Minsol Group

The economic fallout from theMiddle East (and the impact onproperty)

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Source: Ray White via Linkedin The economic fallout from the Middle East will not be evenly distributed across the global economy. Countries heavily reliant on imported energy,particularly across Europe and Asia, face the greatest risk as oil and gas prices rise. Australia sits in a more complex position. As a major exporter of LNG and coal, higher energy prices can lift national income and government revenues. But Australia also imports most of the fuel used domestically, meaning global en...

Negotiating Across Cultures - An infrastructure real estate perspective

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 22:00:00 +0000

Source: IRWA In today’s right of way environment, negotiations increasingly cross cultural, social and organizational boundaries. Whether working with Indigenous communities, international infrastructure partners, immigrant business owners, rural landowners or urban stakeholders, right of way professionals are often navigating far more than property rights and compensation — they are navigating culture. Yet cross-cultural negotiation is not about memoriz...

Proximity Study Along Rural Highways - Injurious Affection assessment

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 23:00:00 +0000

Source: IRWA A proximity study of rural residential properties along busy highways in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, was performed in February 2020∗ to assist in the valuation of the potential for severance damages to the home improvement value as a result of fee acquisitions for a road project which resulted in numerous parcels having a decreased distance to the right of way line (ROW). The Wisconsin Department of Transportation project was located along a busy state highway. Per...

Building trust in ROW negotiations via email and text

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 22:00:00 +0000

Source: IRWA Introduction: Technology Isn’t Replacing Us — It’s Reframing Us Right of way (ROW) professionals have long understood the value of presence. There’s a reason why "truth-walking" a parcel with a landowner builds more trust than a dozen emails. The in-person handshake, the eye contact, the shared weather and geography — they all speak louder than words. And yet, the field realities we face — remote locations, tight timelines, regulato...

ATO Update On The Market Valuation Of Assets

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 03:00:00 +0000

Source: AVAA The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has recently updated its guidance on the market valuation of assets, reinforcing the importance of objective, supportable, and well-documented valuation practices. The advice is significant for AVAA Certified Practising Valuers as it provides advice to taxpayers on when a valuation is required, what must be included in a report, and the expectations placed on professional valuers. That ATO update underscores the central role that ...

2025 AVA Board Election Outcomes

Sun, 14 Sep 2025 23:00:00 +0000

Source: AVAA The Auctioneers and Valuers Association of Australia (AVAA), a proudly member-driven organisation, confirmed its Board of Directors at the Annual General Meeting on 11 September 2025 to lead delivery of the 2025–30 AVAA Strategic Plan. The continuing AVAA National President is Tim Slattery, Co-Managing Director and co-owner of Slattery Auctions and Valuations. With extensive industry experience and national operations across Australia, Tim provides in...

Navigating the Rise of AI in Valuation: Opportunities, Risks, and Standards

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Source: IVSC Introduction
Although technology has been used in valuations for decades, recent advances may profoundly affect how valuations are performed and reported. The IVSC recognises that technology continues to evolve and is increasingly influencing valuation practice. As with all developments that have the potential to shape or impact the valuation profession, the IVSC actively monitors advancements in this area. Our commitment remains to support professional valuers by helpi...

AVAA - Statement on the Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Tue, 05 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Source: AVAA (Auctioneers and Valuers Association of Australia) The AVAA recognises the growing integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), including generative AI tools, into the valuation profession. While these technologies have the potential to support valuers in research, analysis, and report drafting, their use must remain consistent with professional responsibilities, ethical obligations, and the principles set out in the International Valuation Standards (IVS). Under IVS Framework ...

Brisbane is now a million-dollar house market: here’s how it happened

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 02:00:00 +0000

Source: Cotality In May this year, the median house value across Brisbane surpassed $1 million for the first time on record – pushing the city into the exclusive million-dollar club alongside Sydney. The median house value hit $1,006,000 in May, up from $996,000 in the previous month and $942,000 a year prior. In June, house values continued to move higher, with the median lifting to $1,011,000. June also marked the ninth consecutive month that Brisbane was the second-highest house m...

The Importance of Empathy

Tue, 20 May 2025 03:00:00 +0000

Source: IRWA How compassion plays a role in acquiring property for infrastructure real estate projects BY GORDON E. MACNAIR, SR/WA, AACI, P.APP Empathy is not just a virtue — it’s a vital tool in property acquisition for infrastructure real estate projects. In a previous article titled "Global Infrastructure Real Estate" (Right of Way Magazine, Jan/Feb 2024), I highlighted the importance of empathy and compassion in this field. This article delves deeper, offering ...

A Powerful Partnership: John Leeson and Charles Stuart Take the Stage at Global Property Congress 2025

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

The excitement is building as delegates from around the world prepare to gather in Sydney for the highly anticipated Global Property Congress 26-29 May 2025. One of the major highlights will be the joint presentation by two of the industry’s leading minds: John Leeson and Charles Stuart. John Leeson, renowned for his sharp insights and future-focused strategies, will open the session by challenging traditional thinking and offering bold predictions about the evolution of water entitl...

Goldmate decision overturned on appeal: A win for landowners in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 23:00:00 +0000

Source: Colin Biggers & Paisley Further to our release below on 10 December 2024 regarding the Court of Appeal's decision, the High Court yesterday declined TfNSW's application for special leave to appeal. This outcome solidifies the Court of Appeal's decision setting out the steps involved in properly characterising the "public purpose" behind a compulsory acquisition. In Brief Further to our release below on 10 December 2024 regarding the Court of Appeal's d...

International Right of Way Association (IRWA) 71st Annual International Education Conference

Sun, 27 Apr 2025 23:00:00 +0000

John is thrilled to announce that he will be attending the International Right of Way Association (IRWA) 71st Annual International Education Conference in Virginia Beach, VA, USA, from June 1–4, 2025. He looks forward to sharing updates and highlights throughout the event, joining over 1,000 professionals from around the world. This global gathering is an incredible opportunity to foster connections, explore new opportunities, collaborate across borders, and gain fresh insights into th...

