HOUSING RENTAL STATE OF PLAY 2024: Residential rental costs in coastal towns at the mouth of the Clarence River in Sept-Oct 2024

Yamba, NSW
Image: Getty Images

Iluka, NSW
IMAGE: Visit NSW

The small coastal townships of Yamba and Iluka in north-east New South Wales are on opposite sides of the Clarence River as in empties into the Pacific Ocean.

Respectively they have estimated resident populations of 6,467 (382.2 persons per square km & over 4,000 residential dwellings) and 1,793 (139.5 persons per square km & est. 1,313 residential dwellings).

Looking at the rental situation in Yamba using realestate.com.au data for Oct 2023 to Sept 2024:

• Three bedroom house average rental was $590 per week

• Two bedroom unit average rental was $450 per week.

According to NSW Government Rent Check tool using data for postcode 2464 as from 16 Oct 2024:

• That three bedroom house rental cost falls within the $550 - $633 median price range for similar rentals

• That two bedroom unit rental cost falls within the $408 - $495 median price range for similar rentals.

In relation to the est. 49 social housing dwellings in Yamba (ABS 2021), rental prices are understood to be approximately 30-50% lower than the aforementioned weekly private rental prices.

Looking at the rental situation in Iluka using realestate.com.au data for Oct 2023 to Sept 2024:

• Three bedroom house average rental was $460 per week

• Two bedroom unit average rental was $450 per week.

According to NSW Government Rent Check tool using data for postcode 2466 as from 16 Oct 2024:

• That three bedroom house rental cost falls outside the $500 - $525 median price range for similar rentals, being $50 to $75 lower across median price range.

• Available two bedroom unit median price range data is insufficient to calculate a range.

The rental situation in both coastal towns is tight with only est. 358 residential dwellings (1-4 bedrooms) available over the last 12 months in Yamba and very limited residential rental stock available in Iluka.

According to both rental yardsticks, rental properties in these two coastal towns are unaffordable for a single person on unemployment benefits and likely to cost on average est. 70-80% of a single person's disability or age pension.

On 18 October 2024 the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel delivered a position paper which left no doubt that Australia must cease to render financial, military and political aid or support to the State of Israel

 

United Nations News

Palestine: International law obliges Israel to end occupation, says rights panel

Human Rights | 18 October 2024

_________________________

All States and international organizations, including the United Nations, have obligations under international law to bring to an end Israel’s unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, according to a new legal position paper released Friday by a top independent human rights panel.

_________________________

It details the obligations for Israel, third-party States and the UN to bring to an end the unlawful occupation, according to the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel.

“Israel’s internationally wrongful acts give rise to State responsibility, not only for Israel, but for all States,” said Navi Pillay, chair of the UN Human Rights Council-mandated commission.

“All States are obligated not to recognise territorial or sovereignty claims made by Israel over the occupied territories.”

Read the commission’s full position paper here.

States must not provide assistance

Explaining the commission’s paper, Ms. Pillay said that States must demonstrate how their dealings differ regarding Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

As an example, she noted that a State must not recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel or place its diplomatic representatives to Israel in Jerusalem, which Palestinians claim as the capital of their future State.

In addition, States must not render aid or assistance in maintaining the unlawful occupation, which includes financial, military and political aid or support, the commission chair said.

How the UN can implement action

The paper also details how the General Assembly and the Security Council can identify and implement the precise actions required to bring the occupation to an end as rapidly as possible.

The commission found that the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, is authoritative and unambiguous in stating that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful.

“The commission has always stated that the root cause of the protracted conflict and cycles of violence is the occupation,” Ms. Pillay said, noting that its 2022 report to the General Assembly had concluded that the occupation is unlawful under international law.

“The Commission welcomed the historic advisory opinion from the highest court in the United Nations system,” she said.

Work to end occupation

“It is incumbent on all States to work cooperatively in order bring the unlawful occupation to an end and to work towards the full realisation of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination,” Ms. Pillay said, calling on all States to implement the General Assembly resolution passed on 13 September 2024.

On 17 September, the General Assembly adopted a resolution during its 10th emergency special session calling for an end to Israeli occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory within one year.

