Real Estate & Travel News in Australia from Propertyshowrooms.com

Australian tourism industry 'in good health'

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

There is an increased sense of optimism surrounding Australia's tourism industry, it has been suggested.

According to the South Australian Tourism Commission, the positive outlook which has been afforded to many countries in the Asia/Pacific region is shared down under.

The news is sure to interest buy-to-let investors in the destination, with the potential demand for their properties among holidaymakers likely to remain high.

Neil Saunders, UK marketing manager for the South Australian Tourism Commission, confirms that optimism from those in the industry is currently high, adding that tour operators in the region are also enjoying successes.

According to the latest figures from the RP data-Rismark Hedonic Home Value Index, price increases in major Australian cities have begun to slow - allaying fears that the market was heading towards a property bubble.

"This second consecutive month of single digit annualised gains sends a signal that the double digit growth rates recorded since January 2009 are behind us," Tim Lawless, RP Data's director of research, said.

Australia popular with travelling Brits

Fri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

An increasing amount of holidaymakers are travelling to far-flung destinations such as Australia to revel in its accommodating culture and warm climate.

This is the opinion of ABTA - The Travel Association, which believes that the country benefits from sharing a language with the UK and its year-round good weather.

The news could interest individuals looking to rent out their Australian properties, as they could be able to take advantage of the destination's popularity.

ABTA made the comments following a study by Currency UK which revealed that 75 per cent of individuals had considered leaving the UK within the past year to escape the economic troubles, lack of job opportunities and uncertain political future.

A spokeswoman for the organisation highlighted the numerous advantages the country holds that draw people there.

"In 2009 we did actually see a dip in the number of travellers visiting overseas because of the recession. 2010 looks as if it might end up being slightly better. Certainly, in terms of forward looking for this year it is looking quite strong," she added.

Australia 'most popular for working abroad'

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Demand for homes in Australia may increase as a result of a widespread desire of Britons to work abroad, new research has suggested.

A survey by money exchange firm Foreign Currency Direct has found that 23 per cent of adults interviewed were thinking of applying for a job overseas in the next two years, which equates to 11 million of Britain's working population.

In addition to this, it was found that Australia was the most popular destination as the country of choice for 20 per cent of respondents.

The US was second on 16 per cent, while Spain was the top European choice on seven per cent.

One reason many may go through with plans to go to Australia is the country's relatively strong economic prospects.

Minutes of the monetary policy meeting of the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia noted that the country's main trading partner zone in Asia has been seeing the strongest economic growth.

It also commented that the last month's domestic indicators had been "mostly positive".

Australia scores well in quality of life index

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Australia has emerged as one of the top countries for quality of life in a new survey of places Britons like to emigrate to.

The country was third in the survey by NatWest, which based its findings on factors such as health and the cost of living.

Such issues were listed by respondents among the key reasons for them moving overseas, with 91 per cent of those who left Britain saying their quality of life is now better and 90 per cent saying they are better off.

More people made the move on their own initiative (53 per cent) than had to go for work reasons (47 per cent).

The head of NatWest International Personal Banking Dave Isley commented: "UK expats say they are living healthier lifestyles abroad, whilst also benefiting financially."

New South Wales is one state where those buying property in Australia may find good reasons to invest.

Stamp duty on new build homes was recently halved by the state government, saving an average of AUD11,245 (GBP5,500) on the cost of buying a home.

Launceston airport passengers on the rise

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Passenger numbers continue to rise at the Launceston Airport despite the challenges facing the aviation industry...

Heat again wreaks havoc with Melbourne trains

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Victorian Government's hopes of preventing more disruption on Melbourne's rail network have been dashed, with high temperatures again causing cancellations and delays...

Pay Aussies to holiday at home: tourism groups

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The tourism industry is lobbying the Federal Govt to pay Australians to holiday at home...

Mayor applauds Ipswich motorway funding boost

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisasale has welcomed the Fed Govt's $4.7b funding boost to roads infrastructure...

Qantas will remain Aussie, despite BA merger talk, says treasurer

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

SYDNEY: Qantas will remain a majority-owned Australian airline even if it merges with British Airways to create a global carrier amid increased consolidation within the industry, the government said...

Hockey sans jockeys if Sydney airport built

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Federal Opposition frontbencher Joe Hockey has pledged to walk naked through the streets of Sydney if the Federal Government delivers a second airport for the city...

Dixon leaves Qantas with $12m handshake

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

After eight years as head of Qantas, Geoff Dixon stepped down at the annual general meeting today...

Mackay airport sells for $200m

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Mackay airport has been sold for over $200 million, with the money to go towards the rebuilding of the Mackay Base Hospital...

Emirates pushes for Australian routes

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Emirates plans to push ahead with plans to expand its services in Australia despite the international economic uncertainty...

Airline cuts outback NSW services

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Regional Express (REX) has cut the only air service to six communities in western New South Wales...

Oppn warns Brisbane rail plan to be shelved

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Queensland Opposition says an ambitious underground rail plan for Brisbane is likely to stay on the shelf because of the Federal Government's $40 billion budget downgrade...

Govt approves $130m Brisbane Airport upgrade

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Construction will begin on a new car park for the Brisbane Airport in March next year after the project was approved by the Federal Government...

Qantas begins A380 service with LA flight

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Australian airline Qantas has launched commercial services of its new Airbus A380 superjumbo, becoming the first carrier to fly paying passengers into Los Angeles on the giant jet...

Kosky confident on federal transport funding

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Victorian Transport Minister, Lynne Kosky, says she is confident the Federal Government will consider calls to fund more train lines in Melbourne...

Brisbane airport profit to benefit hospitals: Fraser

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Queensland Government says the sale of its stake in Brisbane Airport to existing shareholders has earned almost $290 million...