The High Court has made its decision – who is entitled to compensation?

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 01:00:00 +0000

Source: www.bartier.com.au With a legislative history spanning just under two years, the decision of the NSW Court of Appeal in Olde English Tiles Pty Ltd v Transport for New South Wales has divided both the public and legal practitioners. So it comes as no surprise that the Applicant applied for special leave to the High Court of Australia. Interested parties have been eagerly waiting to see the High Court’s decision. The power of five words - “special is refused...

The NSW Renewable Energy Planning Framework was released today

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Source: Linkedin The Framework includes a suite of guidelines and tools that will support the Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap and emissions reduction targets. It includes five new and updated guidelines: * Wind Energy Guidelines – provides advice on planning considerations relevant to wind energy development, including visual impacts, site selection and decommissioning. * Transmission Guidelines – addresses route selection, community consultation expectations and visual imp...

The Energy Charter - Landholder Engagement Training

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 01:00:00 +0000

Minsol Group team members, David Lambert and Ben Whitfield attended the Landholder Engagement Training hosted in Brisbane by The Energy Charter which included hearing from those impacted on the ground: farmers, landholders and communities. The 60+ participants included transmission, renewable developers, Ombudsman and government representatives from around Australia. Topics covered The social licence context Setting the scene: Renewable energy development ...

Growth in Australian Construction Costs Lowest Since 2020

Wed, 02 Aug 2023 03:00:00 +0000

Source: CoreLogic After more than two years of unabated increases in the price to build a new home or renovate, the pressure on construction costs has come off the boil, despite lingering volatility among individual material types. CoreLogic’s Cordell Construction Cost Index (CCCI), which tracks the cost to build a typical new home, returned a quarterly growth rate of 0.7% for the June quarter, the lowest rate since September 2020 and well below the 1.2% decade average. The quar...

Inland Rail: Why Qld landholders are missing out on 'fair compensation'

Mon, 04 Jul 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Source: Queensland Country Life Queensland landholders impacted by Inland Rail are at a major disadvantage compared to their interstate counterparts, according to a lawyer advising landholders along the proposed route. Adair Donaldson, Donaldson Law, Toowoomba, said while there was ongoing debate about the final route of the controversial project, what was not in dispute was that whatever route was chosen, landholders would be sacrificing their land and livelihoods for the benefit of ...

Anti-Phoenixing Decision - Creditor Defeating Disposition

Tue, 31 May 2022 01:00:00 +0000

Source: AVAA The first decision under recent Anti-Phoenixing Laws has been handed down. Victorian Supreme Court Associate Justice Gardiner observed that the case had “all the classic hallmarks of a phoenix transaction” before handing down his decision. It is his opinion that assets had been transferred below market value - or best available price at the time.

Introduced under the Treasury Laws Amendment (Combating Illegal Phoenixing) Act 2020 and takin...

Compensation for the compulsory acquisition of native title rights awarded by New South Wales Courts

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Source: CBP - Insights There have been two recent important New South Wales (NSW) Court decisions in respect of native title in the context of the compulsory acquisition of land. The emergence of these types of claims will need to be assessed and dealt with by the Courts in the years ahead. In anticipation of an increase of these types of claims, the Valuer-General of NSW has released a draft paper on valuing cultural heritage land (Draft Paper) under the Land Acquisition (Jus...

Expert's Report - Beware of Assumptions

Tue, 11 May 2021 04:00:00 +0000

Source: Ian Neil, McCarthy Durie Lawyers Although the issues concerned an Accountant's expert report in Queensland Supreme Court civil litigation1, the Court's consideration of the issues are no doubt relevant to experts' reports in the Planning & Environment Court and Land Court jurisdictions. Indeed, it is probably fair to say that many expert reports in those jurisdictions, possibly for reasons of complacency in instructions provided or the expert's frequent e...

Inland Rail Resumptions

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Source: The Chronicle Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey has reiterated that land resumptions along the Inland Rail corridors in Queensland will not take place until the Environmental Impact Statements have been completed and the government is satisfied there has been "genuine" consultation with affected communities. Responding to a Question on Notice from Southern Downs MP James Lister, Mr Bailey said the EIS involved rigorous assessment of environmental, soc...

Granite Belt Irrigation Project - Project Update - February 2021

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 03:00:00 +0000

Source: GBIP The project has hit the ground running with a number of activities having already kicked-off for the year. Geotechnical investigations commenced last month onsite, while the board has already met for its first meeting of 2021. The project continues to work productively with Southern Downs Regional Council (SDRC) and the Queensland and Federal Governments, and we are continuing to work with landholders in and around the dam site and pipeline corridor. Geotechn...

Water minister slams PM's Emu Swamp comment

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 03:00:00 +0000

Queensland's Water Minister has snapped back at the Prime Minister's comments about 'inaction' at Emu Swamp Dam. Regional Development and Water Minister Glenn Butcher visited the Stanthorpe site as part of his regional Queensland water tour. Mr Butcher didn't hesitate to fie up when asked about Scott Morrison's "frustrated" comments regarding the highly-anticipated irrigation dam. "The two projects he told us to get on with are being assessed by ...

Southern Downs Regional Council locks in 585ML water deal in major step towards security

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 01:00:00 +0000

Source: Toowoomba Chronicle A key vote submitted within the walls of the Southern Downs Regional Council chambers this week symbolised a major step forward for future water security. Council voted in favour of the Emu Swamp Dam project by agreeing to participate and acquire a 585ML water allocation and sell or lease a 450ML water allocation from Storm King Dam to the project, subject to conditions. Southern Downs Mayor Vic Pennisi said this decision was just one part of the solu...

