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Melbourne crowned world’s most liveable city – Once Again

Melbourne has managed to maintain its position on the top of the ladder as the “best place in the world to live in”.

Ranked by the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) Global Liveability Index as the world’s most liveable city, Melbourne – an accolade we’ve received six years running.

Melbourne was at the top of the class with an overall rating of 97.5 out of 100 in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual liveability survey. (The Economist Intelligence Unit helps business leaders prepare for opportunity, empowering them to act with confidence when making strategic decisions.)

Melbourne was able to emerge victorious, with even Vienna in the running. It placed a far cry from its rival Sydney that finished after Adelaide. Australia and Canada dominated the top 10 in the survey, which looks at a range of factors, mostly stability in politics as well as keeping in mind the strength of the institutions.

In good humour, Robert Doyle, the Lord Mayor of Melbourne declared that he would jump on the phone right away to inform Gregor Robertson, the Lord Mayor of Vancouver (which placed third on the list) . “It’s the middle of the night there, but I’m sure he will want to get the news as soon as he possibly can and I’m happy to help him do that.”
The main factor for this ranking seems to be due to a significant increase in international tourists, who are attracted to the city due to its “enviable” lifestyle and its superiority in art and culture.
“The figures from Melbourne airport show a 15 per cent increase, year on year, on international visitation. Our tourism is going through the roof,” says Victorian Premier Denis Napthine.

Sydney may have a warmer climate, but it has some catching upto do, since it placed seventh on the list, followed by Perth and Auckland.…

The big boy in volume home building – Meriton

Meriton is Australia’s largest home builder.
The 2014 HIA Housing 100 report reveals that Meriton started work on about 8,000 apartments in the year ending June. The housing industry survey of dwelling constructions estimates that housing starts boosted by 12.7 per cent over the 12 months ending June and reached 182,416.
In the report released Wednesday, HIA mentions that the country’s 100 largest home builders also increased their starts by 30.6 per cent and reached 66, 764, the highest level in more than ten years, The Australian writes. Now, the largest home builders account for about 36 per cent of the market.

Figures show that Meriton’s commencements rose from last year’s 2,573 to 7,929 this year, which makes it the most active apartment developer. The second highest number of commencements belongs to BGC Australia, which hit 5,004 starts, followed by Alcock Brown-Neaves and Metricon Homs. Brookfield Multiplex, also on the list, rose from 282 apartments last year to 2,189 over the past 12 months.

Commencements boosted in each state except Queensland and, according to the HIA survey, the strongest growth will continue in New South Wales and Western Australia. Victoria is expected to experience only a slight increase. The HIA survey also reveals that the number of the country’s largest home builders which started considering apartment developments is rising.…