New airline service welcomed

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Tasmania's tourism industry has welcomed a new airline service between Brisbane and Launceston...

Parliament approves selling north Qld regional airports

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Queensland Parliament has passed legislation clearing the way for the sale of two regional airports...

North-West Metro 'still on the table'

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt says public transport remains a top priority and all options will be considered...

Qantas ads under scrutiny in the UK

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Britain's advertising watchdog is investigating print and television advertisements by Qantas...

Jetstar picks up tab for stranded Aussies

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

About 300 Australians stranded in Thailand since Friday have arrived at Sydney Airport on a charter plane...

Sydney edges out rivals for Virgin jet base

Mon, 1 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Virgin Blue has decided to build its new jet base and training centre at Sydney Airport...

Qantas too focused on cost cutting, says union

Mon, 1 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union says Qantas has been focusing more on cost cutting than the quality of work...

Freightlink may be sold within fortnight

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The company that owns and operates the railway between Adelaide and Darwin, Freightlink, could be sold within a fortnight...

Truckies call for more lanes on Stuart Highway

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Australian Trucking Association is urging the Federal and Northern Territory Governments to do more to help in the delivery of goods across the NT...

Qantas: record before-tax profit, engineer pay deal

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Qantas engineers have accepted a new pay deal and the company has posted a record before-tax profit...

New figures show a surge in public transport use.

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

New figures show Melburnians took an extra 32 million trips on public transport last financial year, pushing patronage to record levels...

Qantas chief financial officer resigns

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The chief financial officer of Qantas, Peter Gregg, has announced he is leaving the company, a fortnight after being rejected for the position of chief executive...

Leighton wants skilled migration visa scheme widened

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Australia's biggest project development group says the Federal Government's temporary skilled migration visa program should be extended to all classes of workers...

CASA investigates latest Qantas grounding

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The aviation authority will investigate a problem with paperwork which grounded six Boeing 737 Qantas planes last night...

Research shows the State Government should spend more on public transport

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Researchers say new figures which show more Perth households are struggling because of higher fuel prices and interest rates suggest the State Government should spend more on public transport...

Air-con issue behind Qantas flight cancellation

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

An air-conditioning problem forced the cancellation of a Qantas flight in Melbourne this morning...

Britons flee to Australia

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A growing number of British nationals are choosing to relocate and set up home in Australia, it has been revealed.

According to figures from The Emigration Group, the country has attracted 23,906 people from the UK in the last year.

The organisation believes this is because Australia offers both lifestyle and financial benefits, such as good weather, lower taxes and more affordable house prices.

Paul Arthur, director of the Emigration Group, added that that expats can often get paid more than they would in the UK.

Speaking to the Daily Star, he commented: "What it boils down to is you get more for your pound down under."

Mr Arthur added that the Australian government has revised its immigration policy in order to attract skilled workers from overseas.

The comments follow figures from HiFX which revealed a recent surge of interest in buying property in Australia.

According to the firm, the country was the subject of ten per cent of the enquiries it received into moving abroad in April 2008.

Qantas boss defends safety record

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Geoff Dixon said safety is the company's top priority, as CASA begins a two week review of the airline's operations...

Airport Link construction to begin Sept

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Queensland Government says construction on Brisbane's Airport Link project will begin in September...

Keep rail fares attractive, warns Iemma

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma has warned the pricing regulator that any discussion about train fares should focus on making it a more attractive form of transport than the car...

Huge increase in commuters on regional rail

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Victorian Government will spend more than $230-million on new trains to run on Victoria's main regional routes...

Troubled Melbourne-bound Qantas plane to fly again

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Melbourne-bound Qantas flight that was forced to return to Adelaide last night will be back in the air this evening...

Incoming Qantas CEO dealt tough landing

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Qantas's new CEO designate Alan Joyce has hardly had an easy introduction to his job after the latest safety incidents...

Work begins on Port Botany expansion

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Construction has begun on the $1 billion, 60-hectare expansion of Port Botany in south Sydney, one of the biggest infrastructure projects in Australia...

Australia aims to open up Brazil

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Australian government has confirmed that it has liberalised its aviation arrangements with Brazil.

Foreign minister Anthony Albanese stated that more than 60,000 business sand leisure travellers flew between the two countries last year.

In fact, passenger numbers on these services have gone up by about 15 per cent a year since 2003.

As a result, the two governments have simplified the existing system in order to encourage more airlines to operate routes between both nations.

This should significantly open up Brazilian market to people in Australia, potentially attracting more tourists and investors to the countrty.

Mr Albanese commented: "Brazil is the most popular South American destination for Australians travelling abroad."

"The number of people travelling between our two countries is up significantly."

He added that the move would also allow airlines to take advantage of rapid economic growth in Brazil.

Jetstar axes Sunshine Coast flight

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Jetstar has cut a flight to the Sunshine Coast from its schedule...

Qantas chief tips 100,000 aviation jobs will go

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The head of Qantas, Geoff Dixon, has predicted that 100,000 aviation industry jobs will be cut across the world by the end of this year...

Premier won't rule out airport rail link

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Victorian Premier, John Brumby, says a rail link between Melbourne and the airport will be considered...

Late bloom for Broome tourism

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The Broome Chamber of Commerce says a flood of tourists in recent weeks has made up for a slow start to the tourist season in the Western Australian region...

Qantas cuts 1,500 jobs

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Qantas says it will be cutting 1,500 jobs and will cancel plans to hire 1,200 new employees...

Qld to target interstate tourists: Minister

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Queensland Tourism Minister Desley Boyle says international airlines are not likely to increase their services to the state until next year...