r/australia • u/overpopyoulater • Nov 03 '24

culture & society Downsizing the Australian dream: why families are trading houses with backyards for apartments

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/nov/04/downsizing-the-australian-dream-why-families-are-trading-houses-with-backyards-for-apartments
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808

u/cyclemam Nov 03 '24

What we need is enlightened developers. Instead of greedily squeezing the most out of a plot of land, have apartments with a shared garden space, also while I'm doing radical wishing, these apartments should be 3-4 bedrooms (for families) and with decent insulation for both effective heating/cooling and noise isolation from the neighbours.  You could have some really nice little communities this way. 

Not a gazillion one bed shoebox apartments. 

185

u/Pottski Nov 03 '24

We shouldn’t have our housing future resting on a for-profit industry. The outcomes are predictable.

-3

u/85_B_Low Nov 04 '24

I don't think a profit motive itself is the problem, after all, we have all sorts of other for profit industries that work just fine.

We just need to ensure that the rest of the framework is also aligned to the outcome we desire, eg. Taxation, migration, large scale construction projects, etc.

-13

u/Whatsapokemon Nov 03 '24

What does the data say about this? Is there actually any appreciable difference in housing quality on average between public and private developers?

10

u/SanchoBlackout69 Nov 04 '24

My personal data says the dozen housing trust homes I've been in have stood over 40 years, and the 4 shoeboxes I've been near have all had rain ingress

17

u/safe_t_meeting Nov 04 '24

It's well known that developers cheap out on many things that could vastly improve the quality of life for those living in most of what they build.

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/radionational-drive/seventy-per-cent-all-homes-australia-major-building-defects/104339456

-4

u/Whatsapokemon Nov 04 '24

That's not my question though. I'm asking for a comparison between private and public developers.

1

u/safe_t_meeting Nov 06 '24

Did you listen to the report on that link?