Closing the international borders was the sort of experiment economists had only ever carried out with a spreadsheet, never expecting it to actually happen. The results surprised a few, and have many questioning whether the right lessons are being learned.
Professor Peter Phibbs got a rousing retirement send off from his gig as director of the University of Sydney’s Henry Halloran Trust on Wednesday but he didn’t leave without a few piercing observations on housing and planning.
There aren't many of us who haven't dreamed of packing it all up, moving to the country, and setting up the family with more space, friendly neighbours and lots of fresh air. Now, thanks to flexible work arrangements, the pandemic's made that dream a possibility for a lot more people.
House prices in Australia are climbing at rates we’ve seldom seen. In all age groups, there is more renting and less home ownership than there used to be. Is housing supply part of the problem?
For all of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood moving to Byron Bay, lies a problem that is playing out across many parts of regional Australia: homelessness and housing affordability. While supply is the long term solution, what can be done now to people who are having their roofs over their head being sold from underneath them?