The Australian suburbs going gangbusters - and it’s not where you think

Australia’s largest real estate group Ray White has released the top three best performing suburbs in each state – and the results may surprise you.

Data analyst for Ray White, William Clark said while growth had slowed across the country over 2022, there were still pockets where prices continue to increase apace.

In NSW, Bellbird near Cessnock experienced a 150.6 percent increase in growth, with median sales prices reaching $550,000 over the past year. Sydney’s Box Hill was another strong performer, with a 132.7 percent rise, bringing median sales prices up to $1.245m, while median sales in Leppington in Sydney’s west reached $1.075m – a 122.3 percent rise over the year.

Queensland recorded the next best results, with Collinsville, west of Proserpine, recording median sales increases of 65.9 percent and Eumundi, a rural town on the Sunshine Coast, where prices rose on average by 63 percent over the past year to a median of $1.32m.

Three suburbs in Victoria – Rochester, Point Lonsdale and Port Fairy – all saw sales increases of more than 50 percent in the past year with similar results in South Australia for Burnside, Beaumont and Elizabeth South.

“It appears prices have risen evenly in both the regions and the outer reaches of a major city,” Mr Clark said. “Interestingly, we never see the high percentage growth in the traditionally expensive or inner city suburbs that dominate the leaderboards for dollar growth.

“While the trend over the pandemic lockdowns was a shift to the regions, that trend appears to have slowed somewhat, as workers have returned to the office.”

Pantone has released its 2024 Colour of the Year — and it’s warm and fuzzy.

Peach Fuzz has been named as the colour to sum up the year ahead, chosen to imbue a sense of “kindness and tenderness, communicating a message of caring and sharing, community and collaboration” said vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, Laurie Pressman.

“A warm and cosy shade highlighting our desire for togetherness with others or for enjoying a moment of stillness and the feeling of sanctuary this creates, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz presents a fresh approach to a new softness,” she said.

Pantone Colour of the Year is often a reflection of world mood and events

The choice of a soft pastel will come as little surprise to those who follow the Pantone releases, which are often a reflection of world affairs and community mood. Typically, when economies are buoyant and international security is assured, colours tend to the bolder spectrum. Given the ongoing war in Ukraine, the Israeli-Gaza conflict and talk of recession in many countries, the choice of a softer, more reassuring colour is predictable.

“At a time of turmoil in many aspects of our lives, our need for nurturing, empathy and compassion grows ever stronger as does our imaginings of a more peaceful future,” she said. “We are reminded that a vital part of living a full life is having the good health, stamina, and strength to enjoy it.”

The colour also reflects a desire to turn inward and exercise self care in an increasingly frenetic world.

“As we navigate the present and build toward a new world, we are reevaluating what is important,” she said. “Reframing how we want to live, we are expressing ourselves with greater intentionality and consideration.

“Recalibrating our priorities to align with our internal values, we are focusing on health and wellbeing, both mental and physical, and cherishing what’s special — the warmth and comfort of spending time with friends and family, or simply taking a moment of time to ourselves.”

Each year since 2000, Pantone has released a colour of the year as a trendsetting tool for marketers and branding agents. It is widely taken up in the fashion and interior design industries, influencing collections across the spectrum.

The Australian suburbs going gangbusters – and it’s not where you think

Prepare yourself for the year of the peach