Council Continues to Cooperate with the Granite Belt Irrigation Project

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 02:00:00 +0000

Source: Southern Downs Regional Council website GBIP welcomes Southern Downs Regional Council support SOUTHERN DOWNS REGIONAL COUNCIL MEDIA STATEMENT: 27 November 2020 Southern Downs Regional Council considered its ongoing cooperation with the Emu Swamp Dam project at this week's Ordinary Meeting, and after working through a number of matters arising from a request from the Granite Belt Irrigation Project (GBIP), voted in favour of supporting the project to access Council land for...

Granite Belt Irrigation Project - Project Update

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 02:00:00 +0000

Source: GBIP The Granite Belt Irrigation Project will deliver a 12,000 megalitre dam at Emu Swamp, south-west of Stanthorpe, and around 120km of pipeline to provide water to almost 50 agribusiness customers. The project is currently in the pre-construction phase. All the detailed planning needed to finalise budgets and gain government approvals to allow construction to begin is happening now, while the main areas of focus in coming months will be: Finalising the wat...

Inland Rail - Update

Mon, 21 Dec 2020 01:00:00 +0000

Source: Toowoomba Chronicle The Inland Rail has been described as a 'truly transformational' infrastructure project for Australia. The cost of the 1700km Inland Rail has blown out by $5.5 billion, but "project enhancements" are set to create more than 4600 jobs in Queensland. The blowout occurred because the Federal Government was forced to make significant changes to improve safety and overcome community objections. The Government says the total cost will ...

GBIP welcomes Southern Downs Regional Council support

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 04:00:00 +0000

SOUTHERN DOWNS REGIONAL COUNCIL MEDIA STATEMENT: 27 November 2020 Southern Downs Regional Council considered its ongoing cooperation with the Emu Swamp Dam project at this week's Ordinary Meeting, and after working through a number of matters arising from a request from the Granite Belt Irrigation Project (GBIP), voted in favour of supporting the project to access Council land for a pipeline investigation and approach the Queensland Government to purchase a parcel of land. As the pr...

Our natural gas industry has delivered positive results beyond the supply of energy

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Source - Des Houghton, Courier Mail In a drought-scarred landscape in western Queensland, near Roma where I grew up, Trevor Kehl gazes over an inland lake twice the size of Lang Park. It is not really a lake, but a storage pond holding 300 million litres of water. Kehl gets the water for free, as part of a deal with Senex, a Brisbane-based natural gas explorer and producer helping to provide reliable power as the nation transitions away from coal. Kehl said a 10-year partnership with ...

Trends in housing finance show the continued rise of owner occupiers and first home buyers, led by Queensland

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 04:00:00 +0000

Source: CoreLogic

The volume of finance secured for the purchase of property experienced a strong rebound in the September quarter, following the initial shock to demand for housing in the first two months of the June quarter.

The l

Gas producer to expand operations with $30 million-plus project at Roma North

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 03:00:00 +0000

Source: Matthew Newton, Toowoomba Chronicle SENEX has taken a Final Investment Decision to increase its gas production near Roma by 50 per cent, investing at least a further $30 million in the region. About 50 construction jobs are set to be created in the multimillion-dollar expansion of the natural gas processing facility at the Roma North development, drilling of wells and construction of supporting infrastructure. The expansion is expected to be finished within the next year...

Granite Belt Irrigation Project paving the way for construction to commence

Wed, 16 Sep 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Source: Lloyd Taylor, CEO, GBIP Spring has brought a flurry of activity to the region. While producers are busy in the paddocks, Granite Belt Irrigation Project has taken a significant step towards breaking ground with the commencement of the final phase of water sales to local irrigators, this week. An important milestone for the Project, we expect the agreements with irrigators to be finalised by the end of next month. The completion of the water sales will then allow us to valid...

Scott Morrison to back construction of new gas-fired power station

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald The Morrison government will open up new gas supplies and back the construction of a gas-fired power station in a mammoth new plan that aims to prevent an energy price spike for employers and households. Prime Minister Scott Morrison will on Tuesday promise a "gas-led recovery" from the coronavirus recession by making sure Australian manufacturers can gain access to the energy they need to compete with overseas rivals. In a sweeping in...

Scott Morrison's Narrabri gas field plan an economic test for next election

Tue, 15 Sep 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Source: Brisbane Times Opponents of the gas industry have been warning for years that a wave of cheap, renewable energy will wipe away the need for new gas fields, pipelines and power stations. Scott Morrison does not believe them. In his new energy statement, the Prime Minister has made a fundamental move to add more gas to the Australian energy mix for decades to come. And he has moved to exploit the problems for Labor leader Anthony Albanese in bridging the Opposition'...

Emu Swamp Dam - Latest Update Aug 2020

Fri, 28 Aug 2020 04:50:00 +0000

Source: Southern Free Times - Dan Hunt, GBIP Project Chairman Looking back at the history of the Granite Belt Irrigation Project (GBIP) we are delighted by the progress that has been made in 2020 and the major steps that have been taken towards building this much- needed piece of water infrastructure for local primary producers and communities. The recent appointment of national engineering consultancy Premise places us in a strong position to obtain the necessary government permits and...

New dam to provide better water security

Tue, 14 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Source - Toowoomba Chronicle

IMPROVED water security for the Granite Belt is a step closer with the appointment of national engineering consultancy Premise to oversee the final planning stages of Emu Swamp Dam. Natural Resources Minister Dr Anthony Lynham said the state Government's advanced release of $6 million has allowed the appointment of Premise to oversee final permits and construction tenders of the project. "The global coronavirus pandemic is impacting econ...

Emu Swamp Dam - Another Infrastructure Project Proceeding

Fri, 12 Jun 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Minsol Group/Leeson Valuers/Costello Group are pleased to be awarded the land procurement contract associated with the Emu Swamp Dam/Granite Belt Irrigation Project. This project is of national significance, consisting of a dam and pipeline that will provide the Granite Belt region with new water storage and irrigation. The project has an estimated construction cost of $84 million and is scheduled for completion in 2022. The key benefits of the project include water security, ...