Read our explainer on UN emergency special sessions here.

The UN Human Rights Council mandated the commission in May 2021 to “investigate, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, all alleged violations of international humanitarian law and all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law leading up to and since 13 April 2021”.

Find out more about the commission here.

~END~

The United States of America is warned that its actions as a member of the United Nations Security Council are not fulfilling its obligation to uphold the peremptory norms of international law.

"38. If there is continued refusal by Israel to comply with its obligations under international law as set forth in the advisory opinion and the General Assembly resolution, the Commission recommends that the Security Council or the General Assembly establish an ad-hoc Committee to comprehensively review the non-compliance and propose mechanisms to ensure implementation. The Commission is aware that, in the Namibia situation, the Security Council acted to establish such an ad-hoc subcommittee.

However, in the current situation the Security Council has failed to act due to the veto power of one of the permanent member States. The Commission is of the view that, when peremptory norms of international law are violated, the Permanent Members of the Security Council should not be allowed to exercise their veto as this is contrary to the obligation to uphold peremptory norms of international law."

[Position Paper of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, 18 October 2024, p.9 excerpt]

The 12 page position paper can be found at
https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/coiopt/2024-10-18-COI-position-paper_co-israel.pdf

Cartoons of the Week

 

Fiona Katauskas

Matt Golding

Cathy Wilcox

David Rowe

Seven weeks out from the beginning of the Australian Summer meteorologists were predicting "unusually high temperatures from December through to February

 

This is an ABC News article extract on 11 October 2024:

Australia is facing one of the hottest summers on record according to the Bureau of Meteorology's (BOM) weather modelling, which tips well-above-average temperatures across the country.

The forecast for a scorching summer is largely due to ongoing high ocean temperatures surrounding Australia, a persistent feature that has plagued most of the globe since early last year.

The warm seas will not only raise air temperatures but also boost atmospheric moisture levels, swinging the odds to favour frequent storm outbreaks and above-average rain.

Our simmering oceans could also lead to the most active cyclone season in years, with the BOM expecting around 11 named storms in the Australian region, including an increased risk of severe (category three or above) systems.

Of the past six years, the three that were not La Niña periods took the top three spots as Australia's hottest summers on record, all with mean temperatures more than 1.6 degrees Celsius above the long-term average.

This trend suggests this summer will also produce well-above-average temperatures — a prediction supported by seasonal modelling.

The BOM's initial summer forecast, released this week, shows a greater than 80 per cent chance of minimum temperatures in the top 20 per cent of years — which the BOM label "unusually high temperatures"....

So how do conditions look now in Spring 2024?

Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM):

Weekly sea surface temperatures

PACIFC OCEAN SEA SURFACE HEAT MAP

Weekly temperature anomalies in the tropical Pacific

For the week ending 13 October 2024, sea surface temperatures (SSTs) were:

• 0.8–2 °C warmer than the 1991–2020 average in the far western and parts of the far eastern equatorial Pacific

• 0.8–2 °C cooler than average in the central equatorial Pacific

• warmer than average across much of the north Pacific, with much of the region surrounding and to the east of Japan more than 3–4 °C warmer than average

• 0.8–2 °C warmer than average around the north-west of Australia's coastline and parts of the Tasman and Coral seas

• 0.4–1.2 °C warmer than average across most of the Maritime Continent.

The Niño indices for the week ending 13 October 2024 are:

Niño3, −0.1 °C; Niño3.4, −0.5 °C; and Niño4, +0.04 °C. The Niño3.4 index reflects historically neutral ENSO conditions.

5-day sub-surface temperatures

For the 5 days ending 13 October 2024, the analysis shows:

• sub-surface temperatures around 1 °C cooler than average in the central equatorial Pacific (between 125 m and 200 m depth) and in the eastern equatorial Pacific (between 50 m and 100 m depth).

• sub-surface temperature anomalies more than 3 °C warmer than average in the shallow eastern equatorial sub-surface (above 50 m depth).

Long-range forecast overview

Issued: 10 October 2024

The long-range forecast for November to January shows:

• Above average rainfall is likely across much of southern and eastern Australia.

• Warmer than average days and nights are likely to very likely across most of Australia.

