Buying Australian: why it's no longer a sign of parochialism
Kanebridge News
    HOUSE MEDIAN ASKING PRICES AND WEEKLY CHANGE     Sydney $1,666,984 (-0.52%)       Melbourne $1,025,140 (-0.29%)       Brisbane $1,079,790 (+0.21%)       Adelaide $987,421 (+0.48%)       Perth $959,727 (+1.13%)       Hobart $774,699 (-0.85%)       Darwin $821,142 (+4.72%)       Canberra $946,671 (-0.99%)       National $1,096,933 (+0.01%)                UNIT MEDIAN ASKING PRICES AND WEEKLY CHANGE     Sydney $779,804 (-0.05%)       Melbourne $501,457 (-0.97%)       Brisbane $680,117 (+0.71%)       Adelaide $516,640 (-0.17%)       Perth $539,067 (+1.01%)       Hobart $528,172 (+0.12%)       Darwin $391,098 (+0.26%)       Canberra $495,303 (+3.15%)       National $576,956 (+0.40%)                HOUSES FOR SALE AND WEEKLY CHANGE     Sydney 12,076 (-85)       Melbourne 14,218 (-287)       Brisbane 8,085 (-106)       Adelaide 2,943 (+40)       Perth 7,410 (-63)       Hobart 1,202 (-4)       Darwin 165 (-4)       Canberra 1,087 (-18)       National 47,186 (-527)                UNITS FOR SALE AND WEEKLY CHANGE     Sydney 9,230 (-171)       Melbourne 7,611 (-611)       Brisbane 1,520 (-30)       Adelaide 404 (-17)       Hobart 212 (+1)       Hobart 215 (-13)       Darwin 287 (+2)       Canberra 1,186 (-1,198)       National 22,003 (-2,039)                HOUSE MEDIAN ASKING RENTS AND WEEKLY CHANGE     Sydney $800 ($0)       Melbourne $595 ($0)       Brisbane $650 ($0)       Adelaide $640 (+$10)       Perth $700 ($0)       Hobart $583 (+$3)       Darwin $720 (-$30)       Canberra $710 ($0)       National $681 (-$3)                UNIT MEDIAN ASKING RENTS AND WEEKLY CHANGE     Sydney $750 ($0)       Melbourne $590 ($0)       Brisbane $650 (+$10)       Adelaide $550 (+$15)       Perth $665 (+$15)       Hobart $500 (+$18)       Darwin $550 (+$35)       Canberra $590 (+$5)       National $615 (+$10)                HOUSES FOR RENT AND WEEKLY CHANGE     Sydney 5,732 (-16)       Melbourne 7,664 (+4)       Brisbane 3,892 (-6)       Adelaide 1,458 (-8)       Perth 2,305 (-13)       Hobart 236 (+7)       Darwin 76 (-1)       Canberra 465 (+5)       National 21,828 (-28)                UNITS FOR RENT AND WEEKLY CHANGE     Sydney 7,852 (-14)       Melbourne 5,484 (0)       Brisbane 1,900 (+20)       Adelaide 413 (-1)       Perth 778 (+6)       Hobart 90 (-8)       Darwin 86 (+7)       Canberra 544 (-22)       National 17,147 (-12)                HOUSE ANNUAL GROSS YIELDS AND TREND       Sydney 2.50% (↑)      Melbourne 3.02% (↑)        Brisbane 3.13% (↓)     Adelaide 3.37% (↑)        Perth 3.79% (↓)     Hobart 3.91% (↑)        Darwin 4.56% (↓)     Canberra 3.90% (↑)        National 3.23% (↓)            UNIT ANNUAL GROSS YIELDS AND TREND       Sydney 5.00% (↑)      Melbourne 6.12% (↑)      Brisbane 4.97% (↑)      Adelaide 5.54% (↑)      Perth 6.41% (↑)      Hobart 4.92% (↑)      Darwin 7.31% (↑)        Canberra 6.19% (↓)     National 5.54% (↑)             HOUSE RENTAL VACANCY RATES AND TREND       Sydney 2.0% (↑)      Melbourne 1.9% (↑)      Brisbane 1.4% (↑)      Adelaide 1.3% (↑)      Perth 1.2% (↑)      Hobart 1.0% (↑)      Darwin 1.6% (↑)      Canberra 2.7% (↑)      National 1.7% (↑)             UNIT RENTAL VACANCY RATES AND TREND       Sydney 2.4% (↑)      Melbourne 3.8% (↑)      Brisbane 2.0% (↑)      Adelaide 1.1% (↑)      Perth 0.9% (↑)      Hobart 1.4% (↑)      Darwin 2.8% (↑)      Canberra 2.9% (↑)      National 2.2% (↑)             AVERAGE DAYS TO SELL HOUSES AND TREND       Sydney 33.9 (↑)        Melbourne 32.6 (↓)     Brisbane 35.9 (↑)      Adelaide 30.2 (↑)      Perth 41.5 (↑)      Hobart 37.1 (↑)        Darwin 23.7 (↓)     Canberra 35.3 (↑)      National 33.8 (↑)             AVERAGE DAYS TO SELL UNITS AND TREND       Sydney 32.6 (↑)      Melbourne 32.8 (↑)        Brisbane 31.9 (↓)     Adelaide 29.3 (↑)      Perth 41.0 (↑)      Hobart 37.4 (↑)        Darwin 41.2 (↓)     Canberra 42.9 (↑)      National 36.1 (↑)            
Share Button