Inland Rail $3 billion boost to regional QLD

Tue, 17 Mar 2020 02:00:00 +0000

Source: Courier Mail The inland rail's economic boost to regional Queensland could top $3 billion over its first 50 years and create thousands of extra jobs nationally, according to a new report. The report by Ernst & Young looked at potential business investment that could spring up along the planned 1700km freight line, which will link ports in Brisbane and Melbourne. It found the railway could generate up to $13.3 billion of extra gross regional product across Queenslan...

Inland Rail Would Profoundly Transform Australia

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 05:00:00 +0000

Source: The Courier Mail It's nation building on a heroic scale, a train line that will reduce the Great Dividing Range to a gentle slope, the vast plains of inland Australia to scenery and hook up billions of dollars worth of products and produce to customers hungry for them across Australia and the world. The Inland Rail, which finally got the green light from the State and Federal governments last week, is set to transform how freight gets around Queensland and Australia...

Desane wins landmark case against NSW compulsory acquisition

Wed, 01 Aug 2018 04:00:00 +0000

Source: Australian Property Journal ASX-listed Desane Group has successfully fought off the New South Wales government in the Supreme Court, in a landmark ruling over the compulsory acquisition of its prized site. The Supreme Court of NSW decision paves the way for Desane to move forward with plans for a $100 million, 200-apartment mixed-use project at a Rozelle property that the Roads and Maritime Services authority had sought to compulsorily acquire. Justice Hammerschlag foun...

Regional Housing Market Value Growth Performance

Fri, 11 May 2018 02:00:00 +0000

According to CoreLogic, Over the 12 months to April 2018, dwelling values across the combined regional markets have increased by 2.4% compared to a -0.3% fall in values across the combined capital cities. Although values in regional areas are continuing to rise, the rate of annual growth has slowed from a recent peak of 6.4% in June 2017, although the rolling quarterly rate of growth has shown an accelerating trend over the past six months. Based on the 'Statistical Area level 4...

Queensland State Government Joins East Coast Push for Infrastructure

Tue, 24 Oct 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Source: CoreLogic Large scale infrastructure is inflating activity taking place across the construction industry according to the CoreLogic October Construction Monthly report. CoreLogic captured 2,018 development applications and proposals flowing into the construction pipeline across Australia in the month of September. While 15.4% lower than the number of development applications captured in the previous month, it is above the five year average of 1,775. The t...

Inland Rail selects southern Queensland route over floodplain

Mon, 09 Oct 2017 03:00:00 +0000

Inland Rail selects southern Queensland route over floodplain
By Grain Central, 21 September 2017
The northernmost section of the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail corridor will cross valuable Darling Downs agricultural land on its route announced in Toowoomba today by Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Darren Chester. The southern Queensland route across the floodplain was chosen from four alignment options, and will see Inland Rail pass through the townships of P...

Qld gas industry welcomes moves to establish Land Access Ombudsman

Mon, 05 Jun 2017 02:00:00 +0000

Source: APPEA APPEA welcomes the Queensland Government's move to establish a Land Access Ombudsman to support co-existence between natural gas and agriculture. Legislation to establish the new Land Access Ombudsman was introduced into the Queensland Parliament yesterday. APPEA Queensland Director Rhys Turner said the Ombudsman would provide an alternative to court action should any disputes arise. He said while APPEA would need to review the legislation in detail, in...

Feedlot operator takes gas company to court over groundwater access

Wed, 31 May 2017 02:00:00 +0000

Source: Beef Central A Dalby feedlot operator has launched Federal Court action against the Queensland Gas Company, in a case that underscores ongoing tensions between landholders and coal seam gas companies over access to groundwater. After four years of negotiations to secure water produced from gas wells operated by Queensland Gas Company on their property in order to supplement their feedlot's water supply, but having received no water, Max and David Winders' Wambo Catt...

The Court has a discretion to grant and order for costs when an application is brought without a reasonable prospect of success

Wed, 31 May 2017 02:00:00 +0000

Source: Sinead Garland, Nadia Czachor and Ian Wright, CBP In brief
The case of Swan v Santos GLNG Pty Ltd & Ors (No 2) [2017] QPEC 17 concerned an application for an order for costs made by Santos GLNG Pty Ltd in respect of a failed application brought by the owner of the land in the Planning and Environment Court alleging Santos had committed offences under the Environmental Protection Act 1994.
The owner made an application to the Court asserting that Santos had bre...

ARTC eyes 2020 start to Inland Rail Toowoomba tunnel

Tue, 30 May 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Source: Grain Central The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) is eyeing a start date of 2020 for the tunnel through the Great Dividing Range which will be a crucial piece of infrastructure for the Inland Rail project. Speaking at a presentation in Toowoomba yesterday, ARTC manager of the Gowrie to Helidon and Helidon to Calvert projects, Max Nichols, said the company would be preparing environmental impact statements (EIS) over the next 18 months. In the lead-up...

Budget 2017: Inland Rail's $8.4bn funding injection

Wed, 17 May 2017 06:00:00 +0000

Source: Warwick Daily News AN $8.4bn federal government investment into the Australian Rail Track Corporation to deliver an Inland Rail link between Melbourne and Brisbane will be a boon to Queensland's south west. The 1700km freight corridor will travel via Toowoomba, Parkes and Albury with links to other state capital cities via the existing Australian Rail Track Corporation network. The so-called Steel Mississippi has long been a National Party priority. It involv...