• Unusually high minimum temperatures are very likely for much of northern and eastern Australia.

Our forecasts have greater accuracy closer to the forecast period. Refer to our weekly updates to follow the evolution of rainfall and temperature patterns as the November to January season approaches.

New South Wales forecast air temperature over land

Max temperature - The chance of above median max temperature for 20 Oct – 2 Nov

A solution to a vexing concern that has plagued the Lismore community since the catastrophic flood of 2022 or another relocation mirage that will dissolve over time?

 

A genuine solution to a vexing concern that has plagued the Lismore community since the catastrophic flood of 2022, another relocation mirage which will dissolve over time or a wedge allowing more farmland to be lost to urban development?

ECHO, 16 October 2024:

To assist with relocating dwellings purchased through the NSW Reconstruction Authority’s Resilient Homes program, Lismore City Council has received an exemption that could potentially open up additional rural sites for house relocations.

The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) has granted Lismore Council an exemption allowing staff to consider the suitability of existing rural allotments where no dwelling entitlement currently exists.

Under the Lismore Local Environmental Plan (LEP), a rural allotment must meet minimum lot size requirements for a dwelling entitlement. This is generally 40 hectares or 20 hectares in some areas. Many smaller rural lots also have dwelling entitlements because of the planning controls applicable when they were created.

However, many rural allotments do not meet the requirements for a dwelling entitlement for various historical reasons, generally because they were historically part of a larger land holding.

A dwelling entitlement does not automatically mean a dwelling can be built (or relocated) on the land. It means Lismore Council can consider a DA and assess the site’s suitability for a dwelling......

Council’s Head of Planning and Environment, Graham Snow, said it’s senseless to abandon structurally sound homes when they could be relocated to accommodate people.

‘It doesn’t make sense that we have hundreds of abandoned houses that are structurally sound that could be housing people,’ he said. ‘The challenge is to find suitable sites where they could be relocated. The Reconstruction Authority’s Resilient Lands program will facilitate house relocations to Goonellabah, East Lismore and North Lismore sites. Still, it could be years before some of these sites are ready.

‘Hopefully, this exemption from DPHI will increase the opportunity for buy-back recipients and others to find suitable rural lots for our historic timber homes,’ said Mr Snow.

Things to consider

Some key points regarding re-siting dwellings to rural lots and exemption terms include:

• The suitability of a rural site will need to consider buffers to existing agriculture and watercourses, vehicle access, biodiversity values and risk from bushfire and flooding, etc. In general terms, sites within the flood planning area will not be considered suitable.

• The exemption from DPHI applies for two years (until September 30, 2026).

• No additional rural subdivisions below minimum lot size are permissible. The exemption only applies to existing lots.

You can find more details and the full Fact Sheet on Lismore Council’s Future Housing page under the Relocating Dwellings tab at www.lismore.nsw.gov.au/Building-and-planning/Strategic-planning/Future-housing.

COVID-19 STATE OF PLAY AUSTRALIA 2024: "the mortality experience" in an epoch of obfuscation

 

ACTUARIES INSTITUTE, Mortality Working Group, 12 September 2024:

Mortality in First Five Months of 2024 Was Slightly Higher than Prediction

In summary:

• Total mortality was 1% higher than the new baseline for the first five months of 2024.

• The mortality experience of 2024 includes higher COVID-19 mortality than predicted from March to May.

• Mortality from the COVID-19 wave that started in April 2024 rose more sharply than predicted and by May had reached a higher level than anticipated.

• For 2024, the Working Group measures mortality relative to 2023, allowing for some mortality improvement and an estimate of COVID-19 mortality (see April 2024 and June 2024 blogs).

Table 1 – Excess deaths in Australia (versus 2023-based expectation) – by cause of death for January to May 2024

COVID-19 was a much more significant cause of mortality in the first five months of 2024 than influenza (1,610 doctor-certified deaths for COVID-19 versus 144 for influenza).

The last Australian Respiratory Surveillance Report indicated that between 1 January and 22 September 2024 there were a total of 237,001 confirmed COVID-19 infections officially recorded in Australia, with 44 per cent of all cases being with New South Wales.

