THG News and Articles Feed

THG Livewire - Landscaping the Carbon Tax

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:29 +1000

Next year, Australia will have a carbon tax. How long we have this tax for in it’s current form still remains to be seen, but the development industry can get on the front foot with carbon sequestration.

THG Livewire - Beyond a Green Wash

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:37 +1000

THG have recently become Earth Check accredited. EarthCheck is the leading benchmarking, certification and environmental management program used by the travel and tourism industry.

THG Livewire - Urban Design as an Ideas Driven Process

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:27 +1000

At THG, we believe urban designers unlock the potential of space to create place. In this Livewire, THG’s Urban Designer Craig Baynham talks about how to differentiate via design.

THG Livewire - Queensland Coastal Plan: What are the real ramifications?

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:20 +1000

The Queensland Coastal Plan is currently in its draft form. There is property industry consensus that this proposed legislation will have far reaching implications for the Queensland community, economy and environment.

THG Livewire - How do we attract skilled workers to the regions?

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:13 +1000

In this Livewire, our Head of Economics, Strategy and Research, Richard Katter discusses liveability in regional Queensland.

In The Foyer - Guy Gibson

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 10:10 +1000

THG’s In The Foyer series gives us the opportunity to interview the people who come through our doors on life, liveability and the challenges they see facing the industry.

THG Annual Summary - A Vision for Growth

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:06 +1000

Where do our THGers see the company heading in the next five years? Watch our 2010 / 2011 Annual Summary to find out.

In The Foyer - Gary Spence

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 10:19 +1000

Welcome to the first of THG’s In The Foyer series where we interview the people who come through our doors on life, liveability and the challenges they see facing the industry.

THG Livewire - Brisbane's Housing Affordability Threshold

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:53 +1000

In this Livewire our Head of Economics, Strategy and Research, Richard Katter discusses Brisbane’s housing market and the historical impacts on housing affordability.

Liveability for the Next Generation

Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:11 +1000

Tonight I’m presenting at a sustainability forum for the QUT student association, Next Generation Property.

Coorparoo Junction Transit Oriented Development (TOD): A matter of culture

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 10:54 +1000

There has been a bit of press lately with regards to a request for expressions of interest put out by the State Government to developers for the Coorparoo Junction Transit Oriented Development (TOD) site.

NBN Policy

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:33 +1000

We’ve recently had some clients asking about the National Broadband Network and it’s impact on installing cables and the like on their developments. We’ve put together a really short summary on what we’ve found, specifically with Telstra:

THG Live Wire - 2011 Property Forecast

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:54 +1000

Please find below the link to THG first “Live Wire”. Live Wire is a regular THG podcast providing you useful information which affects your business and your community.

THG Babies!

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 08:35 +1000

Last week our THG family grew by two, with surveyor Richie and economist Ainsley both welcoming little THGers into the world.

Interest Rates - What A Difference a Month Makes

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 10:44 +1000

At their monthly meeting today, the RBA increased rates 25bps to 4.75%.

Brisbane Streetscape Design Guidelines - Public Comment Closing 4th November

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 13:32 +1000

The Brisbane City Council recently released the Brisbane Streetscape Design Guidelines, in an attempt to increase the walkability of Brisbane’s streets and will increase the public art contributions around the city. This is a proposed revision of the Centres Detail Design Manual, a Planning Scheme Policy under Brisbane City Plan 2000. The public comment period closes tomorrow, but what does this potential new scheme mean for Brisbanites in terms of liveability?

THG's Peter Sippel Profiled in Urban Developer Mag

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 13:30 +1000

“Peter Sippel is a director with a difference. His 35 years’ experience in the urban development industry and involvement in more than 15 industry associations make him a familiar name in the South East Queensland development world.”

THG Client Mark Bowden Honoured at UDIA Awards

Wed, 27 Oct 2010 10:44 +1000

THG would like to congratulate Mark Bowden for his win in the Small Residential and Environmental categories in the UDIA awards on Friday night. THG Marketing and Design put together the submissions for both awards and it was great to see the project get the recognition it deserves!

THG were also a finalist in the Consultant’s Excellence category.