Southern Qld transport interchange to drive down grain costs

Wed, 17 May 2017 06:00:00 +0000

Source: Gain Central Construction began today on a new intermodal transport interchange on Queensland's Darling Downs that will link with the new Inland Rail Line and has potential to bring significant cost benefits to grain producers and exporters. The InterLink SQ development west of Toowoomba is funded by 83 predominantly local families and includes a three-kilometre frontage along the existing Brisbane to Charleville rail line and the proposed route of the Melbourne to Bris...

Barnaby Joyce's forecast of CSG royalty riches compared to '$100 lamb roast' claim

Tue, 04 Apr 2017 02:00:00 +0000

Source: Heath Aston Farmers have cast doubt on Barnaby Joyce's claim that sharing government gas royalties could help deliver landowners "hundreds of thousands or possibly millions of dollars a year". The Deputy Prime Minister has thrown his weight behind the concept of royalty-sharing agreements with farmers as a way to turn around fierce resistance to the coal-seam gas industry in rural and regional areas. Under its new energy plan, the South Australian go...

Barnaby Joyce floats national royalty plan to dismantle coal seam gas bans

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 02:00:00 +0000

Source: Amy Remeikis, Sean Nicholls, brisbanetimes.com.au Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has started dismantling Australia's sweeping ban on coal seam gas drilling, arguing a new scheme to divert a share of government royalties to farmers will overcome furious opposition in the bush. Mr Joyce on Friday embraced a South Australian government plan to pay farmers 10 per cent of royalties in exchange for allowing gas wells on their land, saying the scheme should be ...

Gas project spells 161 new wells, 350 jobs in Queensland

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 02:00:00 +0000

Source: brisbanetimes.com.au The next stage of a major gas project in Queensland's Surat Basin has been hailed as a win-win for gas supply and jobs in the region. The Ruby Project, a joint venture between QGC and Shell, is set to drill 161 new gas wells in the region, starting later this year. Queensland Natural Resources Minister Anthony Lynham said the project would have major benefits. "This is wonderful news, especially because it's 350 new jobs in ...

How the two-speed economy worm has turned

Thu, 23 Mar 2017 01:00:00 +0000

Source: Ross Gittins, brisbanerimes.com.au If you learn nothing else about the economy, remember that it moves not in straight lines but in cycles of good times followed by bad times, and bad times followed by good. Nowhere is that truer than with our famed "two-speed economy". For most of the decade to 2012, the resources boom meant that the two main mining states Queensland and, especially, Western Australia were growing much faster than the rest of the economy, whi...

The lowdown on the mining town slowdown

Wed, 16 Nov 2016 04:00:00 +0000

Source: CoreLogic As commodity prices and mining investment has sunk, demand for housing in mining areas has also slowed. This week we take a look at the performance of some of the major mining towns. Mining towns and regions across the country have been hard hit as investment and commodity prices have slumped. This week we're looking at how the housing market has performed in terms of the volume and median price of sales across these regions. The results indicate t...

Foreign Purchasers: Transfer Duty Increase

Wed, 19 Oct 2016 04:00:00 +0000

After many months of lobbying for the Queensland Government to withdraw their newly introduced transfer duty surcharge on foreign investment, the property industry has lost their battle. "As announced in the State Budget 2016-17, additional duty of 3% will apply to acquisitions of residential land by foreign persons (including companies and trusts) from 1 October 2016." - Queensland Government

What does this mean for foreign investors?
For an investment property wi...

Drones being introduced to monitor gas wells

Wed, 27 Jul 2016 03:00:00 +0000

Source: Beef Central The world's first commercial use of beyond-line-of-sight drones has been achieved in inland Queensland to monitor natural gas wells and associated infrastructure on grazing properties. The partnership between Shell's Queensland Gas Company project and Boeing has seen well inspections successfully conducted by remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), replacing the need for inspections on the ground by four-wheel-drive. A QGC statement said the...

Qld CSG industry is a great Australian success story

Thu, 14 Jul 2016 03:00:00 +0000

Source: APPEA Statement from APPEA Chief Executive Dr Malcolm Roberts The CSG industry is not just an economic success, creating thousands of jobs and billions in exports. It is also a successful example of developing a new industry alongside established rural industries. While sudden changes can create tensions and even conflict, the overwhelming fact is that the growth of the CSG industry has been achieved through co-operation and compromise between the industry, lan...

Gas Industry Snapshot 2010-2015: CSG Infrastructure

Thu, 30 Jun 2016 06:00:00 +0000

Source: GasFields Commission Queensland Background
In the early days, Queensland's coal seam gas (CSG) industry serviced residential and industrial customers, as well as electricity generation plants through the existing gas pipeline network. The small size of the local market constrained the scope and nature of CSG production activities.
By 2010/11, gas field development in the Surat and Bowen Basins was expanded to accommodat...

Gas Industry Snapshot 2010-2015: Landholders

Thu, 30 Jun 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Source: GasFields Commission Queensland Background In Queensland, when the State Government issues a petroleum tenure, it also grants the right to enter private or State land to explore for, or produce, petroleum and gas. In exercising that right, the tenure holder has certain obligations towards the landholder in relation to land access. These obligations are contained within Queensland's Land Access Policy Framework, which incl...

Negative gearing: the facts for property investors

Thu, 16 Jun 2016 06:00:00 +0000

Source: BMT Insider, Brad Beer, BMT Tax Depreciation Over the past few months most of you would have read or heard about negative gearing in the media. There has been heated discussion both in favour and against current negative gearing policy, as well as examination of the potential risks and benefits for investors. Although we would prefer to remain apolitical, we at BMT are concerned about the current proposals to make changes to property tax concessions and the potential imp...

Best regional performers released in CoreLogic March 2016 quarter Regional Report

Tue, 31 May 2016 02:00:00 +0000

Source: CoreLogic Australia's regional areas are now under the spotlight as capital city property markets become too expensive. As capital city property markets become too expensive and force buyers to look for more affordable alternatives, Australia's regional areas are now under the spotlight with some of the more popular regions showing a lift in transaction levels and median values according to CoreLogic Regional Report for the March 2016 quarter. The Illawarra regi...

