Mirvac posts solid first half results, CEO bats for housing affordability taskforce
Developer Mirvac posted a 7 percent rise in profit for its first half ended December 31, capitalising on a record $3.1 billion of residential pre-sales, while its CEO Susan Lloyd-Hurwitz used the occasion to bat for a taskforce to tackle housing affordability.
Mirvac said statutory profit increased to $508 million from $473 million over the comparable period, while revenue was up 17 percent to $1,36 billion.
The company announced a half-year distribution of 4.9 cents per stapled security to unit holders and said it would deliver a growth of 9 percent to 11 percent for the full financial year.
CEO and managing director Lloyd-Hurwitz said the company had “delivered a solid set of results in the first half of FY17.”
In its results presentation, Mirvac said it secured future income with a record $3.1 billion of residential pre-sales, while settling 977 residential lots and was on track to settle over 3,300 lots in FY17. The majority of settlements are expected in the second half of the financial year that ends June 30, 2017.
On defaults, Mirvac said the default rate was 2% till January 31, with average price $675,000 per lot, although more than 70% defaults were re-sold with “financial upside”.
She was cited by The Australian as saying that an inclusive taskforce was needed to make housing more affordable.
“Crisis is a strong word, but when Sydney is the second-most unaffordable city in the world I think it’s probably a justified term,” Lloyd-Hurwitz told The Australian. “It’s something we need to address holistically.”
Sydney was recently ranked second behind Hong Kong in terms of affordability for home buyers, in a study by Demographia.
Earlier this week, former RBA governor Glenn Stevens was taken on board by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to advise the government on housing affordability.
“We don’t build enough housing for people to come to Australia. There are a whole host of issues around planning, tax — a whole host of issues that need to be thought through,” Lloyd-Hurwitz said.