More to the Tasmanian real estate up-cycle than Hobart

Much has been written on Hobart’s market, now one of the strongest among the capital cities - but there’s more to the Tasmanian real estate up-cycle than the capital city.

Launceston also has a strong market and is now one of the leading markets in regional Australia.

Several Launceston suburbs have recorded double-digit median price growth in the past 12 months.

Launceston (the suburb within the city of the same name) recorded 16% growth in its median house price, Newstead rose 17%, Mayfield 11%, Mowbray 9% and Prospect Vale 8%.

There were some spectacular growth numbers in the city’s unit market as well, but median price data for units can be distorted and misleading. The median unit price for East Launceston is up 28%, but it’s unlikely values have risen to that degree.

The figures suggest the stock shortage seen in Hobart is also evident in Launceston. In January there were 1,900 listings for the Launceston area on realestate.com.au, but a recent check shows just 1,350 homes for sale.

Launceston prices have risen on the back of increases in sales activity, as revealed by the Spring survey for The Price Predictor Index by Hotspotting.

Launceston has eight suburbs with growth markets, while the nearby West Tamar LGA has three.

Affordable Invermay (median house price $230,000) is an example of the rising activity in this region. Its sales levels have grown from 19 to 22 to 24 to 29 to 34 to 37 in the past six quarters.

Launceston is a substantial regional city with a population around 80,000 and one with many historical features.

It’s the commercial hub for northern Tasmania’s agricultural and pastoral activities which, in recent years, have evolved from the growing of apples to viticulture.

Wool is also an important industry while $130 million has been spent on the Meander Dam and irrigation infrastructure to support the agricultural sector, according to the Meander Valley Council.

But agriculture and history are not the only parts of Launceston’s character - it has a diverse range of industries, including manufacturing, minerals and resources, commercial shipping, tourism and educational facilities.

Pharmaceuticals manufacturing earns the region about $130 million each year. Tasmanian Alkaloids, located near Westbury, is the largest exporter of thebaine and oripavine (both opiates from which codeine and morphine are derived) used in the world.

The company employs 200 local people including scientists and engineers, while about 500 Tasmanian farmers are contracted to produce 50% of the world’s licit opiate supply.

With the signing in April of the Launceston City Deal by the Federal Government, State Government and City of Launceston, the city’s future prospects have strengthened.

The five-year plan will ensure investment in serious infrastructure, the headline act being the $260 million redevelopment and relocation of University of Tasmania’s main Launceston campus to Inveresk.

The new campus is projected to increase economic output in the local community by $360 million a year over 10 years, with an estimated direct and indirect economic impact of $965 million during the construction phase.

It is projected to create 2,760 jobs, including 430 jobs during construction. It will provide the capacity to grow student participation by 10,000 students by 2030, including 1,500 international students, and will eventually house 16,000 students, researchers and staff.

Against that backdrop, interest in Launceston real estate from interstate investors is rising – and with it, house prices.

Terry Ryder is the founder of hotspotting.com.au. You can email him or follow him on Twitter.