Buying Australian: why it’s no longer a sign of parochialism

As the Australian made edition of Kanebridge Quarterly magazine hits stands this weekend, we examine the case for purchasing locally made product

By Robyn Willis
Fri, Jun 9, 2023 3:51pmGrey Clock 5 min

Mention Australian made products to family and friends and it’s likely everyone will agree it’s a good thing to do. 

Polling by Roy Morgan as recently as February this year shows 80 percent of shoppers consider buying Australian made products important, mainly because it supports local jobs and the wider economy. The survey also found that 67 percent of shoppers reported buying Australian-made products ‘often’ or ‘always’.

But while most of us are happy to buy, say, Australian made peanut butter or even skin care products, we’re less inclined to choose a locally crafted table over an imported product, mainly because of the price. 

Canberra-based craftsman Rolf Barfoed says COVID changed attitudes to buying local. With many working from home and borders closed to everyone and everything — including many goods manufactured offshore — Australians began to reassess their buying practices, as well as their domestic environments.

“We got quite busy after COVID struck because people were forced to look inwards and instead of going overseas on holiday, they had a bit of money to spend locally,” Barfoed says of his workshop where he manages a team of three. “There were a lot of people working from home and they were looking at their homes more critically.”

Desks and bookshelves were a popular choice, as many looked to properly furnish home offices, while beds and bedside tables also rated highly, providing a sense of sanctuary and comfort during uncertain times.

However, as restrictions lifted and with more people growing concerned about rising cost of living pressures, Barfoed says he has noticed a shift in buying patterns.

“Ever since the threat of recession, things have tightened up and sales have slowed,” he says.

For more stories like this, order your copy of the latest issue of Kanebridge Quarterly magazine here

While some may be put off by the higher costs — a reflection of higher wages being paid to Australian workers — Barfoed says the final price is just the start of the story. He gains most of his work from Sydney and Canberra via word-of-mouth commissions, allowing buyers to connect with their piece of furniture from the start. And some connections are stronger than others.

“In Canberra there is a pool in Manuka and there was a big oak tree over the pool which came down in a storm,” he says. “We had people who had swum in that pool as children who asked if we could make something out of the tree for them, so we created two dining tables. It helps that the timber miller is well connected in town and he has the means to pick up trees like that.”

Most timber, however, is sourced through more traditional avenues, although local timbers have been harder to find since the 2019/2020 bushfires. 

For those after something unique and fit for purpose though, the experience of commissioning from a local maker is unmatched.

“The option for customisation is a big factor and we will tailor it to exactly what the client wants,” Barfoed says. “It is always a nerve wracking experience handing over a piece of furniture. You want the client to be happy with your work.”