Australia's Largest Public Transport Infrastructure Project

Tue, 31 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

According to the NSW Government, Sydney Metro is Australia's largest public transport project. It will be a stand alone railway network, which, working together with major upgrades to the Western Line, will deliver the capacity to increase the number of trains entering the CBD across the entire Sydney railway system from 120 to about 200 in the busiest hour of the day. According to Transport NSW, this means the railway network across greater Sydney will have room for an extra 100,000 trai...

Inland Rail

Tue, 31 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The Inland Rail has been described as a 'truly transformational' infrastructure project for Australia. The 1,700 km proposed rail network will connect Brisbane, through regional NSW, to Melbourne addressing the anticipated significant growth in freight over the next several decades, with a goal of delivering a transit time of less than 24 hours between the two capital cities. The Federal Government previously committed $300 million for pre-constru...

Farmers say valuers play key role in gas negotiations

Tue, 03 May 2016 00:28:00 +0000

Source: Gasfields Commission Queensland Dalby farmers Ross and Jane Walker share their experience and insights in negotiating ten (10) gas wells on their farming block including the important role played by rural valuation firms. This is another in a series of stories where landholders have shared lessons learnt with the GasFields Commission to help inform and assist other landholders and continue to improve understanding between the rural and onshore gas industries in Queens...

Quarterly Regional Market Rental review

Tue, 09 Feb 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Source: CoreLogic RP Data Summary Quarterly movements To end the 2015 calendar year, most regional markets, for houses, saw rents either rise or remain steady with the exception of Western Australia where rents were down -2.6% over the final three months of the year. On the other hand, regional unit market performance was much weaker, with rental rates in Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia all lower in December 2015 relative to September 2015. Annual movements F...

Queensland Regional Rentals - December Quarter 2015

Thu, 28 Jan 2016 03:00:00 +0000

Source: Corelogic RP Data Across regional Queensland, rental rates remained steady for houses over the final quarter of 2015, at $350/week, while for units, a -2.9% decline was recorded, bringing the typical rental rate to $330/week. Both the detached house and unit rental performance over the past year has underperformed when compared to the five year average for the region and interestingly, regional Queensland house rents are currently recording the same median price as they wer...

Cockatoo Coal puts its mines and assets on the market

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 04:00:00 +0000

Source: The Australian Cockatoo Coal's administrators PPB have fired the starting gun on a sales process for the company's portfolio of coalmining assets after appointing resources sector advisory specialist RFC Ambrian, which has sent out documents to prospective buyers. The market remains awash with coalmines, which were worth hundreds of millions of dollars at the peak of the market but now can't find buyers due to the weak demand for the commodity. On offe...

Hopeland farmer calls for time frame on bore decommissioning

Mon, 14 Dec 2015 04:00:00 +0000

Source: The Chronicle, Matthew newton A Hopeland farmer is calling on the State Government to tighten up the "make good" process between farmers and coal seam gas (CSG) companies after a bore on his property that had been marked for decommissioning since September last year began kicking up water and gas. It has been three years since the release of a State Government report that said two bores on the Hopeland property would be affected by the CSG industry. Only on...

Jemena to Build North East Gas Interconnector

Mon, 07 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Source: Jemena Jemena is proud to announce it has been selected by the Northern Territory Government to build and operate the North East Gas Interconnector (NEGI), connecting the Territory's vast gas fields to the east coast gas market. After a competitive tender process, Jemena was chosen for proposing the most economical, efficient pipeline route and its proven track record of developing and operating major Australian energy supply assets. The 623km pipeline will link Tennan...

NT landholders can now negotiate land access agreements

Wed, 02 Dec 2015 03:00:00 +0000

Source: Beef Central, 01 December 2015; NT Government, NTCA For the first time, pastoral landholders in the Northern Territory have been provided with the right to negotiate access agreements with mining, oil and gas companies before they enter their land for significant exploration purposes. http://www.beefcentral.com/news/nt-landholders-now-have-greater-say-when-miners-drive-in/ ...

Qld residential markets on track

Tue, 27 Oct 2015 03:00:00 +0000

Source: Qld Market Monitor Over the second quarter of 2015, Queensland's residential property markets continued along relatively the same trends seen since the start of the year. The state's strengthening centres continue to improve at steady and sustainable levels while our regional centres are beginning to show hints of recovery. Outside Brisbane, the state's tourism centres continue to perform strongly. The Gold and Sunshine coasts continue to record buoyant mark...

Targeted approach to offshore buyers working for veteran property agent

Tue, 27 Oct 2015 02:15:00 +0000

Source: Beef Central, Jon Condon, 21 October 2015
One of Australia's most experienced rural property agents is taking a new approach to engaging with prospective offshore buyers for Australian agricultural assets. Bruce Gunning is now putting his marketing energies into working one-on-one with hand-picked and carefully-researched investor targets in China and other parts of Asia. http://www.beefcentral.com/property/targeted-approach-to-offshore-buyers-working-for-veteran-prop...

Wide ranging opinions over significance of land tenure

Tue, 27 Oct 2015 02:12:00 +0000

Source: Beef Central, Property Editor, Linda Rowley, 21 October 2015
Last week's story, "Land tenure's impact on Queensland property values," has prompted wide ranging discussion among rural property agents, valuers, solicitors, government department personnel and property owners. In this follow-up item, we present a snapshot of some of their reactions and responses. http://www.beefcentral.com/property/weekly-property-review-wide-ranging-opinions-over-signifi...

Land tenure's impact on Qld property values

Tue, 27 Oct 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Source: Beef Central, Property Editor, Linda Rowley, 14 October 2015
There has been significant interest in converting Leasehold land to Freehold in Queensland since the State Government changed its land tenure legislation in 2014. What difference, if any, has it made to property values? http://www.beefcentral.com/property/weekly-property-review-land-tenures-impact-on-property-value/ ...

