A house for rent at Caboolture. Picture: Paul Guy RENTS are defying the national housing downturn, with Brisbane showing one of the biggest rises as it continues to buck the trend. The latest quarterly rent report from property researcher CoreLogic reveals rents increased 1 per cent around the country in the first three months of the year. Rents in the Queensland capital rose 0.8 per cent during the period to reach a median of $436 a week, which is the same as the national average. Rents are rising in Brisbane. Image: AAP/Glenn Hunt And they have jumped 1.4 per cent in the past 12 months. The report noted the past year had marked a change in direction for the Brisbane rental market, following several years of declines. Rental yields are also strong in Brisbane at 4.55 per cent, which is higher than the national average of 4.1 per cent. Quarterly...

Artist impression of the Queen's Wharf development Brisbane’s new $3.6 billion casino and resort complex is about to shift from excavation to construction. The winning tender for the main construction of the resort’s podium, its Sky Deck and its hotel towers, key parts of the Queen's Wharf development, will be announced in “four to six weeks”. Geoff Hogg is managing director Queensland of the Star Entertainment Group, the lead partner in the Destination Brisbane consortium behind the Queens Wharf project. “Somewhere in the next four to six weeks we will announce the successful tender who will start building the main core and shell of the Queen's Wharf development,” he said. “That main contract is all the core concrete and [building] shell.” Other tenders would follow, primarily for the internal fit-outs. Ongoing excavation for the resort’s foundations, underground car park, demolition of older buildings and river supports started in early 2017....

Strong migration into Queensland has helped house and apartment prices in Brisbane stay in positive territory despite a slide in the other major capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Brisbane apartment prices gained 0.3 per cent in the month of September, up 1.3 per cent for the quarter. But according to Corelogic apartment prices in Brisbane are still 10 per cent below where they were 10 years ago, creating "bargains". "Apartment price growth has been negative for several years and have only just come back," Corelogic's Tim Lawless said. "There are some good buying opportunities. Oversupply was a concern and I would still use caution some places." While growth in Brisbane residential property has slowed, it is still the only major capital city showing growth. Migration driving prices "Migration is definitely one of the key factors, " Mr Lawless said. Queensland is now the number one state when it comes...