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Rental crisis shows modest signs of easing
Some good news for renters (finally).
The search for a rental property is now a little less competitive in most Australian cities as vacancy rates finally start ticking up, AAP reports.
Vacancies edged slightly higher again last month, reaching 1.45%, with renters finding it easier to secure a new home in every capital city except Brisbane, as measured by property firm PropTrack.
Vacancy rates still remain at around half their pre-pandemic levels, however.
PropTrack senior economist Paul Ryan said demand was slowing but from elevated heights.
It remains difficult to find a rental across the country and we expect rents to continue to grow quickly, placing additional financial pressure on renters.
Read more from Peter Hannam and Tamsin Rose here:
Signs rental crisis is easing as vacancy rates nudge upwards in Australia’s major citiesRead moreUpdated at 19.49 EDT30m ago19.29 EDT
Survey shows ecologists reportedly facing gags on publicly releasing work
Researchers warn suppression of science by governments and corporations is hampering efforts to address the global biodiversity crisis, AAP reports.
James Cook University professor Bill Laurance points to a survey of Australian ecologists who reported facing gags on the public release of their information.
He says:
Imagine someone who’s done years of work on a subject and has more or less been told not to talk to the media.
Of 220 people interviewed by the Ecological Society of Australia, about 50% of government experts and 40% of industry respondents said they had been banned from publicly sharing their work.
Laurance says the suppression of academic work was inherently dangerous in Australia – the result is poor policy outcomes, impacts on threatened species and delayed action on climate change.
It often happens in situations where the stakes are high, when it’s an important issue causing controversy.
Updated at 19.36 EDT46m ago19.14 EDT
Reward of $1m to solve 1980s murder mystery
More on the $1m reward being offered by police in a bid to solve the murder mystery of Robert Richardson, known as Jack.
Police believe several people helped arrange Richardson’s murder, including his friends. They are searching for who fatally shot Richardson, and anyone who helped plan the murder – likely including people formerly associated with the Painters and Dockers Union.
The $1m reward will be paid at the chief commissioner of police’s discretion for information…
2023-07-10 18:49:19
Post from www.theguardian.com
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