The 42 brightest prospects for price growth on Smart Investor's list of top 601 suburb hotspots

Sydney and Perth suburbs, many of them in the cities’ outer rings, dominate a list of 42 top price growth hotspots for 2012.

The 42 suburbs have been cherry-picked from the “601 Top Suburbs” report compiled by Smart Investor magazine.

The hotspot list is based on those suburbs where dwelling prices appreciated the greatest over the 12 months to December 2011.

Out of the 601 suburbs, only 19 are expected to show price appreciation of more than 5% with eight each in NSW and Western Australia and three in Queensland.

Indicating the subdued outlook for Victoria in 2012, only seven suburbs are forecast to deliver returns of 4%.

The NSW list is made up entirely of Sydney suburbs, with half of these in the outer west – a growth hotspot identified by the likes of SQM Research director Louis Christopher and Douglas Driscoll, CEO of Starr Partners.

The WA list indicates a developing hotspot south of Perth, with median house price in Thornlie, Canning Vale and Willetton expected to grow more than 5% in 2012.

The Queensland list is made up entirely of remote mining towns.

NSW top growth suburbs in 2012 (5% plus)

1. Cremorne Point units (north shore)
2. Hillsdale units (eastern suburbs)
3. Smithfield houses (outer west)
4. Five Dock houses (west)
5. Condell Park houses (outer west)
6. North Rocks houses (outer west)
7. Villawood houses (outer west)
8. Marsfield units (north west)

WA top growth suburbs in 2012 (5% plus)

1. West Perth houses and units
2. South Hedland houses (mining, Pilbara)
3. Willetton houses (south Perth)
4. Bassendean houses (north east Perth)
5. Port Kennedy houses (outer south Perth)
6. Thornlie houses (south east Perth)
7. Boulder houses (West Perth)
8. Canning Vale houses (south Perth)

Queensland top growth suburbs in 2012 (5% plus)

1. Moranbah houses (mining, Isaac region)
2. Blackwater houses (mining near Rockhampton)
3. Emerald houses and Units (mining, central highlands)

Victoria top growth suburbs in 2012 (4%)

1. McCrae houses
2. Kialla houses
3. Maryborough houses
4. Portland houses
5. Horsham houses
6. Red Cliffs houses
7. Miners Rest houses

South Australia top growth suburbs in 2012 (4% plus)

1. Roxby Downs houses
2. Ingle Farm houses
3. MunnoParaWest houses

ACT top growth suburbs in 2012 (4% plus)

1. Gungahlin houses
2. Monash houses

TAS top growth suburbs in 2012 (4% plus)

1. New Town units
2. Queenstown houses
3. Lenah Valley houses
4. New Town houses
5. Blackmans Bay houses

NT top growth suburbs in 2012 (4% plus)

1. Roseberry houses and units
2. Bellamack houses
3. Parap units
4. Stuart Park houses
5. Bakewell houses
6. Gunn houses