Brisbane City Cycle - Strap on Your Helmets

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:50 +1000

The first stage of the Brisbane CityCycle was launched on October 1st and is aimed at reducing traffic congestion and parking pressures in the inner city by replacing cars with bicycles. Once complete, CityCycle will offer up to 2,000 bikes at 150 stations from Newstead to St Lucia at a cost of $10 million, primarily targeted towards inner city commuters.

The Future of the Property Industry - THG and Ashe Morgan Winthrop Breakfast Seminar

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 15:38 +1000

THG and Ashe Morgan Winthrop dusted off the crystal ball this morning to discuss the future of the property industry.

According to presenters, Richard Katter and Dan Holden, one of the most significant outcomes from the Global Financial Crisis has been the market’s re-pricing of risk. They identified the means by which property market participants can manage this in regard to changing market demands and finance.

Finance Sector Inhibits Flow of Property Development

THG’s Richard Katter prepared a report for the UDIA, The Finance Sector’s Viscosity is Inhibiting the Flow of Property Development, which emphasises the importance of the property sector’s influence on Queensland’s GDP. Mr Katter said, “This report is especially timely considering the very recent withdrawal of ALDI from their two proposed sites at Pimpama and Coomera due to exorbitant infrastructure charges. In an increasingly marginal development climate we will start to see more big projects of this nature failing to proceed with the major cause being infrastructure charges.”

Housing Affordability and Research: Why 'build it and they will come' is no longer a successful strategy

The property market has fundamentally changed over the last year and housing affordability is now not only an issue for those in the lower socio-economic brackets. All Australians, particularly those with interests in the stock market, are feeling the pinch. This article by THG’s Urban Economist, Richard Katter, explains how research is the developers’ best weapon to make sure their stock is still in high demand.

Inflation Still on the Rise

Australia experienced its highest rate of inflation for 15 years in 2007; predominantly as a result of international increases in oil and other commodity prices; but also as a result of domestic growth and demand. Latest figures released by the Reserve Bank of Australia indicate that after an increase of 1.5 per cent for the June quarter, inflation has continued on this upward trend to increase to 4.5 per cent for the 2007/08 financial year.

Gold Coast Broadhectare Study

On July 17, the Queensland Government’s Planning Information & Forecasting Unit (PIFU) presented the findings of the 2008 (sixth edition) Gold Coast City Broadhectare Study, which essentially involves measuring the capacity of the future residential land supply to accommodate the City’s anticipated population growth.

The presentation focussed firstly on population and demographic projections for the Gold Coast and then on the results of the Broadhectare Study.

Integrating Constructed Wetlands

Constructed wetlands for the treatment of stormwater and wastewater form an important part in WaterSensitive Urban Design (WSUD). With careful planning and implementation, a wetland will achieve the desired outcomes for water quality improvement, as well as socio-economic and biodiversity goals.

Fish Kill Events and Habitat Losses of the Richmond River, NSW Australia: An Overview

Early February 2001, the Richmond River, Northern NSWAustralia, suffered an immense fish kill, affecting over 35 kilometres of riverine and estuarine habitat, and the surrounding coastal ecosystem. A flood, combined with summer heat, pasture grasses, drainage channels, and sediment, triggered a chain reaction that left the coastal river devoid of oxygen and life.

The Northern Economic Triangle

A look at the factors that will shape the economic future of Northern Queensland.

Valuation of Land Amendment Act 2008: Value Definition Re-defined

The recently passed Valuation of Land Amendment Act (2008) in Queensland has significant implications for developers since the basis on which unimproved land is valued has changed.

Economic Needs Analysis – An Increasing Requirement for Supporting Development Applications in Queensland and Eastern Australia

This article looks at the growing trend of assessing bodies requiring Economic Needs Analysis to support Development Applications.

The Ecology and Inter-Relationship Between Housing and Health Outcomes

Living conditions are widely acknowledged as a major contributor to the health and well being of particular population groups, with strong relationships existing between environment and human physical condition. The evidence suggests poor health is directly linked to poor housing and housing infrastructure. People with unmet housing needs tend to be socio-economically disadvantaged, experience higher death rates, poor health, and are more likely to have serious chronic illnesses.