Yuleba grazier shares insights on gas negotiation

Thu, 17 Sep 2015 03:00:00 +0000

Sourced from GasFields Commission Queensland Third generation Yuleba grazier Brett Griffin reckons it takes a lot of homework, hard negotiating and the right attitude to develop a beneficial and workable relationship with the onshore gas industry and shares his insights and tips on landholder negotiation. This is another in a series of stories where landholders have shared lessons learnt with the GasFields Commission to help inform and assist other landholders and continue to impro...

Grazier says gas companies should respect landholder advice

Mon, 20 Jul 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Sourced from: GasFields Commission Queensland Wandoan grazier Richard Golden shares his experience and insights from dealing with two different gas proponents at the same time developing over 100 gas wells on his family's cattle property. In 2012, as the gas industry boom took off Richard faced a direct approach on his own property from two different gas proponents and found himself negotiating access for a combined 88 gas wells with an additional 35 wells proposed by one of th...

Landholders using treated groundwater from Qld gas industry

Tue, 23 Jun 2015 04:00:00 +0000

Sourced from GasFields Commission Queensland Landholders around Condamine in Queensland's Surat Basin are irrigating dryland country for the first time thanks to extra water desalinated and distributed from the region's coal seam gas (CSG) industry, according to a recent WIN TV News Toowoomba report. WIN TV has reported the scheme is giving producers more water security to expand their operations. The story features a cattle backgrounding property and feedlot near Condamine...

Minsol Group Partner to Present at 6th Land Access Forum

Tue, 26 May 2015 06:00:00 +0000

Partner, John Phillips-Turner is presenting at the 6th Annual Land Access Forum in Brisbane on 18 - 19 August 2015 at the Stamford Plaza. John's session titled A Valuer's Perspective on How Compensation is Assessed will explain the "Heads of Compensation" for the Petroleum and Gas Act (Qld) and their relevance to Land Access during the negotiation process. For more information, click https://www.informa.com.au/conferences/mining-conference/operational-mining-confe...

Median Rents in Mining Areas Drop to Below 2010 Levels

Tue, 12 May 2015 07:00:00 +0000

Sourced from Residential Tenancies Authority Median rents in mining areas have dropped to below 2010 levels after peaking during 2012 and 2013, according to March quarter 2015 rental bond data from the RTA. There has been an average drop of 36% for median rents in Mackay, Emerald, Gladstone and Mount Isa between the peak of the mining boom (2012 and 2013) and 2015. In Mackay, median weekly rent for a 2 bedroom unit was $230 in the March quarter 2015, $50 less than in the same quar...

Pipeline stocktake to focus on land rehabilitation and engagement

Mon, 11 May 2015 04:00:00 +0000

Sourced from GasFields Commission Queensland The GasFields Commission is undertaking a stocktake of land rehabilitation efforts and community engagement activities for the three (3) major gas export pipelines connecting the Surat Basin to Gladstone in Queensland. Commission Chairman, John Cotter said these pipeline projects not only represent a large technical and engineering feat but there has also been a significant community engagement challenge. Mr Cotter said these pipeline e...

Roaring Regional Queensland

Tue, 05 May 2015 23:00:00 +0000

Sourced from PRD Nationwide Regional Queensland comprises all local government areas within the Far North and North Queensland, Central Queensland, North Coast, and South West Coast. Based on median price price growth and transaction level of house and units between 2013 and 2014; it is interesting to see that as an overall transaction numbers for house and units have decreased, while median price remained unchanged. This suggests that the Regional Queensland property market is potenti...

Rental Vacancy Rates - What That Means For Regional Queensland

Thu, 30 Apr 2015 01:00:00 +0000

REIQ data reveals rental problems for traditional mining towns, however Gladstone is recovering. The latest Real Estate Institute of Queensland rental vacancy information - for the March 2015 quarter - shows high vacancy rates in several regional areas. Gladstone's vacancy rate has dropped five times since peaking at 7.7 per cent at the end of 2013 and now sits at 3.8 per cent. Looking at the figures for Mackay, Rockhampton and Gladstone it is too soon to call this ...

Royal Dutch Shell to take over BG Group in megadeal

Wed, 22 Apr 2015 06:00:00 +0000

Peter Ker, The Sydney Morning Herald Oil and gas major Royal Dutch Shell looks set to take control of a $US20 billion ($26 billion) LNG processing plant in Queensland after agreeing to a $91 billion (£47 billion) takeover of BG Group. The deal is a huge vote of confidence in Queensland's $63 billion LNG export industry and comes as the Abbott government bets big on fossil fuels in its long-awaited energy white paper. The two companies confirmed on Wednesday they would push ah...

Rents in regional centres continue to fall

Mon, 02 Mar 2015 02:00:00 +0000

Sourced from Residential Tenancies Authority Median rents in Gladstone, Mackay and Mount Isa continued to fall in the December quarter 2014, according RTA median rent data. RTA data shows median rent for a 3 bedroom house in Gladstone dropped from $500 per week in the December quarter 2012 to $400 per week a year later down to $300 per week in the December quarter 2014. Over the same period weekly median rent for a 2 bedroom unit in Gladstone fell from $410 (2012) to $330 (2013) a...

Arrow Energy's LNG Plan "Off The Table"

Tue, 03 Feb 2015 04:00:00 +0000

Casie Hough, ABC Rural Royal Dutch Shell global chief executive Ben van Beurden says the company will be slowing down on new developments. This means the development of Arrow's greenfield liquefied natural gas project at Curtis Island in Queensland is "off the table". The decision has been blamed on falling oil prices, with Shell cutting spending by $15 billion over three years. While this has implications for the Curtis Island Development, Shell spokesman in Aus...