According to NSW Health from 1 January to 5 October 2024 there were 108,777 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state, with by far the highest concentration found in Western Sydney at 20,305 confirmed infections (or 19% of all officially recorded cases across NSW).

In relation to COVID-19 deaths, all state and federal departments and agencies have perfected the art of fudging the data by making it difficult to compare across agencies/sources.

However, Australia-wide from 1 January to 31 August 2024 there were 2,943 doctor certified deaths due to COVID-19 respiratory infection [ABS 30.09.24]

The cohort group with the highest mortality numbers appears to be aged care residents, with recorded deaths due to COVID-19 reaching 7,019 individuals between 1 January to 10 October 2024 [Australian Govt. DoH, 11.10.24]

In New South Wales according to ABC News (14.10.24) NSW Ministry of Health data released under freedom of information laws showed 1,729 hospital inpatients catching COVID-19 and 86 dying between January and April this year.

A busy weekend saw NSW Police issue more than 985 traffic infringement & other notices along the key coastal transport routes between the NSW-Vic border and the NSW-Qld border, 12-13 October 2024

 

SCORECARD 2-DAY MATCH

NSW POLICE

985+ traffic infringement & other offences     

ASSORTED MOTORISTS

0

NSW Police News, 14 October 2024:

More than 500 speeding tickets issued during Operation Border to Border

Monday, 14 October 2024 07:00:42 PM

More than 500 speeding infringements have been issued during a major border-focused school holiday traffic operation aimed at reducing road trauma.

Operation Border to Border ran from Saturday 12 October 2024 to Sunday 13 October 2024, targeting the key transport routes of the Princes Highway and Pacific Highway and Motorway between the Queensland border and Victorian border.

The two-day high-visibility operation involved more than 60 officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command from Northern, Central Metropolitan and Southern regions, targeting speeding, dangerous driving, impaired driving, distracted driving and driver fatigue.

The operation was bolstered in the border regions by highway patrol officers from Queensland Police and Victoria Police.

The operation utilised mobile and stationary random breath testing and random drug testing.

In total, 2214 random breath tests and more than 330 random drug tests were conducted.

NSW Police detected seven positive breath tests and 36 positive drug tests.

More than 520 drivers were detected speeding, with eight drivers charged with exceed speed limit by more than 45 km/h.

There were a further 30 disqualified, suspended or unlicensed drivers detected and 375 other traffic infringement notices including 26 drivers issued with mobile phone offences.

An additional 12 traffic-related charges and three criminal charges were laid, with two heavy-vehicle infringements and one defect notice issued.

Incidents of note:

> Shortly before 7am on Saturday 12 October 2024, Illawarra Highway Patrol were conducting speed enforcement duties on the M1 at Berkeley when they stopped a Ford Territory driven by a 32-year-old woman. Police allege she was speeding and had two children not correctly restrained in the car. A check of her driver’s licence also allegedly indicated it was disqualified. She was issued with a field court attendance notice for drive whilst disqualified to appear at Port Kembla Local Court on Wednesday 4 December 2024. The woman was given two penalty notices for exceed speed limit and drive with two passengers seatbelt/restraint not property adjusted/fastened.

> About 11am on Saturday 12 October 2024, Sutherland Highway Patrol allegedly detected a learner driver on the Princes Motorway, Cataract exceeding the speed limit. The 16-year-old boy was issued with traffic infringement notices for learner driver exceed speed limit – over 45km/h and learner not display L plates as prescribed. The supervisor was issued a traffic infringement notice for failing to prevent breach of legislation.

> About 10.30am on Sunday 13 October 2024, Lake Illawarra Highway patrol were conducting speed enforcement duties on the Princes Highway, Yallah when a 27-year-old driver was stopped for allegedly speeding. He was issued a penalty notice for driver exceed speed limit – over 45km/h and his licence was suspended for six months.

> About 2.30pm on Sunday 13 October 2024, Richmond Highway Patrol alleged detected a provisional two driver speeding on the Pacific Highway, Mororo. A 19-year-old man was issued with a traffic infringement notice for driver exceed speed limit – over 45km/h and his licence was suspended for six months.