Kate Stokes, co-founder of award-winning Melbourne lighting and furniture studio Coco Flip says ‘locally made’ also means shorter lead times and more reliable supply chains for retailers, designers and homeowners.

“We have really good relationships with all our manufacturers which means there’s a lot more quality assurance,” she says. “If something goes wrong, you just send it back to us. You can’t do that so easily if it’s arrived by ship.”

While the products, which include their Coco pendant light, Mayu floor lamp and Sequence dining tables often do cost more upfront than imported items, Stokes says they are better financial investments over the long term.

“We want to design things that people are not going to tire of in five years so our designs are classic, contemporary and able to fit into a range of styles and interiors,” she says. “Construction has to be robust and material choices have to be solid and last a long time.

“We want people to love them for a long time.”

Stokes and co-founder Haslett Grounds also work with longstanding manufacturers such as Specialty Pleaters in Williamstown, which was founded in 1925 and is now the last remaining pleating studio in Melbourne.

“We love working with local manufacturers and Specialty Pleaters have been in business for about 100 years but they are potentially facing closure because production is increasingly going off shore,” Stokes says.

Australian furniture manufacturing legend, Tony Parker, of Parker Furniture fame says if Australians don’t support locally made furniture and homewares, they will cease to exist — and those traditional skills will all but vanish.

“When you buy locally made, the goods are also serviced in Australia and the infrastructure to manufacture is here,” Parker says. “You have apprenticeships for training people in cabinetwork, upholstery and other skilled trades.”

He laments what he sees as the decline in quality of mass produced goods flooding the Australian market from overseas, not just because it means jobs are taken offshore, but that buyers are not getting value for money.

Australian furniture legend Tony Parker laments the quality of furniture imported into Australia

“They have slowly eroded quality,” he says. “Everyone closes on price. In actual fact, people are paying more than they were in the 70s, relative to wages, and it was better made then.

“The retailer is looking for a cheaper price and the customer is not looking at quality.”

Fred Kimel, founder of Handkrafted, which connects Australian makers directly with the public, says buying locally is an investment in the future, in more ways than one.

“The result is (a piece) typically much higher quality than the vast majority of furniture that is manufactured overseas,” Kimel says. Locally made bespoke furniture is made-to-last and will retain value as it can always be sold or passed on — it’s far less likely to find its way into landfill.

“On the sustainability front, our local regulations help to ensure that timber used by local makers is forestry certified and not from unregulated or illegally logged forest timber.”

And if it’s that lovely rush of endorphins experienced when you buy that floats your boat, buying an Australian made product has to be the ultimate shopping high.

Craftsman Josh Pinkus in his Sydney workshop. His work is available through Handkrafted.

“Perhaps one of the biggest draw cards is simply the enjoyable process of working so closely with a local maker,” Kimel says. 

“Clients will often visit their workshops and take much more interest in the selection of raw materials, design decisions and production methods. It’s an experience that lives on through the product.”

Advance Australia fair, indeed.



MOST POPULAR

Hoping to recreate a freewheeling world tour from their youth, two retirees set themselves a ‘no itinerary’ challenge: Can they improvise their way across seven countries?

Super isn’t your only option. These smart strategies can help you self-fund a comfortable retirement.

Related Stories
Lifestyle
Our Retirement Travel Plan? Wing It.
By Diane Di Costanzo 21/05/2025
Money
7 Ways To Self-Fund Your Retirement Beyond Just Your Super
By Helen Baker 21/05/2025
Lifestyle
MARCEL ZALLOUA CLAIMS PODIUM FINISH AT SYDNEY MOTORSPORT PARK IN GT WORLD CHALLENGE AUSTRALIA
By Kanebridge Staff 16/05/2025
7 Ways To Self-Fund Your Retirement Beyond Just Your Super

Super isn’t your only option. These smart strategies can help you self-fund a comfortable retirement.

By Helen Baker
Wed, May 21, 2025 3 min

Superannuation is the first thought when it comes to self-funding retirement. Yet it is hardly the only option for doing so.

Just as we have a choice in how and where we work to earn a living, many people also have a choice in how to fund their retirement.

