mate? dated 30 October 2010.

Underinsurance can have a huge impact on the lifestyle your family chooses to follow. The family income can often halve if families lose the main breadwinner and an unexpected event can affect your family’s way of living including making mortgage repayments, the cost of running a car, holidays and other expenses. While your superannuation fund may provide a basic level of cover – quite often it is not enough.

2050 The New Town Dream

17/05/2010 10:30:23 AM

This article was first publihed in The Morning Bulletin dated 15th May 2010. The New Town.

The suggestion of a “new town” to accommodate the influx of people that some expect from the mining and gas boom smacks of being dreamt up by people who don’t know the history of urban development in contemporary Australia. Once home to Queensland’s second largest city, our region’s struggle to keep up, is perhaps more a matter of culture than ability. Some civic leaders expound the region’s natural position with respect to the resources boom, but most development of new mines is much nearer Mackay.

Opportunities for Primary Producers

26/06/2009 9:29:18 AM

This article was originally published in The Morning Bulletin as an article on the 16th of May 2009.

Self sufficiency means having a plan for retirement, and not having to unduly rely on others. Like ants building a colony, we all have to interact to make things happen. But beyond that is a requirement to fulfill our own destiny. Setting up your financial and business affairs in such a way that your ability for self-direction, your negotiating power and your freedom is increased has to be liberating. The absence of these things is probably at the heart of many simmering family problems common on the land.

Interest rates cuts more certain as Australian growth slows. Brighter times ahead

2/03/2009 11:35:47 AM

This article was originally published as 'Interest rates cuts more certain as Australian growth slows. Brighter times ahead' in The Capricorn Coast Mirroron 7th May, 2008. Image sourced from http://www.flickr.com/search/?l=4&w=all&q=Sunshine+australia&m=text.

Slowing growth suggests an easing in the interest rate cycle and we expect that the RBA is likely to start lowering interest rates early in 2009.

Salary sacrifice

18/02/2009 4:33:28 PM

This article was originally published in The Morning Bulletin in February 2004.

Salary sacrificing involves agreeing with your employer to take some of your salary in non-cash items. Income tax is therefore only paid on the portion of your salary that is cash. The non-tax cash items are received free of income tax. The main idea behind salary sacrificing was to cut the tax-man out of the equation. Unfortunately the introduction of Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) has made the strategy less attractive.

Property - Riding the waves

18/02/2009 3:39:52 PM

This article was originally published as ‘How not to become shark bait’ in The Morning Bulletin on 20th March 2003.

In the late 1990’s the dot.com boom was revving up. The stock exchange squark box relayed message after message of speculative mining companies changing their major activity to IT. Most of this was sheer opportunism on the part of the directors, who often having a large stake in the company, had been having a lean time with low gold prices. Like surfers waiting for Big Wednesday, they were hit by a tsunami of cash thrown by poorly informed investors. Many dot.coms are now worthless, or at least much diminished.

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Articles

Property

Greetings from Sydney

The Grand

Productivity

Rockhampton It's The Vibe

The Splendour of isolation

Will She Be Right Mate?

2050 The New Town Dream

Opportunities for Primary Producers

Interest rates cuts more certain as Australian growth slows. Brighter times ahead

Salary sacrifice

Property - Riding the waves