Adani gets POSCO as Abbot Point port builder

Thu, 18 Dec 2014 05:00:00 +0000

John McCarthy ADANI has signed up Korea's POSCO as an equity partner and builder of its $1 billion T0 coal terminal at Abbot Point.

The terminal will service the $16 billion Carmichael megamine in the Galilee Basin which has yet to get its final board approval or a mining lease. However, the company is moving ahead with the project and expects to start development of the Northern Galilee Basin Rail project early next year. It also maintains it can produce first...

Arrow Continues Bowen Basin Development Plan

Tue, 16 Dec 2014 02:00:00 +0000

John McCarthy ARROW Energy continues to progress its upstream development of coal seam gas infrastructure despite not having an LNG plant to send it to.

The Shell and PetroChina subsidiary said it would move to the front-end engineering and design (FEED) of its Bowen Basin pipeline to Curtis Island. No price was put on the development of the pipeline but others from the Surat Basin to Curtis Island have cost at least $1 billion and QCGs parent BG Group sold its Sur...

New Auction Laws for Queensland

Thu, 27 Nov 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Nobody loves change. So we understand some of the commentary about the new Property Occupations Act which commences on Monday December 1st. The Act has some new provisions around auctions and there’s been some confusion over what it means.
It’s time for some clarity and to reassure sellers and buyers that auction will continue as a popular sale method for many years to come. After December 1st a real estate salesperson handling an auction property can, and usually will, provi...

Implementation of regional planning laws discussed with landholders

Thu, 30 Oct 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Sourced from GasFields Commission Queensland The GasFields Commission joined a group of Darling Downs landholders at a special briefing in Toowoomba this week to discuss the implementation of the State's new regional planning laws. The meeting was hosted by Deputy Premier, Jeff Seeney and Agriculture Minister, John McVeigh with a group of about 30 landholders in attendance. The Regional Planning Interests Act came into effect from June this year to provide a more balanced way ...

CSG industry watchdog responds to landholder queries

Tue, 21 Oct 2014 05:00:00 +0000

Sourced from GasFields Commission Queensland Queensland's Coal Seam Gas (CSG) Compliance Unit has resolved more than 80 percent of the 237 landholder enquiries it has received up to 30 September this year, covering a wide range of issues from bores, to CSG operations and land access. CSG Compliance Unit with landholder The CSG Compliance Unit undertakes industry compliance, auditing and engagement activities and includes groundwater experts, and specialists in petroleum and...

Good as Gold: Valuing land interests of mining operations and stamp duty

Tue, 30 Sep 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Source: Minter Ellison Alert, 20 May 2013 Although not involving stamp duty, the recent case of Resource Capital Fund III LP v Commissioner of Taxation [2013] FCA 363 is a good reminder that the proper valuation of land interests held by mining entities is an important exercise in correctly determining the amount of any landholder or land rich duty payable on acquisitions of interests in the entity. The case also provides some guidance regarding the proper valuation of minin...

New Clarity on Compensation for Landowner Time

Tue, 30 Sep 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Source: Corrs Chambers Westgarth, 30 July 2013 In a recent decision, the Land Court found that landowner time, in and of itself, is not recoverable as compensation under the Mineral Resources Act 1989 (Qld) (MRA). The Court considered whether the scope of the compensation provisions in relation to the grant of a mining lease under the MRA allowed the recovery of landowner time. These compensation provisions are in all material respects the same as the compensation pro...

Resolving Disputes About Conduct and Compensation Agreements in Queensland

Tue, 30 Sep 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Source: Corrs Chambers Westgarth, 21 August 2013 Resource companies must compensate land owners and occupiers for the effect of activities carried out on their land. But negotiating a Conduct and Compensation Agreement that satisfies both the resource company and the owner is not always easy. When negotiations stall, what are the dispute resolution options available to parties and which is best? Resource companies generally cannot enter private land to undertake advanced ac...

Weed control key concern on CQ pipeline visit

Tue, 23 Sep 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Sourced from GasFields Commission Queensland Weed control along the rehabilitated gas pipeline easements in Central Queensland remains one of the key concerns for local landholders raised during a recent visit by the GasFields Commission. In Biloela for the AgForce 360 series conference held earlier this month, several of the Commissioners (pictured) took the opportunity to inspect a section of one pipeline easement that runs through Jim and Robyn Ferguson's property and their ...

Deep gas and oil framework

Wed, 03 Sep 2014 03:00:00 +0000

http://www.dnrm.qld.gov.au/our-department/policies-initiatives/mining-resources/deep-gas-oil

Deep gas framework must focus on benefits for local communities

Wed, 03 Sep 2014 03:00:00 +0000

Sourced from GasFields Commission Queensland GasFields Commissioner Shane Charles (pictured) recently visited the Cooper Basin to get a better understanding of the region's oil and gas industry. The GasFields Commission has welcomed the State Government's release of a new framework to manage the developing deep gas industry in Queensland and say focusing on the benefits for local communities should be a priority. Chairman, John Cotter, said the Framework for the Next Ge...

Land Court of Qld - Review of Valuation Cases 2014

Sun, 10 Aug 2014 23:10:00 +0000

http://www.landcourt.qld.gov.au/documents/lc-pub-valuers-conference-review-valuation-cases-2014.pdf

Adani's giant Galilee Basin coal mine gets federal government approval

Tue, 29 Jul 2014 23:00:00 +0000

The federal government has approved Indian mining giant Adani's proposal to develop one of the world's biggest coal mines in Queensland. The tick from Environment Minister Greg Hunt comes two months after the state government gave its approval. Mr Hunt said 36 strict conditions would be imposed on the coal mine and rail project in the Galilee Basin. "The absolute strictest of conditions have been imposed to ensure the protection of the environment, with a specific focus ...

Galilee Rail Zone Reduced by 94 per cent

Tue, 24 Jun 2014 03:00:00 +0000

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2014/6/16/galilee-rail-zone-reduced-by-94-per-cent