It is possible and sometimes preferable to leave your superannuation untouched, allowing it to continue growing. Some or all of your income can come from alternative sources instead.

Here are some alternatives you can consider.

1. Downsize your home

For many who own their own homes, the equity accrued over decades can eclipse the funds in superannuation. However, it’s theoretical money only until it is unlocked.

Selling up the family home and downsizing – or rightsizing – for retirement allows you to pocket those gains tax-free and simultaneously relocate to a more suitable home with lower upkeep costs.

Up to $300,000 from the proceeds can be contributed by a downsizer to boost your super, and the remainder can be used to fund living expenses or actively invested.

Remember that while the sale proceeds of your home are tax-free, any future profits or interest earned from that money will be taxable.

2. Part-time work

Semi-retirement allows you to gradually step into retirement. You continue earning income and super while working part-time, keeping a foot in the workforce while testing the waters of your new found free time.

Doing so also offers scope to move into different roles, such as passing on your skills to future generations by teaching/training others in your field of expertise, or taking employment in a new area that interests you and is closer to home.

3. Self-employment

Retirement from a full-time position presents a good opportunity to pursue self-employment. With more time and fewer commitments on your hands, you have greater scope to turn your hobby into a business or leverage your professional skills and reputation as an external consultant.

Also, for the self-employed and those with a family business, director’s loan repayments from the company are typically tax-free, offering a potentially lucrative source of

income and a means of extracting previous investments into the business without selling your ownership stake.

Helen Baker

4. Investments

Rental property income (from residential or commercial properties) can supplement or even provide a generous source of income. The same applies to dividends from shares.

These are likely to be more profitable if you own them well before retirement.

Income that is surplus to your everyday needs can be reinvested using tax-effective strategies to grow your future returns.

5. Family trust

A family trust could be used to house investments for yourself and other relatives, building intergenerational wealth.

Trusts allow funds to be allocated to beneficiaries to manage marginal tax rates and stretch the money further, you have control over how income is split between different family members and have flexibility for changing circumstances.

6. Selling collectables

You may not realise the value of items you have collected over the years, such as wine, artwork, jewellery, vintage cars, and antiques.

Rather than have them collect dust or pay to store them, they could be sold to fund your living costs or new investments.

Where possible, avoid selling growth assets in a depressed market – wait until you can extract maximum value.

7. Obtaining a part-pension

Part-pensions are not only possible but valuable in making your superannuation stretch further. They still entitle you to a concession card with benefits in healthcare, transport, and more.

Take these savings even further by requesting pensioner discounts with other companies, on everything from utilities to travel and insurance to eating out.

Also, don’t overestimate the value of your assets as part of the means test. It’s a common mistake that can wrongly deny you a full or part-pension.

Plan ahead

However, you ultimately fund your retirement, planning is crucial. Advice would hopefully pay for itself.

Understand your spending and how those habits will change before and during retirement, then look to investments that offer the best fit.

Consider a mixture of strategies to diversify your risk, manage your tax liabilities and ensure ongoing income.

Above all, timing is key. The further ahead you plan, the more time you have to embrace additional opportunities and do things at the right time to maximise their value. You’ve worked hard and now is your chance to enjoy the fruits of your labour!

Helen Baker is a licensed Australian financial adviser and author of the new book, Money For Life: How to build financial security from firm foundations (Major Street Publishing $32.99). Find out more at www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au 

MOST POPULAR

It’s being sold by a Chinese billionaire who’s accumulated a handsome portfolio of lavish real estate in the U.S.

A business led by two of the president’s sons will invest in American Bitcoin, a new mining company controlled by Hut 8.

Related Stories
Lifestyle
THE ART OF CREATING A BEAUTIFUL GALLERY WALL
By Kellie Richardson 23/04/2025
Property
Inside Sydney’s Ultra-Luxury Property Market: What’s Driving Demand in 2025
By Jeni O'Dowd 19/03/2025
Lifestyle
The Met May Have Millions in Stolen Art. It’s Not Waiting to Be Asked to Return It.
By Ted Loos 17/03/2025
0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop